LEXINGTON, Ky.--Israel’s Daniel Bluman on Gemma W won the $226,000 Kentucky CSI3* Invitational Grand Prix to the cheers of 10,224 people on Saturday evening, April 29 at the Kentucky Three-Day Event
Daniel Bluman on Gemma W (Photo by Red Bay Group)Bluman, clean in the jump-off in 46.3 seconds,won over Lacey Gilbertson 0n Karlin Van't Vennehof, second in 47.16 seconds,and Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam on James Kann Cruz, also clean in 48.03 seconds for third.
The evening began with 39 competitors in the first round of the Grand Prix, where the top 10 finishers returned for a jump-off to determine their placings.
Of those 10, five were clean; Bluman, Gilbertson and Sweetnam, plus Ireland’s Conor Swail on Casturano, 48.79 seconds, and Great Britain’s Jessica Mendoza on Cap CL Z , 49.67 seconds.
Riders went in the jump-off in reverse order of placing, (so the top-placed rider went last, and when the final rider of the night Alex Matz lowered the first fence with Cashew CR, Bluman knew he had won.
“She’s such a fantastic horse,” Bluman said. “Last year here, I was in great shape to win, and I didn’t ride the jump-off well. This year I did, and I won.
“SHE'S BECOME really fast all over the place,” Bluman added. “I’ve had her since she was 5. She has a lot of personality, and from the beginning, she was a very careful horse. She wanted to leave the jumps up. She’s very sensitive, but we’ve grown into having a very nice partnership, which is what I aim to have with my horses. She’s part of my family by now. She’s a really smart horse, and as the years go by and she jumps more rounds, she learns more and becomes quicker. I think she is hitting the prime of her career. She has become a very fast horse in the jump-offs. Nowadays, if I do my job, she has a strong chance of winning.”
Alex Matz on Cashew CR (Photo by Michelle Dunn)Gilbertson and “Karly” in contrast are a newer partnership.
Gilbertson rides with Sweetnam, who she just edged out in this competition, and Karly was his mount until recently.
“I started riding her a little bit more than a year ago,” Gilbertson said. “She’s naturally fast, very brave, and we get along really well.”
“This is part of my job, trying to match our riders with the right horses, and from the start, Lacey’s got on great with Karly,” he said. “The results speak for themselves; they are one of the most consistent American pairs this year.
“James Kann Cruz is still young, only 10 and still changing, but he loves to jump as everyone can see,” he said. “He’s impressive, can be a bit of a handful, but he knows his job. There’s still a lot of room for improvement for him, and hopefully, if I’m lucky to have him stay healthy and keep loving his job, fingers crossed, we are still only on the way up.”
“In my opinion, the most beautiful part of this Grand Prix is the crowd,” Bluman said. “We owe them for how good this Grand Prix is. The turnout of people and how supportive they are to every rider, it brings such an atmosphere to the Rolex Arena that is not something you get to see in North America very often anymore. It’s really cool to have an atmosphere like that.”
Lebanon’s Jad Dana on After Eight won the $38,700 Welcome Speed Cup on Friday evening at the Kentucky Three-Day Event.
Dana was clean in 60.03 seconds to win over 39 competitors.
Alex Matz, son of Show Jumping Hall of Famer and three-time U.S. Olympian Michael Matz and Pan American Games team bronze medalist D.D. Alexander Matz, finished second with Cashew CR, clean in 63.03 seconds, and Charlotte Jacobs finished third with Rincoola Milsean, clean in 64.56 seconds.
“It’s been amazing, I’m very lucky to get the ride on After Eight,” Dana said. “My plan today wasn’t to go that fast, but she is naturally extremely fast, and if I go at her speed and a little more, I can go really fast.”
