Press release from World Equestrian Center - Ocala, edited by World of Showjumping

A packed house set the scene on Saturday evening for the CSI4* $200,000 LeMieux Grand Prix in the WEC Grand Arena at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC). Twenty-three elite horse-and-rider combinations representing some of the sport’s best stepped forward to contest the class, but in the end it was Israel’s Daniel Bluman who delivered when it mattered most, claiming victory aboard Abigail Wexner’s Corbie V.V. (Cornet Obolensky x Chacco Blue).

FEI Level 3 course designer Colm Quinn (IRL) set a technical 1.55m track that demanded precision from start to finish. Time quickly became a factor over the delicate lines and careful questions throughout the course, and just six combinations found the path to a clear first round to advance to the jump-off.

German Olympian Andre Thieme was the first to return aboard his longtime partner DSP Chakaria (Chap I x Askari). The 16-year-old German Sport Horse mare, whom Thieme has ridden since 2018, set the standard early with a quick and efficient clear in 38.16 seconds.

World no. 9 Daniel Coyle followed with Ariel Grange’s Daydream 141 (Phin Phin x Voltaire), but an unfortunate four faults kept them out of contention.

World no. 2 Kent Farrington (USA) was next in the order riding Descartes SR (Caramelo x Oklund), a promising new partnership that already earned a win during Week I of the 2026 Winter Spectacular Show Series. The nine-year-old Mexican Sport Horse gelding owned by Kent Farrington LLC showed both scope and maturity beyond his experience level. Farrington stopped the clock in a blistering 37.42 seconds to take over the lead.

“We’ve been doing some smaller classes, trying to get him a bit more trained,” Farrington shared. “He’s a spectacular jumper, but he’s just coming nine years old, so he doesn’t have much experience. This is his first four-star; I don’t think he’s ever done a three-star. He’s made such a good amount of progress in such a short time. I’m very, very proud of the horse and really happy with the result.”

Jelmer Hoekstra (NED) appeared poised to challenge the lead with Lordy-P (Grandorado TN x Wellington), posting a time of 37.18 seconds, but a heartbreaking rail at the final fence kept them from the top spot.

Last year’s Week VIII Grand Prix winner Brian Moggre (USA) entered hoping to secure another podium finish with his longtime partner of nearly a decade, MTM Vivre Le Reve (Ustinov x Chello II). Moggre and the 17-year-old Westphalian gelding, owned by Major Wager LLC, delivered a double-clear effort in 37.67 seconds to slot just behind Farrington.

“To have the same horse, a bit older now, come back this exact week and give another double clear is really all I could ask for,” Moggre said. “He continues to give his best.”

World no. 18 Daniel Bluman was the final rider to return, taking on the jump-off track aboard Corbie V.V., a mare he has partnered with for five years. “I’ve been trying to develop her in the best way,” Bluman shared. “She has a lot of personality. She’s not an easy horse to ride, but at the same time, she has incredible talent. I just try to stay out of her way, but also show her the best route so that we can beat these guys that are so fast.”

With the time to beat clearly established, Bluman made a subtle adjustment to his original jump-off plan. “Brian and I were commenting on the class as Kent was going. We were in the warm-up, asking each other, ‘What were you going to do?’ and we decided we were going to do this. Then Kent did something else,” he laughed. “So we said, ‘Well, I guess we have to do that, right?’ Because otherwise there’s no chance. Corbie is very fast; she has a lot of speed. She’s not the easiest, but if I can stay close to the numbers they’re doing, I might just be able to get them.”

The calculated plan paid off, with Bluman and Corbie V.V. shaving two-tenths of a second off the leading time in 37.17 seconds to take the victory.

Beyond the result, Bluman emphasised how much he values competing at WEC – Ocala. “I love this place,” Bluman added. “As you all know, we have competitions every week in Wellington, and Wellington is home for all of us. So the fact that we are leaving our homes and coming here to show tells you how much we love it here. The facility is fantastic. Everyone in the world, and especially in the United States, is very lucky to have a place like this where we can come, enjoy ourselves, and produce our horses.”