Ilan Bluman and Acajou accept their first-place awards presented by Mason Jordan on behalf of the Roberts family, joined by John Horner, Carlington Williams, Michael Gipe, Brian Miller and Gary Bates of Coca-Cola Beverages Florida. Photo © Andrew Ryback Photography.
Press release from World Equestrian Center Ocala
The stands were packed, and the atmosphere was enchanting during World Equestrian Center – Ocala‘s Winter Wonderland and the opening week of the 2025 December Show Series. Forty-one horse-and-rider combinations representing 17 nations converged at the WEC Grand Arena, all aiming for the lion’s share of prize money in the $120,000 Coca-Cola Beverages Florida CSI3* 1.50m Grand Prix. After an electrifying 10-horse jump-off, it was Colombia’s Ilan Bluman who galloped away with the win aboard his own Acajou (Casallco x Chico’s Boy).
Saturday night’s course matched the festive energy surrounding the iconic arena, featuring gingerbread men, toy soldiers, snowmen, and other holiday-themed decorations. Catsy Cruz (USA) once again designed flowing tracks with a tidy time allowed. An even 10 combinations navigated their way to a clear first round, setting the stage for a thrilling jump-off that included top riders from Ireland, Switzerland, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Colombia, and Portugal.
Ireland’s Paul O’Shea led the way in the short course, setting the early standard in 35.20 seconds aboard Imerald Partners LLC’s 17-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, Imerald Van’t Voorhof (Emerald x Bacardi Orange de Muze).
Beat Mändli (SUI) and Cordani PS were the next to challenge, but their 37.86-second effort fell short of the leading time.
Dylan Daly (IRL) followed with a strong performance of his own, piloting Double C Stables’ 15-year-old Zangersheide mare Cinderella Z (Chacco-Blue x Julio Mariner XX) to a blazing 35.12 seconds, edging ahead of O’Shea by just fractions. Sarah Segal (USA), Gavin Moylan (CAN), Tanimara Macari (MEX), Tiara Bleicher (GER), and Grant Seger (USA) all delivered competitive attempts, but none could catch Daly.
Ilan Bluman and Acajou. Photo © Andrew Ryback Photography.
Second-to-last to return, Ilan Bluman entered the ring with intent aboard his longtime partner Acajou. “I watched the first one, and I knew what I had to do. She’s a fast horse, and I’m a fast rider. I didn’t even count from two to three but, I think I did one less. I just kept going. I wanted to win.”
Bluman and the 10-year-old German Sport Horse mare delivered exactly that. With slick turns and Acajou’s natural footspeed, they stopped the clock in a blistering 34.85 seconds, seizing the top spot on the leaderboard and ultimately securing another international grand prix victory together.
Bluman has been developing the talented mare since she was six. “It’s been a long way, and we’ve had our ups and downs. Two and a half years ago, everything changed with her.” Their results reflect that growth: a four-star victory during the 2025 Winter Spectacular Show Series, multiple top finishes over the summer, and successful five-star debuts. “We did some five-stars this summer, and it was great. I was third and sixth in another. We went clear in three of them. She’s a warrior and a winner. When she’s with me, we’re for sure going to go clear, so we’ll try to win for sure.”
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