Olympian Daniel Bluman Returns to TerraNova Equestrian Center to Win the $77,300 FEI 1.45m Grand Prix Presented by Arthramid Vet
Daniel Bluman and Cachemire de Braize with TerraNova owners Steve Herrig and Hannah Herrig Ketelboeter, Arthramid Vet Director of Marketing Laurie Birnbach and Helm Limited CEO Mike Belisle.
Photo by EQ Media
Myakka City, Fla. – Feb. 18, 2023 – Athletes representing 11 countries, including six Olympians, competed in the TerraNova Hunter/Jumper 1 feature class, the $77,300 FEI CSI2* 1.45m Grand Prix. Bernardo Costa Cabral, an FEI Level 4 Course Designer from Lisbon, Portugal, designed the tracks contested by 33 horses and riders. In April, Cabral will design the courses for the FEI World Cup™ Finals Omaha 2023.
Flowing around TerraNova's grand prix arena, Cabral's CSI2* course consisted of 12 obstacles with a total of 15 jumping efforts with a time allowed of 75 seconds.
"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."
At fence 11, the second to last effort, the riders rode forward on a floating seven strides to the maximum effort on the course. The black and blue ballerina oxer was set at 1.45m tall and 1.60m wide, the max dimensions allowed for a CSI2* grand prix.
At the halfway point of round one, seven pairs were double-clear and set to return for the jump off. After all horse-and-rider combinations tackled round one, 12 pairs returned for the jump-off course. For the shortened course, Cabral added fences not included in round one, 13, a tri-color flower oxer, and 14, a vertical with playing cards.
Bertram Allen (IRL) and Caprisco. Photo by EQ Media
Second in the ring for the jump off was Ireland's Bertram Allen, who competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Allen and Edison de Hus (Conrad x U Spirit - Galoubet Du Rouet), a 2014 Selle Français gelding owned by Ballywalter Stables, rocketed around the course with a time of 33.44. Seven rounds later, Allen bested himself on his second mount of the class, Caprisco (Cole Porter x Assenza - Apreggio), a 2014 Westfalian gelding also owned by Ballywalter Stables. By leaving out a stride between the last two fences, eight strides versus Edison de Hus' nine strides, Allen and Caprisco stopped the clock at 33.4, shaving .04 seconds off his first horse's time. This strategy launched him into the top two spots.
Two rounds later, Israeli Olympian Daniel Bluman and the 2012 Selle Français gelding Cachemire De Braize (Quality Touch x Pashmina De Braize - Jaguar Mail), owned by Over the Top Stables LLC, claimed the fastest round of the jump off. Going into the combination of 9 a-b, he hugged the left side of the vertical-to-oxer one stride, then sliced across the playing cards fence at 14. The duo stopped the timers at 32.45, almost one full second faster than Allen.
Bertram Allen and Edison de Hus. Photo by EQ Media
"Cachemire is an 11-year-old horse. 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, which he noted is a rare opportunity. Gemma W (Luidam x Britt W - AD Unaniem), a 2011 KWPN mare owned by Blue Star Investments, was Bluman's first ride for the first round and 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."
Daniel Bluman and Cachemire de Braize. Photo by EQ Media
The Olympian competed during Split Rock Jumping Tour held at TerraNova Equestrian Center in January, where he took the top two spots in the $38,700 BetHorseSports.com 1.45m Welcome. "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."
With Bluman at the top of the podium, Allen placed second and third. "I was delighted. This is my first time here. The facilities are absolutely fantastic, better than I could have expected," Allen said. "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."
TerraNova Hunter/Jumper 1 continues Sunday with competition including the $8,500 1.30 Classic, $10,000 NAL 1.30m/1.40m Jr/Am Final, THIS Children's Medal and the 2'6" Adult Hunters.
$77,300 FEI CSI 2* 1.45m Grand Prix Results:
1. Cachemire De Braize / Daniel Bluman (ISR) / Over the Top Stables LLC / 0 / 71.500 / 0 / 32.450
2. Caprisco / Bertram Allen (IRL) / Ballywalter Stables / 0 / 72.480 / 0 / 33.400
3. Edison De Hus / Bertram Allen (IRL) / Ballywalter Stables / 0 / 72.030 / 0 / 33.440
4. Gemma W / Daniel Bluman (ISR) / Blue Star Investments / 0 / 71.970 / 0 / 33.560
5. Hollywood De Rase Z / Angela Covert (CAN) / Angela Covert / 0 / 71.270 / 0 / 33.570
6. Itchcock Des Dames / Alberto Michan (ISR) / Alberto Michan / 0 / 73.460 / 0 / 34.480
7. Nintendo / Megan McDermott (USA) / Counter Balance LLC / 0 / 69.860 / 0 / 34.620
8. Jakilly / Taylor St Jacques (CAN) / Taylor St Jacques / 0 / 74.510 / 0 / 36.000
9. Don Juan Van De Donkhoeve / Jessica Springsteen (USA) / Stonehill Farm / 0 / 71.360 / 4 / 37.310
10. Baroness / Luis Larrazabal (VEN) / LeeAnn Ablin / 0 / 71.195 / 8 / 40.250
