Andrew Bourns & Sea Topblue Claim the $30,000 Grand Prix at WEC – Wilmington Summer 2

Wilmington, Ohio – The $30,000 Grand Prix at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington (WEC) Summer 2 welcomed an accomplished field of competitors Saturday morning, but it was Andrew Bourns (IRL) and Sea Topblue (Chacco Blue x Sea Top Lady) who rose to the top.

With a career spanning some of the most prestigious competitions in the world, the duo is familiar with the spotlight. Bourns reflected on his longtime partnership with Sea Topblue, a horse who has been with his family since the very beginning.

“Sea Topblue has been part of my family since he was a foal. We bought him as a foal at auction in Ireland, and my family produced him until he was 8 years old. I took over the ride then, brought him to America and started competing him here. He’s jumped some of the biggest classes in the world, competed on Nations Cup teams and won numerous Grand Prix,” Bourns continued. “He just does what he does. He comes out, gets the job done at whatever level you ask of him. He didn’t compete all winter, and that was all part of the bigger plan. We’ve built him back up slowly.”

With two horses entered in the class, Bourns noted that Robert Barton’s course offered a technical challenge.

“I actually had another 9-year-old in the class first, and it was quite a technical track. The course builder definitely caught me out on one line to the double. I didn’t see it coming,” he laughed. “By the time I came back on Blue, I knew exactly how I wanted to ride it. I thought it was a very good course. It was technical without trying to trick the horses and riders.”

Liza Shoaf (USA) was the first to contest the jump-off aboard her own eight-year-old Warmblood mare, Salina Van’t Goedleven (Dieu Merci Van T&L x Wira). The duo jumped an easy clear effort, stopping the clock in 35.159 seconds.

Bourns and his 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding followed, making light work of the track in 29.114 seconds to move Shoaf into second and take the lead.

While Saturday’s win was another addition to an already impressive résumé, Bourns looks forward to his future with Sea Topblue.

“My goal is to get him back to Major League Show Jumping. If he feels great, there’s no reason he can’t go all the way back up to 1.60m and championship level. There is no reason in my mind why he can’t do that. I am always mindful of the horse first, and I trust him to tell me when we are at his limit. He owes me nothing at this point. Everything that he gives me now is a bonus,” Bourns smiled.

Bourns also praised WEC – Wilmington, naming it one of the most important stops on his schedule for his program.

“Two things really set WEC – Wilmington apart. First, you have an amazing team here. Everywhere I turn, everyone I talk to or ask for help is always so accommodating and willing to help. I feel like everything is done to a really high standard. The stabling is very good, the footing is extremely good, the jumps are nice and the course building was excellent today. If you’re judging a venue purely on the quality of the sport and the quality of the facilities, there really aren’t many places better than this one. I’m a purist—I come here for the sport, and they do it exceptionally well.”

Sarah Meier and her own seasoned 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, Nightshade SCF (Baldev x Olisina), rounded out the top three with four faults in the jump-off in 32.842 seconds.

Explore the daily class schedule, orders of go, class counts, and final results on HorseShowing.com.

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