Bologna, February 2015 – What a great night for Meredith Michaels Beerbaum last night… ! She captured her first victory ever in an international Grand Prix with her grey gelding Fibonacci, a horse who is expected to take over the role once of the unforgettable Shutterfly in Michaels’ stable. Fortyfour starters along the track signed by Steve Stephens, only six qualified for the final jump off: Meredith and Fibonacci were clear and faster than Israel’s Danielle Goldstein on Carisma, the only two with no faults in the jump off; both Usa’s Jessica Springsteen on Vindicat and Elizabeth Patton Madden on Cortes C were faster than Fibonacci, but with one rail down (“I have to say, I expected Beezie to beat me, particularly with Cortes. He is her best horse, and I was really surprised when he hit the last fence. Sometimes the luck goes your way, and it was with me tonight”, said a very happy Michaels Beerbaum), therefore 3rd and 4th respectively. Four fault salso for Usa’s Georgina Bloomberg on Lilli and Venezuela’s Emanuel Andrade on Hardrock Z. “Fibonacci is actually a Swedish-bred horse, although he has a German father and a Dutch mother,” Michaels-Beerbaum detailed. “He was born in Sweden, so the Swedish take great pride in that fact. I got him in May last year. He has a different style than most horses. He jumps with his head up and a little bit straight in his back. That is something I have decided I cannot change and that is why I was trying to finesse the bridle a little so I could help him without interrupting his jump. I felt like I did that in the last Grand Prix, so I was very pleased with tonight.”
February 22, 2015