Top-level show jumping in the Sunshine State has overcome the pandemic and EHV-1. The impressive evidence is the turnout for the biggest grands prix in Wellington and Ocala last weekend. With a total of $1,700,000 offered at three venues in the state, 148 horses started in three major classes.
HITS Ocala hosted the richest of the competitions, the Great American $1 million Grand Prix. It was won by Germany’s Andre Thieme–who has topped HITS $1 million classes on three previous occasions–proving it’s a habit by taking the $350,000 first prize on Chakaria. The $1 million was the largest of the three grands prix, as befitting the amount of the purse, with 61 on the order of go.
As Andre noted about his affinity for the Hits Million, It’s my goal every year and while I’m not giving away other classes, I definitely don’t put as much effort toward some of the other classes, I try to really produce my horses for this class every single time. I try to be sure that everything on the day of this class goes perfect, because this is the class that I really want to win each year.”
Bernardo Cabral said of the course he designed for the class, “I didn’t make it overly big but it was technical and I thought asked a lot of questions to the riders, but also left an easy way out for the horses if there was a mistake by the pilot.”
At the nearby World Equestrian Center, the $200,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix went to the only U.S. winner of the weekend’s major classes, Aaron Vale, with Candro van de Zuuthoeve. There were 47 on that entry list.
In Wellington, the $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix held on the grass field at the Equestrian Village, was dominated by another German, Daniel Deusser, with 1918 Scuderia Tobago Z. Daniel has been a consistent victor throughout the Winter Equestrian Festival series this season.
The highest-placed U.S. rider among 40 in that class was McLain Ward, fourth with Catoki, who had a rail in the jump-off. McLAin also was the highest-placed U.S. rider in the HITS Million, fourth with HH Azur and a rail.