Ocala, FL – The 2023 show season came to an exhilarating close this afternoon as 23 star-studded athletes took to the WEC Grand Arena to contest the $50,000 Florida Coast Equipment National Grand Prix. Catsy Cruz (MEX) set the final tracks of the year, where only four riders managed to answer all of the questions in the first round to battle it out over the jump-off track. Alvaro Enrique Tejada Arriola (GUA), a newcomer to World Equestrian Center – Ocala, and his mount Jellyton Pb emerged victorious, finishing their year with a remarkable win.
Gemma Paternoster was the first athlete to return to the jump-off. She piloted Payton Capone’s 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding Jip Van T & L Z (James VD Korneslishoeve x Diddlina VD Plataan) to an efficient and clear round in 43.535 seconds.
Alvaro Enrique Tejada Arriola was next in with Isabel Castillo Echeverria’s Jellyton Pb. “In the first round, I got a bit lucky because I had a few rubs, but she was trying really hard for me. Coming back for the jump-off, I was confident because she’s always been a very fast horse.”
Tejada Arriola utilized the nine-year-old Warmblood mare’s natural speed to fly around the track stopping the clock in 37.034 seconds to take the lead and ultimately gallop away with the first-place title.
Jellyton Pb is a special horse to Tejada Arriola, “She’s an incredible mare. She’s a homebred from my grandfather’s breeding program in Guatemala, so I’ve known her since she was a filly,” he shared. “I am so proud of her, she jumped amazing today. I am hoping to start to do the bigger heights, but I’ll let her be the one to tell us what she wants to do.”
This was Tejada Arriola’s first time competing at World Equestrian Center – Ocala, “It’s an unbelievable venue. The facility is unreal, and I want to come back for sure!”
Dorothy Douglas (USA) had the winning time with Davenport Farms’ 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding MTM Pablo (Perigueux x Celina) in 36.934 seconds, but had one unlucky rail down in the process landing them in third.
Kyle Dewar (CAN) secured the fastest four-faulter award with Clever Van De Helle with a quick time of 79.100 seconds in the first round with one rail down.
Hannah Egan earned the ‘Luck of the Draw’ award.
$50,000 Florida Coast Equipment National Grand Prix Results:
1 Jellyton Pb, Alvaro Enrique Tejada Arriola (GUA), Isabel Castillo Echeverria: 0 | 0 | 37.034
2 Jip Van T & L Z, Gemma Paternoster (GBR), Payton Capone: 0 | 0 | 43.535
3 MTM Pablo, Dorothy Douglas (USA), Davenport Farms: 0 | 4 | 36.934
4 Mykonos SCF, Annie Bolling (USA), Annie Bolling: 0 | 4 | 41.238
5 Clever Van De Helle, Kyle Dewar (CAN), Kyle Dewar: 4 | 79.100
6 Lacido, Valentina Arenas (GUA), Valentina Arenas: 4 | 79.516
7 MTM Apple, Tracy Fenney (USA), MTM Farm: 4 | 80.174
8 Halcon, Richard Spooner (USA), Molly Ohrstrom: 4 | 80.293
9 FSS Outlaw, Kady Abrahamson (USA), Abrahamson Equestrian LLC: 4 | 80.820
10 Cicero HS, Audrey Muscari (USA), Audrey Muscari: 4 | 80.864
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.
Videos available at ClipMyHorse.TV
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