MYAKKA CITY, Fla.--Israeli Olympian Daniel Bluman on Cachemire de Braize won the $77,300 FEI CSI2* 1.45m Grand Prix at Split Rock Jumping Tour on Feb. 18 while Luis Larrazabal won first at The Ridge on Feb. 8 and then at Split Rock in the $10,000 Welcome Stake.
Daniel Bluman on Cachemire de Braize (Photo by EQ Media)Riders from 11 countries, including six Olympians, competed in the Split Rock Grand Prix over a course designed by Bernardo Costa Cabral, an FEI Level 4 Course Designer from Lisbon, Portugal, who will design the courses for the FEI World Cup™ Finals in Omaha.
"It's a little of a test everywhere with some breathing spaces in the middle," Cabral said. "It starts fairly easy and straightforward. We give them a difficult line, (5), 6 and 7, the skinny of TerraNova. Then, the triple and the breather to the last turn (to) the vertical of the church to the two big oxers on course, just in front of the VIP pavilion to finish."
Twelve made the jump-off , and second in the jump off was Ireland's Bertram Allen, who competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Allen on Edison de Hus was clean in 33.44, and seven rounds later, Allen beat himself on his second mount, Caprisco, clean in 33.4, to finish second and third.
Two rounds later, Bluman on Cachemire De Braize was clean in 32.45, almost one full second faster than Allen, for the win.
"Cachemire is an 11-year-old horse, and we've been together already for four years," Bluman said. "He's very competitive. He's a horse that has a lot of personality and sometimes it's difficult for me to manage all that personality. But the horse knows how to win and he knows how to pull out a result when we need it and he did so today. So obviously (I'm) very happy with his performance."
BLUMAN brought two horses to TerraNova for the grand prix, and Gemma W was his first ride for the first round and in the jump off.
"I got to go first with Gemma, who has been with me for many years and jumps the 5* grand prix classes," he said. "I brought her here to start warming up for the season ahead. My plan was to set up a quick time with her, see how the class unfolded and then make a plan for Cachemire. It worked out almost as I expected it would."
"I really enjoy the venue, the atmosphere. It's nice, quiet and calm. It allows me to work with the horses and my staff really enjoyed it also," Bluman said. "We decided we wanted to come and support it and do a few of them, so I'm coming next week and I plan to come at the end with a couple of younger horses."
"I was delighted," said Allen.. This is my first time here. The facilities are absolutely fantastic, better than I could have expected. I brought two 9 year olds. It was a great experience for them. Happy to be here and I'll definitely try and come back again."
Luis Larrazabal captured his second win this season at The Ridge at Wellington Groves, this time on Billy Spiral.
Larrazabal made quick work of the $5,000 1.30M Rising Star Classic course, clean and fast in 36.607 to win the class on Feb. 8.
The Ridge at Wellington Groves hosts the $5,000 1.30M Rising Star on Wednesday and a $15,000 1.40M Grand Prix on Friday each week during the Florida winter season, providing riders with the chance to jump over FEI courses on exceptional footing and win generous prize money. T
he Ridge also offers a full range of jumper classes each week and monthly weekend shows that include both recognized and unrecognized hunter, jumper, and equitation classes, a $2,000 National Hunter Derby, a $1,000 Low Hunter Derby, and all levels from Leadline to 1.30M.
Larrazabal then traveled to Myakka City for the Split Rock tour, where he won Friday's feature class, the $10,000 FEI 1.40m Welcome Speed over a course designed by Cabral.
"It's a very welcoming course," Cabral said. "I'll see the riders today and take a look at how they perform and then I can tighten a notch for tomorrow or keep the same kind of difficulty. I was a rider many years ago. You don't need to be a rider to be a good designer, but for me, it's important because I try to design tracks I would like to ride. It's important to be special and have some different turns and it's all about the flow."
As the ninth rider to go, Bluman on Cachemire de Braize was clean in 63.16 seconds, taking the lead.
Seventeen riders later, Adolpho Franco of Brazil on Hanea went into the lead on 62.22 seconds.
As the last to go, Luis Larrazabal of Venezuela on Baroness took all four inside turns that Cabral had noted as time savers, finishing clean in 61.55 seconds to win the $10,000 FEI 1.40m Welcome Speed.
"It was a nice class to start for the 2*, very friendly," Larrazabal said. "At the end, it's a speed class. I know I have a very fast mare, so I gave it a shot. She's very quick off the ground, she knows her job and so I just try to stay out of her way and let her go the way she likes. It was my lucky day, I guess!"
Larrazabal competed at TerraNova Equestrian Center in 2022 for the first time when they hosted Split Rock Jumping Tour.
"The facility is growing. I am very excited as I am from Wellington, so I am very close to the show. I am excited to come more in the future," he said.
