Tampa, FL – March 29, 2007 – The ninth edition of this year’s $25,000 WEF Challenge Cup Series was held this afternoon at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center during the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). Canada’s Eric Lamaze and Narcotique de Muze II, owned by Ashland Stables, were the first to go in the jump-off and set an unbeatable time. Kate Levy (USA) and Vent du Nord were quick enough for second, while Lisa Jacquin (USA) and Obourg finished third.

Today’s course was designed by Robert Ellis of Great Britain and featured 13 numbered obstacles, including a tricky triple combination and a skinny vertical as the last jump, which caught a number of horses. Nine horse-and-rider combinations of the 55 entries advanced to the jump-off, which had two opportunities for inside turns in the covered arena.

The first to go clear in the first round and the first to return for the jump-off was Lamaze. He set a good pace and made both inside turns. The big, ten-year-old, Belgian Warmblood mare by Darco galloped handily around and finished in 41.29 seconds. “I was very quick from one to two, had a nice turn inside at the top of the ring and then again to number one,” Lamaze explained. “She jumped a little right at the second to last jump, the oxer, which I could have been quicker to coming in, but she jumped well.”

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