Ward and Sapphire Open Up Huge Leads in AGA Races Following Florida Open Win
Equestrian News Release

Wellington, FL – March 27, 2007 – The 2007 American Grand Prix Association tour is only five events old, but McLain Ward, a three-time American Grand Prix Association (AGA) Rider of the Year, has already put himself in a excellent position to take home a fourth title, following his impressive victory in the richest grand prix ever held in the United States.

Entering its twenty-ninth year, the AGA Grand Prix Series of Show Jumping is the world’s richest and longest running series of equestrian show jumping events. The AGA series offers over $3 million dollars in prize money on a tour that encompasses thirty events and twenty different equestrian markets across the United States.

Ward, and his mount Sapphire, who concurrently leads in the race for AGA Horse of the Year, won the $395,781 CN Worldwide Florida Open on March 17 at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida. Ward, who leads with 166 points, picked up an unprecedented 135 points for the victory, this was in addition to the three clear rounds he registered for the biggest win of his career. The CN Worldwide Florida Open win was Ward’s second of the 2007 season in five events. In February he captured the top prize in the $75,000 Bainbridge Idle Dice Classic, CSI-W. In that victory, by comparison, Ward only pocketed 25 points, along with two clear rounds.

Canadian riders rank second through fourth in the latest AGA Rider of the Year standings. Frankie Chesler-Ortiz, a second place finisher to Ward in the Florida Open, is second in the rider race with 93 points, while fellow Canadian Eric Lamaze, with four top finishes during WEF, is in third place with 65 points. Mario Deslauriers rounds out the top four, one point behind Lamaze, with 64. Danielle Torano is fifth with 56 points, and Todd Minikus is a distant sixth with 38 points.

Sapphire, Ward’s Olympic and WEG partner, has nearly a $69,000 lead over Chesler-Ortiz’s Picolien Zeldenrust in the race for AGA Horse of the Year. Sapphire, owned by Ward and Blue Chip Bloodstock has bankrolled a whopping $157,927.00, while Chesler’s mount banks in at $89,052.00. Third place in the race for Horse of the Year is held down by Paradigm, Mario Deslauriers’ top mount, with a total of $59,750.00 in prize money won. Hickstead from the Torrey Pines Stable, with $58,578.00, and Vancouver D'Auvray owned by Sir Ruly, Inc., with $52,770.00, round out the top five.

The next two events on the 2007 AGA tour are in Tampa, Florida. The $75,000 Grand Prix of Tampa, CSI-W is on April 1st at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center, and the grand finale of the 2007 Winter Equestrian Festival, the $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational, CSI 4* is at Raymond James Stadium on April 7, 2007.

Following the two Florida events, the East Coast AGA tour moves to the Charlotte Bobcats Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, on April 15, for the $150,000 Grand Prix of Charlotte, CSI 4*.

On the West Coast, the $100,000 HBO Grand Prix of Del Mar takes place on May 5th at the Del Mar Fairgrounds Arena in Del Mar, CA.


AGA Rider of the Year Standings:

Standing
Rider
Total Clear Rounds
Total Points

1
Ward, McLain
5
166

2
Chesler-Ortiz, Frankie
3
93

3
Lamaze, Eric
5
65

4
Deslauriers, Mario
4
64

5
Torano, Danielle
3
56

6
Minikus, Todd
2
38

7
Deusser, Daniel
0
34

8
Fuchs, Marcus
2
32

9
Engle, Margie
2
30

10
Chapot, Laura
3
25

11
Levy, Kate
2
24

12
Berkley, Ken
2
23

13
Madden, Beezie
2
21


Pessoa, Rodrigo
1
21


Silverman, Lisa
1
21

16
Goutal, Brianne
2
20

17
Riley, Schuyler
2
19

18
Ashe, Molly
2
17

19
Bucci, Laurie
3
16

20
Garofalo, Judy
0
14

21
Kraut, Laura
1
13

22
Raether, Cara
0
11

23
Ballard, Erynn
2
10

24
Bloomberg, Georgina
2
9


Kerins, Darragh
1
9


AGA Horse of the Year Standings:

Standing
Horse
Owner
Total Money

1
Sapphire*
McLain Ward
$ 157,927

2
Picolien Zeldenrust
Sher-Al Farm
$ 89,052

3
Paradigm
Mario Deslauriers
$ 59,750

4
Hickstead
Torrey Pines Stable
$ 58,578

5
Vancouver D'Auvray
Sir Ruly, Inc.
$ 52,770

6
Pavarotti
Todd Minikus, LLC
$ 33,957

7
La Toya III
JURI ADOLFO
$ 30,000

8
Hidden Creek's Quervo Gold
Hidden Creek Farm, Inc.
$ 27,000

9
Pristanna
Stal Tops
$ 26,385

10
Little Big Man
Laura Chapot & Chado Farm, Inc.
$ 22,250

11
Vent Du Nord
Kate Levy
$ 22,000

12
Carlos Boy
Krista Weisman
$ 20,457

13
Obelix R
South Shore Farm
$ 20,277

14
Coeur
Double H Farm
$ 20,000

15
Ilian
South Beach Stable
$ 16,500

16
Oliver III
Higher Ground Farm
$ 14,392

17
CoCu
Jane F. Clark
$ 13,200

18
Ublesco
Trelawny Farm, Inc.
$ 10,734

19
Casar (DE)
Cloverlea Farm
$ 10,000

20
Quidam's Ramiro
Claude Dufresne
$ 9,750

21
Onira
Cloverleaf Farm
$ 8,000

22
Judgement
Iron Spring Farm
$ 7,957

23
Robin Van Roosendael
Looking Back Farm
$ 7,800

24
Hooligan De Rosyl
Stal Tops
$ 7,500

25
Anthem
The Summit Group
$ 7,000


25
CIM Christo
Gotham Enterprizes
$ 7,000


2007 AGA Tour Events

6
Grand Prix of Tampa, CSI-W
$ 75,000
Apr 01, 07
Bob Thomas Equestrian Center
Tampa, Florida
CSI-W

7
Budweiser American Invitational, CSI 4*
$ 200,000
Apr 07, 07
Raymond James Stadium
Tampa, Florida
CSI 4*

8
Grand Prix of Charlotte, CSI 4*
$ 150,000
Apr 15, 07
Charlotte Bobcats Arena
Charlotte, NC
CSI 4*

9
HBO Grand Prix of Del Mar
$ 100,000
May 05, 07
Del Mar Fairgrounds Arena
Del Mar, CA


10
Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix
$ 50,000
May 12, 07
Kentucky Horse Park
Lexington, KY


11
Memorial Day Classic Grand Prix
$ 25,000
May 28, 07
Los Angeles Equestrian Center
Burbank, CA


12
Budweiser Grand Prix of Devon
$ 75,000
Jun 07, 07
Devon Horse Show Grounds
Devon, PA


13
Budweiser Upperville Jumper Classic, CSI 3*
$ 100,000
Jun 10, 07
Upperville Show Grounds
Upperville, VA
CSI 3*

14
Oaks Classic
$ 30,000
Jun 10, 07
The Oaks
San Juan Capistrano, CA


15
Budweiser Grand Prix of Lake Placid CSI 3*
$ 75,000
Jul 01, 07
Lake Placid Show Grounds
Lake Placid, NY
CSI

16
Hermes I Love New York Grand Prix, CSI
$ 75,000
Jul 07, 07
Lake Placid Show Grounds
Lake Placid, New-York
CSI

17
Rocky Mountain Grand Prix
$ 40,000
Jul 21, 07
Colorado Horse Park
Parker, CO


18
Merrill Lynch Cleveland Grand Prix
$ 65,000
Jul 22, 07
Cleveland Metroparks Polo Field
Moreland Hills, OH


19
Oregon High Dessert Classic Grand Prix
$ 25,000
Jul 28, 07
J Bar J Boys Ranch
Bend, Oregon


20
Sussex County Grand Prix
$ 50,000
Aug 11, 07
Sussex County Fairgrounds
Sussex, NJ


21
Kentucky Summer Classic
$ 40,000
Aug 12, 07
Kentucky Horse Park
Lexington, KY


22
Budweiser Grand Prix of Indianapolis
$ 65,000
Aug 19, 07
Wild Air Farm
Zionsville, IN


23
Fidelity Investments Jumper Classic
$ 75,000
Sep 09, 07
Grand Prix Field
South Hamilton, MA


24
World Cup Qualifying Grand Prix - CSI-W
$ 50,000
Sep 16, 07
The Oaks
San Juan Capistrano, CA
CSI-W

25
Los Angeles International CSI-W
$ 50,000
Sep 22, 07
Los Angeles Equestrian Center
Burbank, CA
CSI-W

26
American Gold Cup CSI-W
$ 100,000
Sep 23, 07
Cleveland Metroparks Polo Field
Moreland Hills, OH
CSI-W

27
Budweiser Grand Prix De Penn National, CSI-W
$ 65,000
Oct 27, 07
Farm Show Arena
Harrsiburg, PA
CSI-W

28
LA National CSI-W
$ 50,000
Nov 17, 07
Los Angeles Equestrian Center
Burbank, CA
CSI-W

29
AGA Championship (Final)
$ 0
Dec 23, 07
Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club
Wellington, Florida
AGA Championship


Photo Credit: McLain Ward and Sapphire are leading the races for AGA Rider and Horse of the Year respectively. Photo © 2007 by PhelpsSports.com.