Ocala, FL – International three-star competition took center stage Saturday night at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC), where the grandstands were packed on a picture-perfect Florida evening. Thirty-three top horse-and-rider combinations representing 11 nations came forward for the $130,000 Dover Saddlery Grand Prix CSI3*. After a thrilling 12-horse jump-off that kept the crowd on the edge of their seats, it was Luis Sabino Goncalves (POR) and Sigma Stables LLC’s Scoop De Septon Z (Hunters Scendro x Echo Van T Spieveld) who clinched the win, marking Goncalves’ tenth Grand Prix victory at WEC – Ocala.
FEI Level IV course designer Guilherme Jorge (BRA) crafted a technical and winding track that tested both precision and scope. Twelve riders managed to qualify for the jump-off, but only seven produced double-clear efforts.
Chloe Reid (USA) was the first to post a clean round and set the early standard aboard Crossover 4 in a respectable 44.74 seconds. Rising talent Elisa Broz (USA) of California followed with Knass B, stopping the clock just off the pace in 46.41 seconds.
Olympian Erynn Ballard (CAN) returned with Ilan Ferder’s scopey and impressive Fave D’authuit (Windows Vh Costersveld x Kannan), and was even quicker in 43.73 seconds to move into the lead.
Next in the ring was Luis Larrazabal (VEN) aboard the towering Check Me Out (Chaccon Blue x Conthargos), a nine-year-old Mecklenburg gelding owned by Victoria Heurtematte. The pair left out strides and took bold turns to clock a blazing 42.51 seconds—good enough for the lead, even after Larrazabal made a surprise dismount after the timers.
His lead held until Luis Sabino Goncalves entered the arena aboard the 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding Scoop De Septon Z.
Goncalves admitted his strategy wasn’t originally to push for the top spot. “‘Scoop’ has had a well-earned break leading up to this, so I showed the first day and gave him two days off before this class. My plan wasn’t to try to win tonight,” he shared.
But once the jump-off began, that plan quickly evolved. “I got seven from one to two, made a tight turn back to fence three, and that gave us a direct line to four. Then I was able to just gallop to the final line. He felt sharp and just a little quicker all the way around.”
That subtle speed and efficiency paid off, shaving just two-tenths of a second off the leading time to take the win in 42.31 seconds.
“With Scoop, this week was originally meant to be a prep before next week’s four-star, but he came out fresh and feeling great—and now we’ve got the win,” said Goncalves.
The victory marks a significant milestone for the Portuguese rider. “It’s always a pleasure to win a Grand Prix at WEC. It’s not easy, there’s a lot of tough competition and fast riders. This is my tenth Grand Prix win, and I am really proud of that. Every grand prix win is special. It’s our pride—something we work toward every day.”
Beyond celebrating the win, Goncalves offered insight into his training philosophy. “I think the most difficult thing in this sport is getting the right amount of training. Sometimes we don’t train enough, and sometimes we do too much. I always try to respect my horses and find the right balance. I’d rather do a little less than push too far. If you keep asking for more and more, you risk breaking them.”
$130,000 Dover Saddlery Grand Prix CSI3* Results
1 SCOOP DE SEPTON Z : 2014 Zangersheide gelding by Hunters Scendro x Echo Van T Spieveld
Luis Sabino Goncalves (POR), Sigma Stables LLC: 0/0/42.31
2 CHECK ME OUT: 2016 Mecklenburg gelding by Chacoon Blue x Conthargos
Luis Larrazabal (VEN), Victoria Heurtematte: 0/0/42.51
3 FAVE D’AUTHUIT: 2015 Selle Français gelding by Windows Vh Costersveld x Kannan
Erynn Ballard (CAN), llan Ferder: 0/0/43.73
4 CROSSOVER 4: 2013 Hanoverian Gelding by Cascadello X Chacco-Blue
Chloe Reid (USA), Team Reid LLC: 0/0/44.74
5 CONSULT PICOBELLO Z: 2015 Zangersheide gelding by Cicero Z Van Paemel x Nabab De Reve
Elisa Broz (USA), Hidalgo, LLC: 0/0/44.98
6 KNASS B: 2015 Warmblood Gelding by Toulon x Landor S
Elisa Broz (USA), Hidalgo, LLC: 0/0/46.41
7 CLYDE VA: 2009 Holsteiner stallion by Caretino 2 x Quintero
Maggie Jacobs (USA), Pony Up Sporthorses LTD: 0/0/50.70
8 CHELSEA 179: 2015 Oldenburg mare by Cador 5 x Laudabilis
Chloe Reid (USA), Live Oak Plantation: 0/4/41.58
9 CINDERELLA Z: 2010 Zangersheide mare by Chacco-blue x Julio Mariner XX
Dylan Daly (IRL), Double C Stables: 0/4/44.66
10 BILLY MC DERMIT: 2013 gelding by Otangelo x Cruising
Rowan Willis (AUS), Hudson Warren: 0/8/42.54
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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