Great Britain's Nick Skelton Wins $25,000 Fidelity Investments 1.50m Classic

WELLINGTON, Fla., Feb. 8--Great Britain's Olympian Nick Skelton and Transmission won the $25,000 Fidelity Investments 1.50-meter Classic at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival Sunday.

Only two out of 56 combinations starting the class went clear on the course designed by Olaf Petersen of Germany. The other was the USA's Peter Wylde and Esplanade 7.

Skelton, who has competed regularly in recent years at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, rode the Irish Sport Horse owned by Beverly Widdowson, to a clear round in the jumpoff for the first place prize money of $7,500.

Wylde's mount is an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood owned by Louisburg Farm and the pair earned $5,500.

Third was Hillary Dobbs of Sussex, N.J. on The Dobbs Group-owned Holsteiner Marengo.

Results:

1. $7500 NICK SKELTON GBR TRANSMISSION BEVERLY WIDDOWSON IRISH SPORT HORSE 0 67.770 0 48.466
2, $5500 PETER WYLDE USA ESPLANADE 7 LOUISBURG FARM KWPN 1998 0 66.587 0 41.242
3. $3250 HILLARY DOBBS USA MARENGO THE DOBBS GROUP HOLSTEINER 1998 4 64.569
4, $2000 CHRISTINE MCCREA USA VEGAS WINDSOR SHOW STABLES, CANDY TRIBBLE NED 4 68.320
5. $1500 BEN MAHER GBR WONDERBOY III MR/MRS PHILLIPS & BEN MAHER BWP 4 68.578
6. $1250 AMY MILLAR CAN PICCOBELLO DU VAL DE GEER IRISH OAKS FARM, MILLAR BROOKE FARM POR 4 68.701
7. $1000 SHANE SWEETNAM IRL AMARETTO D'ARCO SPY COAST FARM LLC BWP 2000 5 69.487
8. $750 MARTIN MALLO ARG MAGNUS ROMEO ALEJANDRO CIMA SELLE FRANCAIS 6 70.084
9. $750 RAMIRO QUINTANA ARG Q'S CHARM KATHRYN QUIRK KWPN 1999 7 71.276
10. $500 LJUBOV KOCHETOVA RUS ILION KILEN KOCHETOVA, LJUBOV RUS 7 71.350

By ROXANE THEIDEL

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