Last Updated on March 11, 2024 by adminahb
Loxahatchee Groves (March 11, 2024) – With three official days of competition completed, The Ridge’s March Madness Verijet Grand Prize is already being hotly contested. All three major prize money classes held in March were won by a Bluman, and while their exceptional performances have set the tone for the month, it’s still anyone’s game with three weeks of shows left at The Ridge at Wellington Groves.
March Madness at The Ridge means amazing prizes for all levels, including the Verijet Grand Prize for competitors in nominated classes going in their Grand Prix arena. March’s Leading Open Rider in these divisions will be awarded a 2-hour, carbon neutral flight to anywhere courtesy of the innovative private aviation company, Verijet. Meanwhile, the Junior and Amateur Jumpers show-wide are not to be forgotten, and March’s Leading Rider in these divisions will receive a Paris Jumping Saddle from Prestige.
The first day of March Madness competition saw Colombia’s Mark Bluman come out swinging, jumping to victory in the $15,000 1.40m Grand Prix aboard the dark bay mare, Marilyn. The pair had their first international Grand Prix win in 2022 and have already locked in multiple wins this season at The Ridge. Securing the first major class win of March Madness, Bluman was quickly contested by his cousin, Israel’s Daniel Bluman, who has also notched multiple wins at The Ridge over the past weeks and years.
Wednesday’s $5,000 1.30m Rising Star Classic and Friday’s $15,000 1.40m Grand Prix were both captured by Daniel, whose early double clear could not be bested, despite contention from many top riders, including Swiss Olympic Medalist Beat Mandl and Bluman’s fellow Israeli and exceptionally competitive rider Ashlee Bond. Daniel Bluman’s modus operandi at The Ridge is to go fast and early, usually delivering a spectacularly quick jump-off that is exhilarating to watch. This week he was true to form, jumping twice around the Grand Prix and Rising Star course set by FEI 2-star course designer Juan de Dios Alvarez aboard two nearly identical bays, Lady Applaus and Cachemire de Braize, and leaving absolutely no room for error for the following riders. His times of 35.126 on Friday and 30.862 on Wednesday with Cachemire de Braize stood for the entirely of both classes, bumping him above his cousin Mark on the March Madness leaderboard. Olympian Beat Mandli and Kay Gray delivered the closest challenge in the Grand Prix, wrapping up their jump-off in 36.184. Ashlee Bond and Night Wish rounded out the top three, finishing in 36.381.
For schedules and prizelists, visit www.RidgeShowJumping.com.
For online entries, full results, and more, visit www.HorseSpot.net.
Equinium Sports Marketing, LLC
Holly Johnson
holly@equinium.com
www.equinium.com