Ocala, FL – Top level athletes returned to the WEC Grand Arena early Sunday morning to contest the $50,000 IDA Development National Grand Prix. Twenty-four horse-and-rider combinations put forth their best efforts over a first-round course that mirrored the international grand prix track from Saturday night. Roles were reversed with Kaitlin Campbell (USA) standing atop the podium after yielding a superb effort aboard Kaiser Van Het Lambroeck (Nabab De Reve x Florette Van Het Lambroeck) owned by Camille Leblond.
Only three athletes, Megan Wexler (USA), Kaitlin Campbell (USA) and Sean Jobin (CAN) found the path to a clear first round effort to qualify for the jump-off.
Megan Wexler and the 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding Chronicle 4 (Centurion x Ambiance) owned by Golden Oaks Farm, LLC led the charge, but suffered one unfortunate rail in 40.270 seconds to keep her out of the top two placings.
Kaitlin Campbell entered the arena next with vengeance, “Sean went after me in the jump-off and he beat me last night, so I definitely wasn’t going to leave anything on the table this morning. I just went as fast as possible and hoped the jumps stayed up!”
Campbell and the scopey 13-year-old Warmblood stallion posted an uncatchable track in 40.401 seconds to ultimately seal the first-place finish.
Campbell used Sunday morning’s national grand prix track to prepare for next week’s international competition, “Kaiser is a 13-year-old stallion. He is a sale horse that we have in the barn that is owned by Camille Leblanc. He knows what he is doing! I have had him on and off for the past six months and he has jumped a few bigger classes, so we have had some experience with him. He is going to jump FEI next week, so this was our warmup for that,” shared Campbell.
Saturday night’s winner of the $150,000 IDA Development Grand Prix CSI3*, Sean Jobin was just shy of the winning time aboard Antrim Equestrian’s 14-year-old KWPN gelding Sterrehof’s Edinus (Padinus x Idylle) in 40.409 seconds, just eight thousandths of a second behind Campbell.
An additional $5,000 was awarded to the fastest four-faulter of the $50,000 IDA Development National Grand Prix. Juan Gallego Martinez secured the award with Fee Des Sequoias Z with a time of 75.694 seconds with one rail down.
Jennifer Walters and Loretto 199 won the $5,000 ‘Luck of the Draw’ award.
$50,000 IDA Development National Grand Prix Results:
1 Kaiser Van Het Lambroeck, Kaitlin Campbell, Camille Leblond: 0 | 0 | 40.401
2 Sterrehof’s Edinus, Sean Jobin, Antrim Equestrian: 0 | 0 | 40.409
3 Chronicle 4, Megan Wexler, Golden Oaks Farm LLC: 0 | 4 | 40.27
4 Fee Des Sequoias Z, Juan Gallego Martinez: 4 | 75.694
5 Halcon, Richard Spooner, Molly Ohrstrom: 4 | 75.774
6 Chelsea 179, Chloe Reid, Live Oak Plantation: 4 | 75.867
7 Constantin De Hus, Aaron Vale, Sigma Stables LLC: 4 | 76.372
8 Florida Man, Aaron Vale, Thinkslikeahorse: 4 | 77.646
9 Ijsbeer 111 Z, Ilan Bluman, Katie Eppinger: 4 | 78.014
10 Kaira VD Middelstede, Kirk Webby, Jamie Stryker: 4 | 78.133
Ilan Bluman & Acajou Saved the Best for Last in the $10,000 Buckeye Nutrition Futures Prix
Thirty promising new partnerships and young horses convened in WEC Grand Arena for the $10,000 Buckeye Nutrition Futures Prix. Claiming the final featured win of first week of the 2023 Ocala Summer Series was Ilan Bluman (COL) and his very own Acajou (Casallaco x Azobe).
As the second to last pair to compete over Andy Christiansen’s (ECU) track, Bluman looked to find his place in the immediate jump-off phase.
Guiding the eight-year-old German Sport Horse mare to a confident first clear ride, Bluman needed to catch Dominique Damico’s (USA) leading time.
Damico, of Ocala, Florida, set a challenging time for the remaining athletes to catch.
With the Amberfax Farm, Inc entry, Jamaica (Plot Blue x Utah SZ), Damico was the third and fastest double clear. The nine-year-old KWPN gelding stopped the clock in 37.866 seconds, holding onto the lead until the very end of the class, ultimately earning second place.
Bluman moved onto to the short course and rode for the blue, leaving no time to spare in the turns and galloping down to the last vertical in 37.102 seconds for the win with his special mare, Acajou.
Kaitlin Campbell (USA) of SWS Training & Sales in Temecula, California, earned her fifth podium placing of the week with Sun Warrior (Flexible x Stacy Starlet). Linda Starkman’s nine-year-old Holsteiner gelding jumped two consistent rounds, and earned the yellow ribbon in a swift 39.666 seconds.
$50,000 IDA Development National Grand Prix Results:
1 Kaiser Van Het Lambroeck, Kaitlin Campbell, Camille Leblond | 0 | 40.401
2 Sterrehof’s Edinus, Sean Jobin, Antrim Equestrian | 0 | 40.409
3 Chronicle 4, Megan Wexler, Golden Oaks Farm LLC | 4 | 40.27
4 Fee Des Sequoias Z, Juan Gallego Martinez | 4 | 75.694
5 Halcon, Richard Spooner, Molly Ohrstrom | 4 | 75.774
6 Chelsea 179, Chloe Reid, Live Oak Plantation | 4 | 75.867
7 Constantin De Hus, Aaron Vale, Sigma Stables LLC | 4 | 76.372
8 Florida Man, Aaron Vale, Thinkslikeahorse | 4 | 77.646
9 Ijsbeer 111 Z, Ilan Bluman, Katie Eppinger | 4 | 78.014
10 Kaira VD Middelstede, Kirk Webby, Jamie Stryker | 4 | 78.133
For final results visit HorseShowing.com or Ryegate.Live.
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.
Videos available at ClipMyHorse.TV