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Serval and Aaron Vale Capture Win In $50,000 Ocala Duggan Equipment Grand Prix

Written by: Foncine Wood
Client: PhelpsSports.com http://phelpssports.com/
Release Date: 2006-02-20

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Foncine Wood for Phelps Sports.com

MEDIA CONTACT: Foncine Wood of Phelps Media Group, Inc. International at (904) 742-4254 or at foncinewood@msn.com

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Photo Credit: Serval and Aaron Vale, winners of $50,000 Ocala Duggan Equipment Grand Prix. Photo by Lili Weik Photography.

Serval and Aaron Vale Capture Win In $50,000 Ocala Duggan Equipment Grand Prix

Today’s report from HITS Ocala is another preview of the great writing and coverage that will be provided by PhelpsSports.com. Look for the debut of this brand new, dynamic and exciting equestrian news website during the World Equestrian Games in August. PhelpsSports.com is going to change the standard of equestrian coverage on the Internet and will be your best source for up to the minute video, unique and personal audio interviews and late breaking news of the High Performance disciplines. Stay tuned!

Ocala, FL- February 20, 2006- For the second Sunday in a row, Aaron Vale of Ocala, Florida, found the Ocala Grand Prix ring to his liking as he guided Serval to a win in the Ocala Winter Festival $50,000 Duggan Equipment Grand Prix. This week’s course designer was Mr. Javier Fernandez from Guadalajara, JAL, Mexico. The Duggan Equipment Grand Prix is a member event of both the United States Grand Prix League and the Marshall & Sterling League.

There were thirty entries in this week’s Grand Prix. The course was set with thirteen obstacles that included one triple combination and a time allowed of seventy-seven seconds. Winning rider Vale spoke about the course, “The whole course was tough today. Javier is from Mexico, and my Mexican friends tell me he is called ‘The Devil’ down there [because of his course designs]. It was all around hard from start to finish. Javier forced you into a forward five or a hard six into the big combination, then you had to jump a skinny vertical.”

When asked why he thought so many competitors had the plank fence down, he commented, “Nine was a big fence with dark colored rails, and they were hard to see on a cloudy day like this. Everyone had made a couple of big efforts just before it. I also think maybe they let up a little knowing they had a hard turn uphill after it to the biggest oxer on the course.”

Vale added, “There are good quality horses here and good riders, but I was surprised we had five clean. I thought maybe the four faulters could’ve jumped-off or a clear round could’ve won it.” The tough first round finished with five clear, six with four faults, and nineteen with more than four faults.

The jump-off was eight obstacles which included the B and C fences of the original combination and two new fences. The time allowed was 56 seconds. Shaking his head, Vale said, “It was a long jump-off course. It covered a lot of territory, maybe a quarter of a mile. I mean, 45-46 seconds, and we were going fast! That’s a lot of real estate.”

First in for the jump-off was Gerona 92, owned by Rolling Acres Farm, Inc., ridden by Mary Lisa Leffler of Brookeville, Maryland. Leffler and Gerona 92 rode quickly around the long jump-off with a couple of light knocks, causing the crowd to gasp, but brought it home safely with a time 47.664 to set the pace.

Costa Sur, owned by Amy Lefferdink, entered the jump-off next ridden by David Jennings of Wellington, Florida. Jennings and Costa Sur attempted a very tight turn to the second fence, which resulted in a refusal. They then pulled rails on the skinny vertical and another vertical for a total of twelve faults. But even with the refusal, they managed to avoid time faults and finished with a time of 53.445.

Aaron Vale and Serval, his first of two horses qualified for the jump-off, entered the arena next. Vale commented, “I tried to ride the same path as Mary Lisa (Leffler), because I knew my horse would be a little quicker across the ground. I went fairly wide to the second fence. My horse kind of jumps to the right, and I worried about cutting it too close and having it down.” Vale and Serval jumped well through the combination, flashed around the rest of the jump-off, and raced for the last jump with the crowd cheering. The pair finished with a time of 45.599 to take first place.

The combination of Braveheart and Kyle Dewar were next to attempt the long and difficult jump-off. Braveheart is owned by Dewar who lives in Surrey, British Columbia. The pair was quick to the jumps and had the crowd cheering wildly. They finished with a time of 46.593 to move them into second place. When asked about Dewar, Vale commented, “I was in the schooling ring with my final horse, and I heard the cheering. I was sure I had been beat!”

Entering on his second horse Droxello, owned by Hollow Creek Investments, Aaron Vale had a chance to better his own winning time. It was not to be today, as the pair had a refusal on the second fence and then went on for a careful round and finished with time faults for a total of eleven faults and a time of 62.049.

Aaron Vale and Serval have been together since early January. Vale purchased him in Germany when he was there in December looking at horses. Serval is owned by a syndicate, the Serval Group. Serval and Vale won a pre-circuit Grand Prix the second week in Ocala and were second this week in the Thursday Ocala Grand Prix. Vale added, “He’s an eleven year old; he’s had enough experience. He’s ready to move right into the show ring. We enter him in the classes for practice. I guess he’s doing more than practicing!”

Official Results: $50,000 Ocala Duggan Equipment Grand Prix


1. Serval, Aaron Vale, 0/0/45.599

The Serval Group
2. Braveheart, Kyle Dewar, 0/0/46.593

Kyle Dewar
3. Gerona 92, Mary Lisa Leffler, 0/0/47.664

Rolling Acres Farm Inc.
4. Droxello, Aaron Vale,0/11/62.049

Hollow Creek Investments

5. Costa Sur, David Jennings, 0/12/53.445

Amy Lefferdink
6. Gun Du Desfi, Libby McKinney, 4/68.792

Libby McKinney/For Sure Partners
7. Shakira Do jacare, Sergio Campos, 4/68.863

Sergio Campos
8. Kosta, Kyle King, 4/69.408

Bradley Cox

9. Capone I, Kyle King, 4/72.127

Corrine Super
10. On Line, Kate Bomgaars, 4/73.335

Kate Bomgaars

11. Ting Tin, Oliver Lemmer, 4/73.666

Hawkestone Farm

12. Kilpatrick,Tracy Magness, 8/68.026

Tracy Magness

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Photo Credit: Serval and Aaron Vale, winners of $50,000 Ocala Duggan Equipment Grand Prix. Photo by Lili Weik Photography.