Aaron Vale and Helios du Moulin Take the Win in the $120,000 Alltech Grand Prix CSI3*

08 MAR 26 Ocala, FL

A rider on a white horse jumps over a barrier marked
Equestrian rider in a gray jacket and black helmet jumps a white horse over a decorative obstacle during a nighttime show jumping competition.
Aaron Vale & Helios du Moulin flying to victory in the $120,000 Alltech Grand Prix CSI3*. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Ocala, FL – The highlight event of Week X of the 2026 Winter Spectacular Show Series at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC) brought 38 horse-and-rider combinations representing 14 nations to the WEC Grand Arena to contest the $120,000 Alltech Grand Prix CSI3*. After a challenging track and an exciting jump-off, it was Aaron Vale (USA) who secured the victory aboard Helios du Moulin (Untouchable x Quidam de Revel).

A group of people, a horse, and a large check stand together in front of an "Alltech" sign at an outdoor equestrian event, with flowers and stadium seating in the background.
Aaron Vale & Helios du Moulin in the winner’s circle, presented by Jim Wolf of World Equestrian Center, Mason Jordan on behalf of the Roberts family, alongside Steve Elliott, Mackenzie Peters, and Annina McMillan with Alltech – accompanied by guests from Animal Health International, Seminole Feed, and Godfrey’s Feed. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

The 1.50m track designed by FEI Level III course designer Catsy Cruz (USA) proved to be quite the test, with rails falling throughout the course. Ultimately, only seven combinations managed to find the path to a clear first round to advance to the jump-off.

The first two riders to return, Robert Blanchette (IRL) and Vaclav Stanek (CZE), gave the shortened track a valiant effort, but each fell victim to a pair of rails.

A rider in a navy jacket and helmet jumps a brown horse over an obstacle during a nighttime equestrian competition.
Spain’s Francisco Goyoga Mollet laid down a quick effort riding Pst de Muze to ultimately round out the podium.  Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Spain’s Francisco Goyoga Mollet was next to challenge the clock aboard Sigma Stables LLC’s 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare Pst de Muze (Vigo D’arsouilles Stx x Clinton). The pair crossed the timers in a speedy 41.86 seconds but had one unlucky rail along the way.

A rider and horse in mid-air jump over a colorful obstacle decorated with large pink flowers during an equestrian event.
Eight-time Olympian Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) rose to the challenge, riding Prins Van’t Eigenlo to the only other clear effort for second place. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Sergio Alvarez Moya (ESP) also gave the track a strong effort but finished with four faults, leaving the door open for the final three riders in the order. Eight-time Olympian Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) rose to the challenge, guiding Rio Equestrian’s Prins van’t Eigenlo (Vigo D’arsouilles Stx x Zandor Z), an 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, to a smooth clear round in 43.39 seconds to take over the lead.

A rider on a gray horse jumps over a decorative obstacle in an equestrian event, with a crowd of spectators watching in the background.
Aaron Vale & Helios du Moulin. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Ocala’s own Aaron Vale entered the arena next aboard The Helios du Moulin Group’s small but mighty mount. Vale knew he still needed to give it just enough with Helios du Moulin, as one extremely fast combination remained to go.

A rider on a white horse jumps over an obstacle in an arena, with a crowd watching and the scene reflected in a blue pool of water in the foreground.
Aaron Vale & Helios du Moulin. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

“I didn’t feel super fast in the beginning,” Vale shared. “Toward the end, I caught a big angle to the vertical and made a really tight turn back to the second-to-last fence, so I got quicker as the course went on.”

The pair stopped the clock in 39.99 seconds to take over the top spot on the leaderboard, moving Pessoa into second and Goyoga Mollet into third.

A rider in a grey jacket and helmet jumps a grey horse over an obstacle during a nighttime equestrian event, with a building and flowers visible in the background.
Aaron Vale & Helios du Moulin. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Vale spoke about the coming nine-year-old Selle Français gelding: “I bought him in France the summer before last, so we’ve had him a little over a year now, almost a year and a half. Not all nine-year-olds are jumping classes like this. He’s a brave, game, little horse, and he’s doing it well.”

A rider in equestrian gear jumps a gray horse over an obstacle surrounded by flowers during a show jumping competition.
Aaron Vale & Helios du Moulin. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

In just two weeks, Vale will return to the WEC Grand Arena to compete in the Longines League of Nations™ Ocala, March 17–22, where he will represent the United States alongside McLain Ward, Laura Kraut, and Lillie Keenan. Vale is looking forward to the competition’s return.

A rider on a white horse jumps over a colorful obstacle during a nighttime equestrian show jumping event.
Aaron Vale & Helios du Moulin. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

“The League of Nations is a great team format,” he said. “There’s a little extra pressure because only three riders come back in the second round. It’s a very big-money team class, and it’s extremely competitive because everyone sends their best riders.”

The five-star week will also feature CSI2* competition, highlighted by two marquee CSIO5* events: the $350,000 J.P. Morgan Grand Prix CSIO5-LLN* on Thursday, March 19, and the $770,000 Longines League of Nations™ Ocala on Saturday, March 21. Tickets are still available. Click here to learn more and view the full week’s schedule.

$120,000 Alltech Grand Prix 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.