Press release from the World Equestrian Center

Holiday lights and packed stands set the stage for the $150,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSI3* during Week I of the 2023 December Show Series at World Equestrian Center – Ocala. A field of elite show jumping athletes representing 10 different nations competed over tracks built by FEI Level IV course designer Guilherme Jorge (BRA), but it was Olympian Beat Mändli (SUI) that dazzled the crowd with Amiro B Z (Asca Z x Concreto) and took his rightful spot atop the podium. 

Mändli was the fourth to return in the jump-off aboard Grant Road Partners LLC’s nine-year-old Zangersheide gelding Amiro B Z.

“I didn’t really have a plan going into the jump-off. When you’re early to go in the order and have a lot of top riders behind you, there’s no other choice than to just try your best and be as fast as possible without over cooking it,” shared Mändli about his thoughts going into the jump-off. 

The pair made light work of the jump-off track finding each fence on an open gallop to race through the timers in a mere 41.51 seconds, a time that no other competitor could catch. 

Mändli had no expectation to win tonight as his new partner is still young, “This is actually our first grand prix jump-off. I came here to get him ready for the winter circuit ahead, and I did not expect to win. He felt amazing tonight and handled the crowd very well. I was surprised to see so many people, it was nice to ride and a really fun evening. I have really high hopes for him in the future.” 

Sharn Wordley (NZL) scored himself his fourth podium finish of the week. Wordley piloted the 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding Champion League by Cador 5 x Contendro I, to a quick time of 42.56 seconds for second place. 

“Champion League is very new to me, I got him from Daniel and Alberto Michan just a couple months ago, so we’ve been playing around at some shows trying to get a bit of a partnership. This was the first show that I really tried to use him to win some prize money, and it ended up being a pretty good week!” exclaimed Wordley.

Chloe Reid (USA) rounded out the podium with her scopey 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding Crossover 4, owned by Team Reid LLC. The speedy pair cruised around the short course, soaring to the top of the standards, and crossing through the timers in 43.69 seconds. 

Reid couldn’t be more proud of her skilled partner, “I got ‘Crossover’ when he was six. My boyfriend was first riding him and then I completely took the reins. He’s now going on 11 years old, and I can’t believe how far we’ve come. This past summer was a very big achievement for us. We went up to Canada and did three five-star competitions, and he was clear in all of them. I am so proud of him, and thrilled to continue that consistency in my home territory.”

Melissa Brandes, Director of Equestrian at Lugano Diamonds commented on the evening and partnership with World Equestrian Center – Ocala, “It’s crazy to think that we are coming up on three years as a Founding Partner at World Equestrian Center. Tonight was incredible, the competition was wonderful and always such a thrill to enjoy. Watching tonight with all of the holiday lights really showcased the true sparkle of the evening. I commend all of the athletes, it was a tough class and they all rode amazing.”