It was a one-two finish for Great Britain on Thursday night in the $20,000 International-Open Jumper Gambler´s
Choice class at the 2005 Washington International Horse Show at the MCI 
Center in Washington, D.C.

England´s Michael Whitaker broke the one thousand point barrier and edged 
fellow Brit Nick Skelton by seventy points for the victory. The Gambler´s 
Choice class features an array of jumps with point values based on the 
degree of difficulty of the obstacle. Riders design their own course and 
accumulate as many points as possible in the 50 second time allotted. The 
riders then have the option of the final fence, The Joker, with a value of 
200 points. If they clear the Joker, the 200 points are added on, if it´s 
knocked down the points are deducted.

Riding Iqbal Des Hayettes, Whitaker sliced and diced his way around the 
Steve Stephens designed course to an initial total of 850 points. The 
successful effort at the Joker brought his total to 1050. Whitaker was the 
only rider to top 1000 points.

McLain Ward and Oasis, riding second in the order,  made an early bid to 
make it two wins in two years in the Gambler´s Choice, taking the early lead
with 970 points.

Great Britain´s Nick Skelton edged Ward out of the top spot eleven horses 
later. Aboard Russel, Skelton piled up 980 points, a total that would top 
the leader board. It was then, with only three to go in the class, that 
Whitaker grabbed the lead from his fellow countryman.

“Of course I had the advantage of going later on and I had a chance to see 
everyone else go and try and figure out the best course. Obviously the key 
is finding the best course and leaving all the fences up,” Whitaker said 
with a smile. “And, I got to that fence on the end of the ring again which 
no one else who did my course was able to do.”

Iqbal Des Hayettes is a brand new mount for Whitaker. “The first time I 
showed him was in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago and he was second, third 
and fourth,” Whitaker said. “This is just my fourth class together with him 
and he´s been absolutely brilliant.”

Whitaker who returned to the Washington International for the first time 
since the move to the MCI Center, likes the new facility. “I showed a number
of times at the old building (Capital Center),” he said. “But this place is 
fantastic. A really good atmosphere. I really like it here.”

For Whitaker, who spent the winter in Florida this past season, it was nice 
to be here in the fall. “It´s a nice change to be over here. Well not really
a change,” he laughed. “I´m spending quite a bit of time over here. More 
than in Europe I think. I plan to return to Florida again this winter and 
see what happens.”

For Michael Whitaker a win in the main event on Saturday night would make 
the trip really worthwhile.

The $100,000 President´s Cup sponsored by Salamander Hospitality, LLC 
highlights this year´s jumper division and will take place on Saturday 
night, October 29, 2005.

Friday is the all new AOL.com Night at the Washington International Horse 
Show featuring two exciting show jumping events, the $20,000 International-
Open Jumper Accumulator and the $25,000 AOL.com International Open Puissance
classes.

Official Results-Class 213- $20,000 International-Open Jumper Gamblers´s 
FEI Art. 270 -2005 Washington International Horse Show October 25-30 2005
1-714 -Michael Whitaker -GBR -IQBAL DES HAYETTES -1050/51.37  
2-712 -Nick Skelton -GBR –RUSSEL-980/57.17  
3-717 -McLain Ward -USA  -OASIS-970/57.55  
4-721 -Aaron Vale -USA   -SEA CLOUD 2-940/52.50  
5-81  -Todd Minikus -USA   -GAME BOY-940/61.53  
6 483 -Leslie Howard -USA   -ROLLING THUNDER -930/54.86  
7-711 -Harry Smolders -NED  -EXQUIS OLIVER Q – 890/53.64  
8-393 -Kim Farlinger -CAN  -LAFORZA- 870/55.21  
9-635 -Lauren Hough -USA  -OTTALINE – 750/52.21  
10-612 -Caitlin Venezia -USA  -GAROUCHA -740/57.90  
11-86  -Judy Garofalo -USA   -HARLEM DE MESCAM -700/55.19  
12-701 -Philippe Rozier -FRA   -IDEAL DE PRISSEY- 650/55.21  

Washington International President´s Cup Qualifier Goes to Goldika and 
McLain Ward for Third Year in a Row
Washington, D.C. – October 27, 2005 – For the third year in a row, McLain 
Ward led the victory gallop in the $20,000 President´s Cup Qualifier,
sponsored by Monarch International/Show Circuit Magazine, at the Washington 
International Horse Show at the beautiful MCI Center in Washington,D.C. Ward
will try and make it two in a row in Saturday night´s main event, the 
$100,000 President´s Cup, sponsored by Salamander Hospitality, LLC, the 
highlight of this year´s jumper division and one of the nation´s most 
prestigious show jumping titles. 

Steve Stephens of Palmetto, Florida is the Course Designer for the 2005 
Washington International Horse Show. Today´s class was scored under FEI 
Table A, Art. 238.2.1. Time First Round. Ward topped a field of thirty-two 
horse and rider combinations for the afternoon win.

Madison, owned by Alexa Weeks and ridden by Kent Farrington, grabbed the 
early lead out of the seventh spot in the order. Farrington flew home with a
clean round and broke the beams in 46.41 seconds. That lead held up through 
the next eighteen competitors.

Ward and Goldika, owned by the Double H Farm, flat out flew around the 
twists and turns of the Stephens designed challenge and when the smoke had 
cleared, the scoreboard flashed up an incredible time of 43.53 seconds.

“It´s been a good class for her for the past three years and hopefully we 
can repeat on Saturday night as well,” Ward said. “She´s incredibly careful,
very fast and very quick inside. She adjusts very quickly. The size of the 
ring only helps her, it doesn´t hurt her,” noted Ward.  “Her entire career, 
while she´s had some great success outside, her top ranked, quality wins 
have come indoors. You can feel her confidence inside. She´s really an 
indoor specialist,” he said.  

Ward, who went on to win the 2004 President´s Cup following last year´s 
Qualifier victory, has had tremendous success at Washington. He hasn´t 
placed less than second in this event for the past five years and last year 
won every class at Washington, except the Puissance. “Rio was also very good
in this class a couple of times, too,” he said. “Washington has been a very 
good show for me. In our sport, it seems to go in trends. The good shows are
usually good and the bad ones stay bad,” laughed Ward.

Ward also noted the Dwight D. Eisenhower Trophy that came with today´s win. 
“Certainly for me, being an historian of the sport, it´s great to win the 
important classes and even nice when a prestigious trophy is involved,” Ward
said.

Many are saying that this year´s Washington International boasts one of the 
best and most highly rated jumper rosters in it´s long history. Ward agreed,
“Absolutely. Nick Skelton, Michael Whitaker, Gerco Schroeder. They´re the 
best and the hottest in Europe right now. They´re all at the top of the 
world rankings. And the American contingent is as strong as Washington´s 
ever seen,” he said.

Results of Class 210 -$20,000 International-Open Jumper 238.2.1- 2005 
Washington International Horse Show - October 25-30, 2005 – FEI Table A 
–Article 238.2.1.
1- 718 - McLain Ward- USA-GOLDIKA 559- 0.00/43.53
2- 479 –Kent Farrington-USA-MADISON-0.00/46.41
3-105-Kimberly Prince-USA-MARLOU-0.00/46.78
4- 484-Leslie Howard – USA- YOUP- 0.00/46.82
5-182-Lauren Hough –USA-CASADORA-0.00/47.78
6-41-Aaron Vale –USA-ARTUR 28-0.00 /47.88
7-613-Danielle L. Torano-USA-CAPITANO-0.00/48.15
8-605-Judy Garofalo –USA-OLIVER III -0.00 /48.69
9-599-Candice S. King –USA-TURBO vh GESTELHOF -0.00/48.96
10-395-Kelley Small –CAN-CALIBUR- 0.00/49.13
11-156-Cayce Harrison –USA-COEUR-0.00 /50.24
12-549-Chris Kappler –USA-VDL ORANTA-0.00 /50.95

Two in a Row for Georgina Bloomberg and Lumina 2 in Amateur Owner Jumpers
Georgina Bloomberg posted her second win in as many days on Thursday, 
topping a field of thirteen in the Amateur Owner Jumpers, Time First Round 
Class.

Bloomberg and Lumina 2, owned by Gotham Enterprizes, raced across the finish
line in 41.874 seconds to post a 2.31 second win over second place finisher,
Laura Linback on Woodrun Farm´s Mohawk Du Clair De Lune. Linback´s final 
time was 44.185 seconds.

Cromwell, owned the Weinberg Brokerage and ridden by Tracy Weinberg, 
finished third in 45.198 seconds.  

Results of Class 207 $2,500 Amateur Owner Jumpers TII, Sec 1-2005 
Washington International Horse Show-October 25-30, 2005
1-103-Georgina Bloomberg -LUMINA 2 -0.00 /41.874
2-63-Laura Linback -MOHAWK DU CLAIR DE LUNE -0.00 /44.185
3-259-Tracey Weinberg -CROMWELL -0.00 /45.198
4-522-Michelle Spadone -R MABLE KZ -0.00 /45.292
5-69-Joy Slater -SHINDIG -4.00 /41.409
6-523-Gabby Slome -SALSA -4.00 /43.898
7-154-Cayce Harrison -QUICKSTAR II Z -4.00 /45.356
8-196-Mary Elizabeth Moore –TRILLION- 8.00 /44.444

Evan Coluccio Finishes One-Two in Junior Jumpers
Twenty-one Junior Jumpers went to the post in a Time First Round class 
scored under USEF Table II, Sec 1. It was the first class in the division 
for the junior riders, leading up to their Championship and the Senator´s 
Cup Trophy class.

Evan Coluccio took the top two spots in the speed class, topping the field 
with Batman in 44.186 and finishing second with Ransom in 46.026 seconds. 
Brianne Goutal finished third with Onira, just off the second place pace in 
46.157 seconds.

Results of Class 202 -$2,500 Junior Jumper TII, 2.1-2005 Washington 
International Horse Show-October 25-30, 2005
1-264-Evan M. Coluccio-BATMAN -0.00/ 44.186    
2-651-Evan M. Coluccio-RANSOM - 0.00/46.026    
3-438-Brianne Goutal -ONIRA - 0.00/46.157    
4-207-Jessica Speiser -CALINO DE LEZEAUX -0.00/46.972    
5-486-Lauren Hester –OXFORD-0.00/48.023    
6-687-Hannah Selleck -CIRKA Z-0.00/49.402    
7-436-Clementine Goutal-LAURIN-0.00/50.997    
8-437-Clementine Goutal –RASTELLA-0.00/52.641