Richard Spooner and Lyjanair Fly to Victory in $75,000 Wheels Up National Grand Prix at WEC – Ocala

Ocala, FL – Saturday night Jumping returned to the WEC Grand Arena as World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC) welcomed an enthusiastic crowd for the $75,000 Wheels Up National Grand Prix during the opening week of the 2026 November & December Show Series. With packed grandstands and a bustling terrace, the evening brought together top-level equestrian sport and the excitement of the Ocala Food & Wine Festival, a three-day culinary celebration taking place throughout the weekend. A competitive field of 40 horse-and-rider combinations entered the spotlight, but it was Richard Spooner (USA) who rose to the occasion, guiding Show Jumping Syndications Int’l’s Lyjanair (Lyjanero x Villa) to an impressive victory.

Renowned FEI Level III course designer Peter Grant (CAN) presented a challenging first-round track that tested the field from start to finish. Of the 40 starters, just four managed to produce fault-free rounds within the time allowed. Spooner accounted for two of those clear rounds, setting the stage for a thrilling jump-off featuring three of the United States’ quickest riders: Chloe Reid, Spooner and Aaron Vale.

Reid was the first to master the opening-round course and returned as the trailblazer in the jump-off aboard her promising nine-year-old Zangersheide gelding Dragonball (Diamant de Semilly x Rayenne). The pair wasted no time, attacking the short course to set an early benchmark of 43.125 seconds.

Spooner was next to challenge the leading time aboard the 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding Lyjanair. Having watched Reid’s round on the jumbotron in the schooling area, he entered the arena with a clear strategy.

“I was able to watch her on the jumbotron in the schooling ring. That’s the beauty of this facility; it’s so top-notch,” Spooner shared. “She was very, very quick. She really took a chance at that skinny vertical. She did not take a lot of time. She was a little full to the rollback to the natural oxer, and when I saw that, I said, ‘Okay, I got half a second there if I can tighten it up.’”

Spooner put that observation to work. “I did one less from one to two. Caught the in to the double nice. Going to the oxer, I can tell you this. I saw it, and was like, ‘God, I hope that’s not wrong,’” Spooner laughed. “It was crazy long, but he gave me 110 percent and stretched out over that oxer. I was so proud of him because the turnback wouldn’t have been that big of a deal on its own, but I landed like a bag of marbles. Luckily for me, he came right back.”

The pair maintained their momentum through the final stretch, clearing the Wheels Up oxer and stopping the clock in a blazing 41.464 seconds to clinch the top spot on the leaderboard. 

Reflecting on the evening, Spooner acknowledged the technical first-round track, particularly for the less experienced horses in the field. “When I walked it, the first horse that I did, Mein Seuten, it was his first Grand Prix at night, and so I thought, ‘Oh wow, that’s going to be difficult,’” Spooner explained. “The placement of the Liverpool, with the lake to one side and the outgate to the other, presented a particularly influential question. If we were mice, that was pretty big cheese,” Spooner joked. “So, we took the bait. A lot of horses took the bait. My first one took the bait.”

However, his more seasoned mounts were unfazed by the atmosphere. “Lyjanair and Belle Esprit are experienced campaigners, and you saw that tonight with the horses. The experienced campaigners didn’t really bat an eye at that. Maybe the greener horses took a look at that Liverpool, and they said, ‘Sayonara.’”

Spooner also earned fourth-place honors aboard Belle Esprit (Cicero Z x Lafite di Fer), electing to save the horse for another day.

Aaron Vale (USA) delivered another exciting performance aboard Donald Stewart’s up-and-coming eight-year-old Zangersheide gelding Hulu (Untouchable x Ulota du Roc). The pair soared around the shortened track in 40.849 seconds, but an unfortunate rail at the final fence kept them from taking the top spot. 

With the 2027 Winter Spectacular Show Series on the horizon, Spooner is eager to spend the upcoming season competing at WEC – Ocala.

“I’m home now, and I love it here and the city,” Spooner shared. After missing the opportunity to fully enjoy the previous winter season, he added that he is looking forward to making the most of his time in Ocala this year.

Competition continues with November Series II, November 11–15, before international show jumping returns for the December Show Series. The first week, December 1–6, will feature CSI3*/CSI1* competition, followed by CSI4*/CSI2* competition December 8–13. Both weeks will also offer USEF Premier Hunter and Level 6 Jumper competition, all set against the festive backdrop of WEC’s Winter Wonderland.

$75,000 Wheels Up 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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