Lexington, KY – Exactly three-quarters of the way through a series of 12 qualifying competitions for the East Coast League, the dust of a heated race to the 2005 FEI World Cup Show Jumping Final is quickly starting to settle. Just as quickly, a clear trend in leaders begins to unfold, and Brewster, New York’s McLain Ward seems determined to lead the way to Las Vegas on April 20.

Heading up a varied group of more than 60 riders, Ward holds onto the League’s coveted first-place spot with 92 World Cup qualifying points, a number that leaves a comfortable pad between him and second-place contenders Kimberly Frey of Hume, Virginia, and Laura Kraut of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, both tied at 81 points. Ward’s placing reflects a series of skilled rides throughout the qualifiers, because in the ninth and latest competition February 20, the $60,000 Lincoln Idle Dice Classic in Wellington, Ward was unable to pick up any additional points.

Anne Kursinski and Roxana 112 were the real stars of the Classic, not only taking home the victory, but also adding 20 points to Kursinski’s overall qualifying score, now 45. The double-digit addition was good enough to vault her from 16th to 10th place in the East Coast League rankings, a come-from-behind jump which means she’s still well within reach of a ticket to the World Cup Final. One of only two riders to secure a double clean round in the jump-off at the Classic, Kursinski surpassed World Cup rider Kevin Babington of Ireland by half a second, to claim the win in 43.32 seconds. Following Babington, Laura Kraut secured a third-place finish and 15 World Cup points on Anthem, after the pair clocked in with four faults and the fastest finish of the jump-off – 41.42 seconds.

Three qualifiers remain for the East Coast League: the Wellington Open on March 6, the Tampa Bay Classic on March 27, and the Tournament of Champions on March 30. After the qualifiers are complete, the top seven competitors and one wild card rider from the East Coast League will be selected to represent the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). They’ll join the top three competitors and one wild card rider from the West Coast League in a ride for the title of 2005 FEI World Cup Show Jumping Final Champion in Las Vegas, April 20-24. For the latest in the East and West Coast League leader boards, log onto www.usef.org, click on High Performance, and then Show Jumping. Rankings are updated regularly under the World Cup header.



Top Finishers at the $60,000 Lincoln Idle Dice Classic
Wellington, FL
Guilherme Jorge, Course Designer
*World Cup Rider

Rider, Country, Horse, Faults, Time (if applicable), World Cup Qualifying Points (if applicable)

1. *Anne Kursinski, USA, Roxana 112, 0-0 faults, 43.32 seconds, 20 points
2. *Kevin Babington, IRL, Carling King, 0-0 faults, 43.88 seconds, 17 points
3. *Laura Kraut, USA, Anthem, 0-4 faults, 41.32 seconds, 15 points
4. *Schuyler Riley, USA, Ilian, 0-4 faults, 43.20 seconds, 13 points
5. *Sheila Burke, USA, Caya, 0-4 faults, 43.28 seconds, 12 points
6. *Markus Beerbaum, GER, Constantin 24, 0-4 faults, 43.86 seconds, 11 points
7. *Christine Tribble, USA, Vegas, 0-4 faults, 44.28 seconds, 10 points
8. *Lauren Hough, USA, Casadora, 0-4 faults, 44.33 seconds, 9 points
9. *Beezie Madden, USA, Authentic, 0-8 faults, 42.26 seconds, 8 points
10. Frankie Chesler, CAN, VDL Oscar, 0-8 faults, 48.10 seconds
11. *Candice King, USA, Verelst Camillo V, 0-8 faults, 49.20 seconds, 7 points
12. Eric Lamaze, CAN, Lorrain Z, 0-12 faults, 47.31 seconds
13. *Molly Ashe, USA, Cocu, 4 faults, 2 points
*Georgina Bloomberg, USA, Riviera, 4 faults, 2 points
*Maggie Jayne,