Week eight of the 2016 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) continued on Thursday at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) with a win for Canada's Tiffany Foster and Brighton, owned by Artisan Farms and Torrey Pines Stable, in the $35,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 8.

USA's Steve Stephens and Ken Krome are co-course designers in the International Ring for week eight's jumper competition. For Thursday's WEF Challenge Cup, the pair set a speed track for 58 competitors, with 20 clear rounds. Tiffany Foster and Brighton were the winners in a time of 61.26 seconds. Beezie Madden (USA) and Abigail Wexner's Vanilla followed close behind in a time of 61.36 seconds. Todd Minikus (USA) and Two Swans Farm's Babalou 41 finished third in 61.91 seconds. Juan Jose Zendejas Salgado (MEX) placed fourth in 62.81 seconds riding Alejandro Zendejas' Tino la Chapelle, and Jessica Springsteen took fifth place honors aboard Stone Hill Farm's Tiger Lily with a time of 62.94 seconds.

Foster and Brighton, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Contender II x Quick Star), also won Wednesday night's $5,000 Carolex Stables CSIO Welcome Stake. "He is a really cool horse because he has no idea what it means to go into the ring to school. He only likes to go at speed," Foster said of her winning mount. "Last night I was not really even trying to go fast. I just went along at his speed and that was enough to win, which was cool, but this was a little bit more what I was trying to do. I was at speed, and he was just awesome."

Artisan Farms purchased Brighton as a seven-year-old, and Foster has been slowly producing the gelding over the last three years. "He has always been a very competitive horse," she noted. "This is his first big class that he has won, but he is always up there. He is very consistent, and he goes clear very often. This is the first time I have really put the jets on, and he really rose to the occasion, so it is very exciting for the future."

Foster also detailed her winning round, explaining that the course suited Brighton's style quite well. "He actually does not have a huge stride, so for me to do the leave-out numbers is very fast and that, in a class like this, is really beneficial because there were not a lot of turns or short options," Foster explained. "It was more just the numbers, and who had a lot of ground speed, and who could cover those numbers going fast. Having a stride where you could push for those lines was really helpful, but you need to have a careful horse that will also leave the rails up and luckily, I have one."

Foster is on the Canadian team for Friday night's $150,000 Nations' Cup and feels good with her back-to-back wins to open up this week's CSIO competition. She also had the added bonus of getting her name on a WEF Challenge Cup win this circuit, as the series has been dominated by teammate Eric Lamaze, who has won four of the eight classes so far. "Normally the 'WEF' is Eric's class, so at least we are keeping it in the Artisan family," Foster smiled.

In addition to the winning prize money, Foster earned a $3,000 bonus for wearing her SSG 'Digital' style riding gloves as part of the SSG Gloves 'Go Clean for the Green' promotion. She was also presented with the Champion Equine Insurance Jumper Style Award for week eight.

Also competing in the International Ring on Thursday, the Douglas Elliman 1.45m speed class saw a win for Daniel Coyle (IRL) and Susan Grange's Tennyson.

The Hollow Creek Farm Children's, Junior, and Young Rider divisions then hosted their Welcome classes to kick off their week. The win in the $1,500 Hollow Creek Farm Young Rider Welcome went to USA's Victoria Colvin aboard Springfield Showjumpers' Zidane. The $1,000 Hollow Creek Farm Junior Welcome saw a win for Ecuador's Gabriela Rodriguez and Creamy Z, owned by Xavier Rodriguez, Vicki Briones, and Accell. Argentina's Juana Trosch rode Emanuel Andrade's Black Pearl to victory in the Hollow Creek Farm Children's Welcome.

Final Results: $35,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 8

1. BRIGHTON: 2006 KWPN gelding by Contender II x Quick Star TIFFANY FOSTER (CAN), Artisan Farms LLC: 0/61.26

2. VANILLA: 2002 Danish Warmblood mare by Nabab de Reve x Clinton BEEZIE MADDEN (USA), Abigail Wexner: 0/61.36

3. BABALOU 41: 2005 Oldenburg mare by Balou du Rouet x Silvio I TODD MINIKUS (USA), Two Swans Farm: 0/61.91

4. TINO LA CHAPELLE: 2007 Selle Francais gelding by Mylord Carthago HN x Verdi HN JUAN JOSE ZENDEJAS SALGADO (MEX), Alejandro Zendejas: 0/62.81

5. TIGER LILY: 2007 Oldenburg mare by Balou du Rouet x Domino JESSICA SPRINGSTEEN (USA), Stone Hill Farm: 0/62.84

6. EMPIRE VAN WUITENSHOF: 2004 Belgian Warmblood stallion by Malito de Reves x Alme EUGENIO GARZA (MEX), El Milagro: 0/62.99

7. ANTARES: 2005 KWPN gelding by Manhattan x Cavalier PABLO BARRIOS (VEN), Pablo Barrios: 0/65.38

8. ARISTOTELES V: 2005 KWPN gelding by Padinus x Lux JONATHAN MCCREA (IRL), Candy Tribble: 0/67.00

9. ADARE: 2005 KWPN mare by Royal Bravour x Burggraaf PARIS SELLON (USA), Paris Sellon: 0/67.05

10. LIMESTONE GREY: 2006 Irish Sport Horse gelding by Try-Time LORENZO DE LUCA (ITA), Stephex Stables & Lorenzo de Luca: 0/67.24

11. TORGAL DE VIRTON: 2007 Selle Francais gelding by Kashmir van Schuttershof x Saphir d'Elle MCLAIN WARD (USA), McLain Ward: 0/68.16

12. COCO BONGO: 2005 Rheinlander stallion by Caretino x Calido ERIC LAMAZE (CAN), Artisan Farms & Torrey Pines Stable: 0/68.64

Source: Press release from Equestrian Sport Productions News  // Photo  © Sportfot.