Competition continued today with the ESP Holiday & Horses at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) and awarded a win to Jessica Springsteen (USA) and RMF Swinny Du Parc in the $35,000 Ultima Fitness 1.50m Qualifier CSI4*. 

Second place honors in the class were awarded to Margie Engle (USA) and Royce, a 2004 Oldenburg stallion (Cafe Au Lait x Grandilot) owned by Gladewinds Partners LLC, after completing the jump-off in 40.721 seconds. Third place was captured by Ali Wolff (USA) and Blacklick Bend Farm's Casall, a 2005 Holsteiner gelding (Casall x Capitol I), completing the short track in 40.755 seconds.

Springsteen and the 2006 Selle Francais mare (Berlin x Laudanum), owned by Rushy Marsh Farm, were one of nine returning to the jump-off, stopping timers in 39.173 speedy seconds, a full second ahead of Engle and Wolff. Of the course designed by Guilherme Jorge (BRA), Springsteen said, "It was a good course today. I thought the ending was a little tricky with the triple-bar and triple combination. I think that that really caught a lot of people. She [RMF Swinny Du Parc] really kept it together and she jumped it amazingly. It was really good effort on her part!"

Springsteen recently picked up the ride on the mare, competing her for the first time this past fall at Tryon International Equestrian Center. The duo earned several top 12 finishes at TIEC, before moving on to compete in Kentucky. 

Springsteen explained, "I showed her in Tryon and that was my first time showing her. We just clicked right away. She's my kind of ride. She's a big girl but it doesn't feel like it when you're riding her. She's also very competitive. I took her to Kentucky and showed her there, and then she had a little time off after arriving here in Florida. This was her first time back out today and I couldn't have asked for her to be any better."

Looking ahead to the weekend, Springsteen plans to compete the mare either in Saturday night's $216,000 Holiday & Horses Grand Prix CSI4* presented by Palm Beach County Sports Commission, or in Sunday's $25,000 Grand Prix presented by Omega Alpha. 

"Moving forward after that I think that we are going to start a little slow this winter because it is such a long season. We are definitely looking forward to competing in the future SNL Grand Prix classes," she said. "It's nice to have these pre-Winter Equestrian Festival shows to get the horses seasoned and comfortable with their surroundings once again."

Complimenting her mount on a job well done once again, Springsteen concluded, "I'm just so thankful to have been given the ride on this mare. She's so much fun and I'm very excited for the future with her."

1. RMF SWINNY DU PARC, 2006 Selle Francais mare by Berlin x Laudanum JESSICA SPRINGSTEEN (USA), Rushy Marsh Farm, 0/0/39.173

2. ROYCE, 2004 Oldenburg stallion by Cafe Au Lait x Grandilot MARGIE ENGLE (USA), Gladewinds Partners LLC, 0/0/40.721

3. CASALL, 2005 Holsteiner gelding by Casall x Capitol I ALI WOLFF (USA), Blacklick Bend Farm, 0/0/40.755

4. CONDOR C, 2005 Holsteiner stallion by Cassini I x Caretino DEBORAH STEPHENS (USA), Centennial Farm Inc, 0/0/44.19

5. LILLY FEE, 2003 Holsteiner mare by Limbus x Carthago SUSAN HORN (CAN), Kingsfield Farm, 0/0/45.138

6. DINO, 2008 Dutch Warmblood gelding by Vingino x Coriano CAPT. BRIAN COURNANE (IRL), Brian Cournane, 0/0/46.509

7. DON'T TOUCH DU BOIS, 2009 Belgian Sport Horse mare by Kashmir Van Schuttershof x Indoctro SHANE SWEETNAM (IRL), Sweet Oak Farm, Spy Coast Farm and Paul Tracy, 0/4/40.016

8. GLASGOW DE MUZE, 2006 Belgian Warmblood gelding by Andiamo x Parco ALBERTO MICHAN (MEX), Ilan Ferder, 0/4/41.958

9. CASPER, 2006 Oldenburg gelding by Contender x Baloubet Du Rouet SHARN WORDLEY (NZL), Sky Group, 0/4/43.523

10. EXELERO 2, 2008 Oldenburg gelding by Chacco-Blue x Baloubet du Rouet LIUBOV KOCHETOVA (RUS), Liubov Kochetova, 0/WD/72.12

11. ROBIN DE PONTHUAL, 2005 Selle Francais gelding by Elf D'or x Calypso D'herbiers PETER LUTZ (USA), Katherine A Gallagher and M. Michael Meller, 0/WD, 73.1

12. DSARIE, 2008 Dutch Warmblood mare by Veron x Ahorn BEAT MANDLI (SUI), Grant Road Partners, LLC, 0/WD/73.48