Adequan Global Dressage Festival "Friday Night Stars" - New for 2014, "Friday Night Stars" showcases the world's best dressage riders as they perform at the top level of competition. The inaugural week of FEI World Cup qualifying grand prix musical freestyle competition sponsored by MTICA Farm begins at 7:00 pm with gates open at 6:00 pm at The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. In addition to world-class equestrian competition, spectators will be treated to exclusive performances by the Frost School of Music from the University of Miami, one of the best and largest music schools at a private university in the United States. Week one of "Friday Night Stars" will feature three sopranos from the program. Food and drinks will be available throughout the night. Visit www.globaldressagefestival.com for more information.

$75,000 Nespresso� Battle of the Sexes - The women have won the last six years straight of this three-phase competition. Watch them take on the men again in another thrilling evening of competition on Saturday, January 11, at 7:00 pm on the Main Grounds of PBIEC. Wear pink or blue to show support for your team of choice! In addition to show jumping, there will be entertainment for all ages as the first week of "Saturday Night Lights" kicks off. Live entertainment from the band Wonderland will get the evening started when doors open at 6:00 pm.

Opening Night of the Gallery - The first "Saturday Night Lights" after party kicks off the 2014 season of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival on Saturday, January 11. Join the party following the $75,000 Nespresso� Battle of the Sexes for a few drinks and plenty of dancing thanks to live entertainment from Wonderland and a fantastic DJ.

$30,000 Mar-a-Lago Club Grand Prix - Watch show jumping elite face off in the first Grand Prix of the 2014 FTI WEF. The class begins at 2:00 pm in the International Arena on the Main Grounds of PBIEC on Sunday, January 12.

Party Suites in the Special Events Pavilion - Also new for 2014 are the party suites located in the Special Events Pavilion. Available during several weeks of FTI WEF, they offer a prime view of the International Arena, full buffet, and cash bar service in a semi-private suite catered by White Horse Tavern Catering. Each suite accommodates up to 20 guests with a minimum of 14 people. Availability is on a first-come, first-served basis, so book your suites for Weeks 2 and 3 today! Email pmiele@whitehorsetavernflorida.com or call Patti at 561-784-1125.

 

Ride & Learn presented by Palm Beach Riding Academy - The annual Ride & Learn series will host its first clinic of the season on Tuesday, January 14, at 2:30 pm in the International Arena at PBIEC. International show jumper Shane Sweetnam starts off the impressive roster of elite riders that will share their knowledge with participants. Clinics are only $100 for riders and free to audit. In inclement weather, the clinic will be held at the VanKampen covered arena at the The Stadium. Contact the Palm Beach Riding Academy at 561-784-4275 or email sean@equestriansport.com to sign up today!

Kent Farrington (USA) and Robin Parsky's Blue Angel added another victory to their roster of recent wins with a top finish in Sunday's $125,000 Trump Invitational Grand Prix, presented by Rolex. Held at The Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, FL, the second annual event brought together many of the best in equestrian show jumping for a day of great competition and charity fundraising, set on the lawn of Mr. Donald Trump's scenic estate. Despite substantial rain, the grass footing that was newly replaced after last year's event held up well throughout the day's competition to give Farrington his second consecutive victory. He won the inaugural competition in 2013 aboard Amalaya Investments' Dynamo.

International course designer Anthony D'Ambrosio, of Red Hook, NY, set the track for Sunday's highlight competition with twenty-eight horse and rider combinations, eight of which cleared the course without fault to advance to the jump-off. Seven entries returned over the short course with three double clear efforts. Kent Farrington and Blue Angel, a 2002 Anglo European mare by Luidam x Ascendant, led the victory gallop with a time of 36.85 seconds.

Candice King (USA) and Bellissimo LLC's Kismet 50 finished second with a clear jump-off round in 38.76 seconds, and Todd Minikus (USA) and Legacy Stables LLC's Uraguay were third in 38.88 seconds. Lauren Hough (USA) and The Ohlala Group's Ohlala had the fastest four-fault round in 38.30 seconds for fourth place.

Following an exciting class, Equestrian Sport Productions CEO Mark Bellissimo praised the event and its many contributors, including the addition of new turf footing installed by Mr. Trump. "I think this event was amazing," Bellissimo acknowledged. "To see the riders take very significant horses into the ring and ride in this condition is a testament to the great investment that Donald had in this class. Congratulations to Kent - another great job and a gutsy ride. I also want to reach out to all of the sponsors and all of the phenomenal contributors to this event. I am very excited about this class, and I think that this will grow in stature each year."   

Donald Trump had another great year hosting the event and looks forward to 2015. "I just want to congratulate Kent and our great champions," Trump smiled. "They are amazing athletes. As a novice, I think the weather made it more exciting. Last year we had the sun beaming down, and it was hot. I had no idea that these athletes could even perform in this kind of weather. I was very surprised by it, and it was amazing. I think it really made it quite exciting."

After back to back wins, Farrington expressed his gratitude for another victory, as well as the improved conditions this year. "I think all of the riders want to applaud Donald and Mark for redoing the footing," he stated. "I think that is a huge effort for them to undertake, and part of making this a really top-notch, high level event so that we can bring our best horses here and know that we can count on great footing even in conditions that aren't ideal, like today. I think it is really exciting having Donald get involved in our sport. I think that raises not only the level of competition, but also the exposure here in Florida. Also thank you to Rolex for getting involved, I think that is huge for show jumping in North America."

Commenting on his success with Blue Angel, Farrington noted, "That horse was already a winner before I started riding it. Lauren Hough had a lot of success with it, and it continues to be a great horse. It's great to win two in a row (here). A big win is always exciting and for this event, to be part of it and to win it, is really special for me."

A $5,000 Junior/Amateur Jumper Speed Exhibition class, sponsored by EnTrust Capital, was also featured on Sunday afternoon following the main event. The exhibition class gave junior and amateur riders a special opportunity to compete at this unique venue and saw an exciting win for Cloe Hymowitz and Rose Hill Farm's Bon Vivant. The pair had the fastest of three clear rounds with a time of 53.42 seconds. Heather Hooker and her longtime partner Perle finished second with a time of 56.83 seconds. Kira Kerkorian placed third aboard Lisa Kerkorian's Rashmo Z in 59.46 seconds.

Hymowitz explained that she had not ridden in a month before Sunday's class and was very happy with her ride. "I didn't expect much, but I have confidence in my horse and myself," she remarked. "With the conditions, it is definitely more challenging. With the rain, you want to be more careful and cautious when you make turns, but I went out there and rode my hardest and did my best, so I'm very happy and excited."

"It is an amazing opportunity," she said of showing at The Mar-a-Lago Club. "This is probably the nicest horse show I have ever been to. I was really excited when I heard that I was invited to compete. It was nice to see all of the top grand prix riders compete first and be able to watch how they executed their course and learn from them. It is definitely an honor to come and ride here with all of these great riders."

The second annual Trump Invitational, presented by Rolex would not be possible without the generous sponsors that support the event. Equestrian Sport Productions would like to recognize Mar-a-Lago Club; Rolex; Suncast� Corporation; The Bainbridge Companies; Gucci; Nespresso USA; EnTrust Capital; Salamander Resort & Spa; Carol A Sollak PA, Engel & V�lkers; Braman Motorcars; Perrier-Jou�t; Rosebaum Mollengarden, PLLC; Remarkable Partners; Debbie Burrows; and Gut Einhaus.

For full results, please visit  www.showgroundslive.com.