Jad Dana Caps Off Winning Week with $85,000 GGT Footing Grand Prix CSI2*  Victory

28 JUN 26 Ocala, FL

A rider and horse mid-jump over an obstacle labeled

Ocala, FL – Featured competition for Week III of the Summer Series came to a close in the WEC Grand Arena Sunday morning with the $85,000 GGT Footing Grand Prix CSI2*. For the fourth time this week, Jad Dana (LBN) led the victory gallop after besting a 10-horse jump-off. 

A rider and horse in mid-air jump over a hurdle during an equestrian competition, with GGT branding and a judge seated in the background.
Jad Dana & Leonidas. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Alan Wade (IRL) and Ben Townley (GRB) crafted another challenging track for the experienced field of international riders, but it was Dana that dominated once again riding Burr Associates, Inc.’s Leonidas (Kannan x Truus). 

Following his win, Dana and Leonidas were met with love and open arms from the Burr Associates, Inc. team. “He’s a horse we’ve had since he was six years old. My coach Leslie [Howard] used to ride him, and I think he’s probably her favorite horse in the barn. He has a great mind, he’s very competitive, and as you can tell, he wins a lot.”

A person on horseback wearing formal riding attire holds a helmet, while another person stands beside the horse, touching its head. A red blur is visible in the foreground.
Jad Dana & Leonidas. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

“I love my team. Everybody knows how much I love my team. The people who help me and our staff want to win as much as I do, and I think that’s what makes our team so strong. We’re very close on a personal level, we get along very well and we try to have as much fun as possible doing a stressful sport. If it wasn’t for how skilled these people are, and how good of people they are, it wouldn’t be as fun,” Dana smiled. 

As the second rider to contest the jump-off, Dana ultimately set a time that could not be caught. “There were great riders behind me, like Erynn Ballard and Samuel Parot. I had a strong group following me so I knew I had to go as fast as I could if I wanted to win,” he laughed.

A horse and rider in mid-jump over an obstacle during an equestrian event, with decorative plants and empty seats in the background.
Jad Dana & Leonidas. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

The 10-year-old KWPN gelding’s speed and careful form carried over from his win in the $32,000 GGT Footing Speed CSI2* as he stopped the timers in 36.98 seconds to secure another victory. 

Having developed Leonidas in partnership with Leslie Howard since he was six, Dana spoke on his experience producing the talented gelding at WEC – Ocala. 

A group of five people and a horse pose outdoors with a large check for $25,500 at an equestrian event. Flowers and event signage are displayed in front of them.
Jad Dana accepts his first-place honor from Jim Wolf of World Equestrian Center and Cynthia Keating of GGT Footing. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

“I think the classes that are offered here at this facility are the reason why I can produce a horse like this. We brought him here as a young horse, and on a national level, we were able to step him up into the Futures Prix and the 1.40m Classics.”

“It’s great that you can do the four-star and the two-star in the same week. As a rider, when I could compete my older, more experienced horses in the four-star, this horse could do the two-star classes and build himself up. This is the result,” he added.

A rider wearing a helmet and jacket guides a dark horse over a decorated jump during an equestrian event, with a white building and greenery in the background.
Erynn Ballard & Greta De La Dinais. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Erynn Ballard (CAN) jumped to a close second place on her winning mount from Friday’s qualifier, Greta De La Dinais (Eldorado De Hus Ebel x Oberon Du Moulin). The 10-year-old Selle Français posted a time of 37.34 seconds for the red ribbon. 

A rider in white attire and helmet jumps a brown horse over a white obstacle during an equestrian event, with decorative plants and statues in the background.
Wilton Porter & Sternmarke 3. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Rounding out the top three was Wilton Porter (USA) in 37.45 seconds aboard Sternmarke 3 (Argelith Stakkato x Escudo I), a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Sleepy P Ranch BV.

$85,000 GGT Footing Grand Prix CSI2* 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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