Aaron Vale Plays His Cards Right Aboard Helios du Moulin in the $150,000 Coca-Cola Beverages Florida Grand Prix CSI3*

21 JUN 26 Ocala, FL

Equestrian rider on a gray horse jumps over an obstacle during a competition, with Coca-Cola and Sprite advertisements in the foreground.

Ocala, FL – Thirty-six elite horse-and-rider combinations took center stage under the lights of the WEC Grand Arena for the $150,000 Coca-Cola Beverages Florida Grand Prix CSI3*. Representing 13 nations, the field was packed with international talent, but it was Ocala’s own Aaron Vale (USA) who rose to the occasion aboard Helios du Moulin (Untouchable x Quidam de Revel), owned by Helios du Moulin Group.

Spectators and exhibitors packed the stands to watch the talented field tackle a challenging track designed by Olympic course designer Guilherme Jorge (BRA). The course proved every bit worthy of Jorge’s resume, with no clear rounds coming from the first half of the order. As the class progressed, only four combinations managed to leave every rail in place and stay within the tight time allowed to qualify for the jump-off.

A rider in equestrian attire guides a horse over an orange jumping obstacle during a show jumping competition.
Tanner Korotkin and Kinmar Quality Hero delivered the fastest round of the night, but four faults relegated them to a third-place finish. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Fresh off a podium finish in Saturday morning’s $65,000 Grand Prix CSIU25, U25 athlete Tanner Korotkin (USA) carried his momentum into the evening feature. Riding Sandalwood Farms’ 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Kinmar Quality Hero (O.B.O.S. Quality 004 x Moujik de Sohan), Korotkin produced the first clear round of the night. Returning first for the jump-off, the pair set an aggressive pace, stopping the clock in 38.71 seconds, but an unfortunate rail left the door open for the remaining contenders.

Argentina’s Luis Pedro Biraben followed aboard his own Vasco 109 (Vigo D’Arsouilles STX x Clarimo). The pair crossed the timers in 39.23 seconds, but a rail at the combination also kept them from a fault-free finish.

A rider in equestrian gear jumps a brown horse over a decorated obstacle with pink flowers during a show jumping event, watched by spectators in the stands.
Tomas Yofre and Kingston flew to second place as the only other double-clear effort. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Fellow Argentinian Tomas Yofre was next to challenge the short course with Stellium Sport Horses LLC’s Kingston. Opting for a more conservative approach, Yofre delivered the first double-clear effort in 44.41 seconds to take over the lead.

A rider on a gray horse jumps over an obstacle during an equestrian event, with spectators watching in the background.
Aaron Vale and Helios du Moulin snagged the victory by three seconds. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

That left Aaron Vale as the final rider to return. With only one clear jump-off round on the board, Vale faced a unique strategic decision aboard Helios du Moulin. “That’s a scenario we don’t get very often these days,” Vale laughed. “The horses are so good, the footing is so good, the lights are so good. Normally, you’re jumping off against eight to twelve people.”

Having watched the first three jump-off rounds unfold, Vale carefully weighed his options. “The first two were pretty quick, and I knew the last rider was clear but not especially fast,” he explained. “It was an odd strategy because if you go slow and have one down, you’re in fourth place. You want to stay close enough to the fast pace that if you have a rail, you can still finish second.”

A rider on a gray horse clears a pink jump decorated with flowers and peacock designs during an equestrian competition in a well-lit arena.
“He’s a competitive little horse.” – Aaron Vale Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

At the sound of the tone, Vale was off with a plan that suited the talented young gelding. “I wasn’t super fast early on, and when he jumped the purple vertical really well, I felt like the only thing left to worry about was the double. Once he jumped that so confidently, I was pretty sure he was on it and going to jump clear, and he did.”

His strategy paid off. Helios du Moulin answered every question, and the pair stopped the clock in 41.20 seconds, securing the victory and sending the hometown crowd into celebration.

A group of people stands around a large check and Coca-Cola display at an outdoor event, with a man in equestrian attire sitting on a horse behind the table.
Aaron Vale and Helios du Moulin accepted their first-place awards presented by Tom Hern of World Equestrian Center, joined by John Horner, Gary Bates, Carlington Williams, Brian Miller, and Michael Gipe of Coca-Cola Beverages Florida. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Vale spoke highly of the talented nine-year-old Selle Français gelding that has quickly become a fan favorite. “We bought him in late summer of 2024, so it’s been about two seasons now. We jumped a couple of shows with him that year as a seven-year-old, and last year he moved into the Grand Prix ranks. He’s a competitive little horse,” Vale shared. “He is so, so fun to watch. Apparently, everybody loves him. We love him because he wins a lot for us, and he tries so hard.”

$150,000 Coca-Cola Beverages Florida 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

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