Ocala, FL – Thirty-five horse-and-rider combinations gathered at the WEC Grand Arena on Sunday morning to vie for top honors in the $50,000 YETI National Grand Prix. In a thrilling 10-horse jump-off that saw a sudden shift in weather, it was Saturday night’s winner Aaron Vale (USA) who once again rose to the occasion—this time aboard another talented up-and-comer in his string, Messbluecento PS (Messenger x Chaccenta), owned by Don Stewart and Thinkslikeahorse.
Course designer Andy Christiansen (ECU) returned to lay the tracks, and 10 entries managed to deliver clear first rounds. However, only six combinations secured double-clear efforts.
Sharn Wordley (NZL) was the first to return, setting an early benchmark of 40.317 seconds with Menetto PS. Several tried to catch him, but it wasn’t until Olympian Lauren Hough (USA) and Clarisall Junior (Clarisall x Quidam’s Girl) entered the ring that the lead changed hands. Hough guided the nine-year-old Warmblood gelding to a swift round in 38.636 seconds, slicing valuable time off the clock.
As the skies turned gray and rain began to fall, Luis Pedro Biraben (ARG) and La Cuadra Stables, LLC’s Baileys Van De Broy Z (Bisquet Balou C x Lightning Vd Broy Z) didn’t let the weather slow them down. The pair sped through the timers in just 37.062 seconds, taking over the lead.
It looked like victory was his—until Aaron Vale returned to the ring with Messbluecento PS. With confidence and a smart strategy, he used the rain to his advantage. “The rain typically slows him down a bit; I am working on his rideability,” Vale explained. “The rain was able to slow him down enough that all I had to do was kick and steer. I didn’t have to do a whole lot of steadying because the rain did that for me, so I got to just ride forward and turn.”
Vale and the eight-year-old Oldenburg gelding did just that, blazing through the timers in 36.702 seconds to claim the top spot.
Reflecting on the young horse’s performance, Vale said, “He’s young and a big horse with a large stride, so there is a lot to contain there, and I got everything just how I wanted it. He is particularly weak in the left turn, so when I walked the course, I thought it was best to do eight strides from two to three. He turned right around and we got seven, which is really impressive—it shows that what we’ve been working on is paying off.”
It was a memorable Father’s Day weekend for Vale, who added Sunday’s win to his Saturday night two-star Grand Prix victory. Still, he was most appreciative of spending the day doing what he loves. “Just being here with my wife and daughter is already celebrating. We’re getting to show horses, which is what we love, and that’s it! In a few hours, I’ll be checking in for my flight to Holland for Rotterdam.”
$50,000 YETI National Grand Prix 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.
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