WEF Challenge Cup at First Week of Tampa Equestrian Festival

The first grand prix of the 2008 Tampa Equestrian Festival was held March 20. 2007 Pan American Games bronze medalist Todd Minikus of Loxahatchee, FL, was the winner this week on Olinda (Voltaire x Diana s.Zeus, breeder Gebr. Morsink), owned by Houlihan Lawrence. They achieved victory in the $30,000 WEF Challenge Cup in the Suncoast Internationale week (March 19-23) of the Tampa Equestrian Festival, which runs through April 6.

Minikus had a quick pace and was on his way to lowering the leading time. After fence 6 they made the short rollback turn to the left, but Olinda slipped and tripped. She regained her footing and kept going, and Minikus opened up her gallop slightly to the final two fences. He passed through the timers to take the lead by only one-tenth of a second in 41.569 seconds.

This was the first show back for Olinda in almost two weeks since she competed in the final leg of the Olympic Show Jumping Trials. "I hadn't schooled her or even been over a pole on the ground since then," Minikus said. "She seemed like the week and a half break really freshened her up."

(Photo: Jennifer Wood/PMG)

For more information on the Tampa Equestrian Festival and the $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational, please visit www.stadiumjumping.com. >>>

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