Ocala, FL – Feature competition of Week III of the 2023 Ocala Summer Series came to an exciting close early this morning as 30 top-level competitors vied for the lion’s share of the prize money in the $50,000 CaptiveOne Advisors National Grand Prix. Olympic Gold Medalist Will Simpson (USA) secured his third podium finish of the week, this time aboard Chacco P (Chacco Blue x Cera P), after the pair found an electric track in the jump-off.
Guilherme Jorge (BRA) crafted the closing tracks for this morning’s national grand prix where eight found their way to the jump-off.
Will Simpson spoke about the winding tracks, “It was a really nice track. I love courses where you can see the flow from the stands. Everything made sense and came right up out of stride. It’s a luxury to be able to ride these courses and compete in an arena like that.”
Fourth to return to the jump-off, Simpson was determined to snag the lead aboard his own 14-year-old Mecklenburg gelding, “Everyone was doing ten in the first line. It was a little blind, you had to go past the lake and it ended up sticking out a little further than I thought, so I didn’t want to do something silly, so I stuck with the ten. He made a great turn back to the vertical. I had to be a little careful into the double because that represents eight faults, so I had to throttle down a bit right there. I knew we could walk the six and leave a stride out, which no one else had done yet. He’s so quick, I knew he could still get a nice tight turn back to the vertical. To the last I saw two less, but I just couldn’t do it and throttled down. He jumped it great.”
The pair soared through the timers in 39.017 seconds which held rank for the remainder of the class.
Simpson spoke about his longtime partner Chacco P, “I have been riding Chacco for five years now. It’s been a work in progress, he’s such a hot horse, but so calm and sweet horse on the ground. I am starting to take it personally! I go to sleep early before I ride this horse,” laughed Simpson.
It has been a successful week for Simpson, having secured the first-place finish in Wednesday’s $40,000 1.45m Speed CSI3* and third place in last night’s $150,000 CaptiveOne Advisors Grand Prix CSI3* aboard Whoop De Doo.
“I have been strategic with flip flopping the horses each week, trying to keep them fresh through the entire circuit. So far, I’ve been guessing right. I think all of the horses are feeding off of each other. I don’t know what they are talking about at night to each other in the stalls, but I hope they keep it up,” Simpson chuckled.
Second place winner of last’s night FEI CSI3* grand prix, Marcello Ciavaglia (BRA) earned himself another podium finish this morning, this time aboard his own Premier 2S. Ciavaglia and 12-year-old Brazilian Sport Horse stallion were one second off the pace stopping the clock at 40.750 for the red ribbon.
Chloe Reid (USA) and Live Oak Plantation’s eight-year-old Oldenburg mare Chelsea 179 (Cador x Laudana) secured third place honors with a quick and clear time in 42.619 seconds, to finish off their week on a high note.
Tracy Fenney and MTM McIntosh owned by Nina Koloseike earned the $5,000 fastest four-faulter award with a quick first round time of 74.194 seconds with one rail down.
Clark Montgomery and Aska Blue received the ‘Luck of the Draw’ award.
$50,000 CaptiveOne Advisors National Grand Prix Results:
1 Chacco P, William Simpson, Will Simpson Stables: 0 | 0 | 39.017
2 Premier 2S, Marcella Ciavaglia, Marcella Ciavaglia: 0 | 0 | 40.75
3 Chelsea 179, Chloe Reid, Live Oak Plantation: 0 | 0 | 42.619
4 Constantin De Hus, Aaron Vale, Sigma Stables LLC: 0 | 0 | 43.482
5 Kaira VD Middelstede, Kirk Webby, Jamie Stryker: 0 | 0 | 44.632
6 Chapeau PS Z, Luis Pedro Biraben, Miguel Madero: 0 | 4 | 41.381
7 Chronicle 4, Megan Wexler, Golden Oaks Farm LLC: 0 | 4 | 42.905
8 Vitus K, Sheer Levitin, Sheer Levitin: 0 | 4 | 44.44.915
9 MTM Mcintosh, Tracy Fenney, Nina Koloseike: 4 | 74.194
10 Diamanto JT Z, Ansley Wright, Castlewood Farm Inc: 4 | 75.221
For final results visit HorseShowing.com or Ryegate.Live.
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.
Videos available at ClipMyHorse.TV