Edited press release from Wellington International

The 2024 ESP Holiday & Horses Series, presented by ArthramidVet, has kicked off at Wellington International. 

Friday’s international competition featured the highly competitive $65,000 BrainJuice CSI4* 1.50m Grand Prix qualifier. With 51 entries and eight advancing to the jump-off, the stakes were high. Daniel Bluman (ISR) and Hummer Z (Harley VDL x Hemmingway) clinched first place with a flawless double-clear round and a jump-off time of 38.02 seconds. Nayel Nassar (EGY) and ESI Ali (Stakkato Gold x Tygo) came in second with a time of 38.21 seconds, followed by Alessandra Volpi (USA) aboard Candy Luck Z (Comme il faut x Canturo) in third. 

“I started riding Hummer Z in April,” shared Daniel Bluman after his recent victory. “He was developed by one of my greatest idols, and in my opinion, one of the best that ever existed, Beezie Madden.” 

Bluman expressed his admiration for the foundation laid by Madden and her program, which has made his transition with Hummer Z seamless. “Getting a horse that has been developed by such an incredible horsewoman and incredible program really makes things easier on my end. I also have a very good relationship with the Madden team, so I was able to get the complete information and package on how to work with the horse.” 

Since their partnership began, Bluman and Hummer Z have achieved remarkable results. “It’s been about becoming a partnership. We’ve jumped a lot of clear rounds. He actually jumps clear rounds most of the time. We’ve had a lot of top tens, a few top-three podiums, and everything. But this is actually our first win, so it’s great. We’re very happy—the horse deserves to win—and yeah, I am really happy with the result today.” 

In Thursday's $32,000 TRM CSI4* 1.45m class, which saw 40 entries, Nayel Nassar (EGY) and Dorado de Riverland (Untouchable M x Argentinus) emerged victorious with a double-clear round and a jump-off time of 35.46 seconds. Ansgar Holtgers Jr. (USA) and Tulum (Chacco-Blue x Captain Paul I) secured second place with a time of 35.97 seconds, while Alex Granato (USA) and Cupcake (Balou x Solos Landtinus) claimed third with a time of 36.27 seconds. 

When asked about his partnership with Dorado de Riverland, Nassar explained, “Dorado is kind of our speed specialist, so he specializes in these 1.45m & 1.50m’s that are against the clock or a two-phase.” Nassar continued, “He's had a bit of a quiet time, so we wanted to pull him out and make sure he kept just ticking along and sure enough, he wowed us with a nice win today.”