Las Vegas, NV – November 15, 2017 – In his first appearance at The Las Vegas National, Great Britain’s Olympian Ben Maher took the victory with Poden Farms’ Tipsy Du Terral in the $35,000 FEI 1.45m Blenheim Welcome Jumper Classic, presented by Master Surfaces. Forty-four entries rode Oscar Soberon’s power and speed course. Twenty-fourth to go, Maher’s smooth track and forward pace in a time of 30.29 could not be beat. Holding the lead until Maher galloped in, John Perez and Utopia finished second, stopping the clock in 31.12 seconds.
“The course was tougher than I was expecting,” Maher said. “In the end, there were enough riders that were clean, but fortunately it went my way.”
Of the unique aspect of this city and, in particular, the South Point Arena & Equestrian Center, Maher noted, “This is a great venue. It’s nice to not have to go too far to the show. I can wake up in the morning and come right here. I’ve been to Las Vegas for the World Cup Finals and coming here has the same exciting feeling now as it did then.”
He continued, “I’ll show Tipsy this week and then head back to Europe with some other horses and maybe go to Olympia in London. I was in Doha last week and am here this week, and the standards did not change. There is not a difference in the level of riding from venue to venue.”
Tune in tomorrow for the $15,000 FEI 1.35m South Point Jumper Stake, presented by Secchiari, and the $50,000 FEI Welcome Speed Classic, presented by Walter Oil & Gas Corporation.
ABOUT THE LONGINES FEI WORLD CUP™ JUMPING NORTH AMERICAN LEAGUE
The Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League boasts a minimum of US $2.4 million prize money across the series, and offers the best Jumping athletes from North America and around the world the chance to qualify for the jackpot of more than US $1.4 million (€1.3 million) on offer annually at the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final.
A total of 14 athletes from the North American league will qualify for next year’s prestigious Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final, which will take place at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris, France, from April 10-15, 2018. The top seven athletes from the East Coast US, top three from West Coast US, and the two best-placed athletes from Canada and Mexico, will qualify for next year’s Final, alongside winners of 15 leagues around the world.
The 2017-2018 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League competition begins in August, across seven East and seven West Coast venues in three countries: the United States, Mexico and Canada. The Las Vegas National Horse Show is one of only 14 events chosen, and this is the only leg of the prestigious tour that will be hosted in Las Vegas. More at: feiworldcup.org.
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