Margie Engle Takes Home the Syracuse Cup
In the end, it was just one rail that kept Beezie Madden from her first Syracuse Cup win at the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament in Syracuse, NY, November 3-7. In the Syracuse Cup’s unique three-phase competition, it was Margie Engle of Wellington, FL, riding Nobility and Animagus that claimed the title for 2004. Engle went faultless through all three phases. Second was Laura Kraut and Madden was third. Seven riders in all qualified to compete. In order of qualification, they were Leslie Howard, Margie Engle, McLain Ward, Laura Kraut, Kim Frey, Anne Kursinski and Beezie Madden.

Riders were required to compete with at least two different horses over three phases. The first phase of the competition was a speed class where the faults riders accrued were converted into time on the clock. Beezie Madden on Conquest II was the fastest and most accurate with a 38.47 second faultless ride. Engle was also faultless, but with a time of 42.26. The second phase was a four-bar competition with four rounds. The first round started with the highest fence at 5’ 1” and the fourth round ended up at 6’ 2”. Engle and Nobility were the only faultless pair throughout the whole four rounds, but even though Madden had a knockdown in round four, she was still in the lead at the end of Phase Two, but with Engle, Kraut and Howard close on her heels. Phase Three was a timed first round course with faults added on to the running score. Madden had to be faultless to keep her lead, but had one knockdown on Judgement. Kraut and Engle were the only two clear rounds, putting them both ahead of Madden.

Between Phases Two and Three, Engle talked about the four-bar test, all smiles from her faultless performance on Nobility. She said she enjoys competing in that format, but explained that going into the competition, she did not know what to expect from Nobility, a young horse not yet proven at a 6’ 2” four-bar height. “He went in the speed and then right into the four-bar,” she said. “He was great.” Nobility’s barn mate, Animagus, finished the job with a clear round in Phase Three.

The Syracuse Cup wraps up the action at the 2004 Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament, but organizers plan to bring top-quality international show jumping back to Syracuse next year.

Because Engle won the Steele Associates Speed Stake earlier in the week, she earned $10,000 of the Hidden Creek Challenge bonus. Laura Kraut won the George Morris Style of Riding Award given to the Open Jumper rider who best demonstrates the American style of riding throughout the Tournament.

The Syracuse Cup competition marks the end of the 2004 Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament. Over the course of the weekend, about 8,000 enthusiastic spectators attended performances. Tournament organizers plan to bring the event back to Syracuse again next year. “We really enjoy bringing great international show jumping, equitation and hunters to Syracuse” said Kristin Barrett-Anderson of the Organizing Committee. “We look forward to working with the community to bring it back next year.”

McLain Ward and Cinderella 248 are Quickest in TK 99 Speed Derby
McLain Ward had to pull out all the stops to secure first place in the $15,000 TK99 Speed Derby at the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament in Syracuse’s War Memorial at the Oncenter Complex on November 6. Molly Ash and Kim Frey posted early quick rides, but when Beezie Madden and Conquest II were a second and a half faster than Frye, many spectators thought the next 17 horses to go would be competing for second. Ward and Cinderella 248 had other ideas. He had a deceptively smooth ride that bested Madden’s time by 0.79 seconds. The very next rider to go, France’s Phillipe Rozier on Gun du Desfi, looked like he might