Luis Sabino Goncalves and Gallaxia de Ferval Z Play Their Cards Right in the $75,000 Hampton Green Farms National Grand Prix

15 NOV 26 Ocala, FL

A rider in equestrian gear jumps a dark horse over an orange hurdle in an arena with spectators in the background.

Ocala, FL – The $75,000 Hampton Green Farms National Grand Prix brought an exciting conclusion to Week II of the 2026 November Show Series at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC), as 34 horse-and-rider combinations took to the WEC Grand Arena on a chilly Saturday evening. A challenging first round narrowed the field to seven for the jump-off, where speed came at a cost. With every rider ahead of him incurring faults, Portugal’s Luis Sabino Goncalves entered the arena last with a different strategy. Aboard Sigma Stables LLC’s Gallaxia de Ferval Z (George x Tessa de Ferval), Goncalves delivered the only clear round of the jump-off to secure the mare’s first Grand Prix victory at WEC – Ocala.

FEI Level III course designer Oscar Soberon (USA) crafted a technical track that proved challenging for the field. The tight time allowed of 80 seconds added another layer of difficulty, and in the end, just seven combinations managed to qualify for the jump-off.

A rider in equestrian gear jumps a dark horse over a hurdle at the World Equestrian Center.
Rowan Willis (AUS) and Handsome raced to second-place honors. Photo courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.

Australia’s Rowan Willis was the first to return aboard Just A Cheeky One’s 14-year-old KWPN stallion Handsome (Toulon x Zirence). The pair laid down a speedy effort in 38.415 seconds but had an unlucky rail at the third fence.

Lauren Breach (USA) gave a valiant effort but brought down two rails along the way. Jelmer Hoekstra (NED), Luke Sassi (USA) and Richard Spooner (USA) each gave the short course their best shot, but all fell victim to a single rail and were unable to catch Willis’ time.

A rider on a white horse jumping over an obstacle shaped like colorful hot air balloons in an arena.
Tracy Fenney (USA) and MTM Myrbalia O rounded out the top three. Photo courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.

Tracy Fenney (USA) entered the arena next as the second-to-last rider, hoping to secure the first clear round. Aboard MTM Farm’s nine-year-old KWPN mare, MTM Myrbalia O (Davenport VDL x Imke-balia O), Fenney knew she had the speedy Luis Sabino Goncalves following her in the order. The pair raced around the track but had the same fence as Willis down. Fenney turned up the pace in an effort to take over the lead, stopping the clock in 38.724 seconds, just three-tenths of a second behind Willis, to move into second place.

As the final rider to return, Goncalves faced a difficult decision. With every combination ahead of him having incurred faults, he had to weigh the risk of chasing the time against the opportunity to deliver the only clear round.

“Everybody was putting the pressure on, especially the last three riders. All the riders were very fast, like Richard Spooner and Tracy Fenney,” Goncalves explained. “I was last in the order, and the pressure was on. We needed to go. They all did really well, so I tried to get a feel for it. But it was risky because I could also have a rail, and then I would go down in the standings because I was a little bit slower.”

A rider in a blue jacket and helmet jumps a black horse over an obstacle during an evening equestrian show.
Luis Sabino Goncalves and Gallaxia de Ferval Z delivered the only double-clear effort on Saturday night to secure the win. Photo courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.

Ultimately, Goncalves decided to prioritize a clear round and trust Gallaxia de Ferval Z to leave the rails in place. The strategy paid off as the pair delivered the only fault-free effort of the jump-off, stopping the clock in 46.032 seconds to secure the victory.

Gallaxia de Ferval Z has continued to develop into a promising partner for Goncalves, who praised the nine-year-old Zangersheide mare’s careful nature and rideability. “She’s tall, but she’s very sensitive and has a lot of quality. She’s very easy to ride. She’s light and is super brave, but at the same time, super careful not to touch the rails,” he shared.

A horse and rider posing with three people holding a $22,500 prize check in front of a white jump obstacle decorated with pumpkins and flowers.
Luis Sabino Goncalves accepted his winning award alongside representatives of Hampton Green Farms and Jim Wolf of World Equestrian Center. Photo courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.

Goncalves is looking forward to continuing his season at WEC – Ocala, with plans to return for the upcoming international competition. “In December, I will be here for the three-star and four-star competitions. Then the winter season, the spring season, and the summer season. Just here all the time. It’s the best place in the world,” Goncalves expressed. 

Hunter/jumper competition returns to WEC – Ocala for the two-week December Show Series, December 1–13, featuring USEF Premier Hunter, Level 6 Jumper and international CSI3*/CSI1* and CSI4*/CSI2* competition. The series will highlight the $120,000 Coca-Cola Grand Prix CSI3* on Saturday, December 5, and the $200,000 AdventHealth Grand Prix CSI4* on Saturday, December 12, both under the lights in the WEC Grand Arena. Set against the festive backdrop of Winter Wonderland, spectators can purchase tickets to experience the holiday festivities and watch the Saturday night Grand Prix.

$75,000 Hampton Green Farms National Grand Prix 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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