Lauren Balcomb & Verdini D’houtveld Z Are Too Quick to Catch in $62,500 Alltech Grand Prix Qualifier CSI3*

05 MAR 26 Ocala, FL

Equestrian rider in a black jacket and helmet jumps a brown horse over a high obstacle during a show jumping competition.

Ocala, FL – A warm and sunny Florida day set the scene this morning at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC) for the first featured class of the day, the $62,500 Alltech Grand Prix Qualifier CSI3*. Forty-eight horse-and-rider combinations representing 12 different nations competed for the top spot on the podium, but it was Lauren Balcomb (AUS) who went early in the jump-off order and, in typical fashion, set a time that proved too quick to catch riding Verdini D’houtveld Z (Verdi Tn x Caretino 2).

A rider in black and white equestrian gear guides a brown horse over a high jump during a show jumping competition outdoors.
Lauren Balcomb (AUS) went early in the jump-off order and, in typical fashion, set a time that proved too quick to catch riding Verdini D’houtveld Z. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

The 1.50m track set by FEI Level III course designer Catsy Cruz (USA) featured several technical related lines that asked for adjustability while still requiring riders to stay within a tidy time allowed. Horses were jumping in top form over the course, and 16 combinations managed clear rounds to return for the jump-off.

Aaron Vale (USA) was the first to return, riding last week’s CSI2* Grand Prix Qualifier winner, Chutter du Rouet PS. Vale laid down a speedy 37.37 seconds to set the early pace. Eight-time Olympian Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) followed with Prins van ’t Eigenlo and was just off the time. 

A rider on a brown horse jumps over an obstacle during an equestrian competition, with branded barriers and greenery in the background.
“He’s just incredibly quick across the ground. He jumps so high, but when he lands, he has so much foot speed. That’s where he’s so fast.” – Lauren Balcomb. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Australia’s Lauren Balcomb was next in and ready to execute her plan with the scopey 15-year-old Zangersheide gelding. “For the jump-off, I stuck to my plan. The last eight got a little away from me. He spooked off to the right, so that distance was a little further than I would have liked, but he was amazing. I was early to go again, which seems to always happen, but I like going early. I just stick to my plan and trust him because I know him so well.”

At the sound of the tone, the 15-year-old Zangersheide gelding kicked into high gear. “I didn’t really have many different numbers in mind. From one to two, there was a possible seven, but for me it was better to do eight, then nine back to the oxer, eight to the double, and eight to the last. There really wasn’t much else you could do,” she expressed.

“He’s just incredibly quick across the ground. He jumps so high, but when he lands, he has so much foot speed. That’s where he’s so fast, and it allows him to add a stride where other horses might not be able to.”

A rider in formal equestrian attire sits on a brown horse next to a numbered show jumping obstacle in an outdoor arena with empty white seating in the background.
Lauren Balcomb and Verdini D’houtveld Z stand for their presentation photo. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

The pair stopped the clock in an unbelievable 34.11 seconds, which proved unbeatable.

Verdini D’houtveld Z has been extremely consistent all winter long, and Balcomb couldn’t be happier with her longtime partner of 10 years. “His consistency this circuit has been phenomenal. The more he jumps, the more he gets in a groove. He jumped amazing in Wellington with two clear rounds in the Nations Cup, and I feel like we’re really in a rhythm right now. You just have to enjoy it while it’s going well. His clear-round ratio is very impressive, and he always tries so hard.”

A rider in a black outfit and helmet guides a brown horse over a jump in an outdoor equestrian event, with a building and flowers in the background.
Sean Jobin (CAN) and Grande Dame DK came closest to challenging the time, ultimately finishing second. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Last to go, Sean Jobin (CAN) and Antrim Equestrian’s 10-year-old Selle Français mare Grande Dame DK (By Ceira Di’ck x Kannan) came closest to challenging the time, piloting a speedy track to stop the clock just one second short in 35.12 seconds to take over second place.

Equestrian rider in a navy uniform and helmet jumps a brown horse over a yellow and black obstacle in an outdoor arena.
Dominic Gibbs (USA) also laid down an impressive effort riding Contra to take home third place. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Dominic Gibbs (USA) also laid down an impressive effort riding Georgy Maskrey-Segesman’s Contra (Contendro II x Alcatraz). Gibbs piloted the 10-year-old Holsteiner mare to a blistering round in 36.04 seconds to land in third.

$62,500 Alltech Grand Prix Qualifier CSI3* Results

Explore the daily class schedule, orders of go, class counts, and final results on HorseShowing.com. For real-time scoring, check out Ryegate.Live.

Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.
Videos available at ClipMyHorse.TV

Make sure to visit the WEC Blog and follow us on social media @worldequestriancenter for full coverage on all feature classes! 

This event is made possible through the support of our generous sponsors and marketing partners, the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, and Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau.