Last Updated on April 20, 2026 by adminahb
Mark Bluman & S & L Hello Sunshine. Photo ©Sportfot
Wellington, Fla. – April 19, 2026 — Colombia’s Mark Bluman closed out international competition on the grass derby field at Equestrian Village with a win in the $120,000 Palm Beach County Sports Commission CSI3* Grand Prix aboard S & L Hello Sunshine during Week 3 of the Wellington International Spring Series, presented by Florida Coast Equipment.
Second to last to return over Oscar Soberon’s (USA) jump-off track, Bluman and his 9-year-old Selle Français stallion bested the runner-up by an outstanding two seconds, making his way to the top of the podium in 34.66 seconds. The next best time — 36.52 seconds — was just enough to land Luis Sabino Goncalves (POR) a second-place finish aboard his own 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding Scoop de Septon Z (Hunters Scendro x Echo van’t Spievald).
Going home in third place was Egyptian Olympian Nayel Nassar and Esi Ali, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Stakkato Gold x Tygo) owned by Evergate Stables, after stopping the clock at 36.82 seconds.
Keeping his eyes on the prize and sticking to his plan, Bluman spoke on his winning round with the Diamant de Semilly stallion, saying, “I think I did one less stride than everybody else to the double, and the horse is super-fast — we shaved off two seconds there. I started with a rhythm, and I continued with it the whole way around.”
Sunday marked S & L Hello Sunshine’s first three-star grand prix start after joining Bluman’s string a year ago. “To start his career in the bigger grands prix with a win is a great feeling. We bought him in Europe, thinking that he would be a nice amateur horse, but he kept getting better and better,” said Bluman, who has spent the last year slowly producing the horse. “He doesn’t really know he’s a stallion, but in the ring when he needs to be one — he’s a stallion. We’re very proud of him.
“It’s a great feeling to finish the Florida season like this,” continued Bluman, who earned nine international podium finishes during the WEF season and made it 10 on Sunday. “Everybody loves this place, so to be the last [FEI] winner on this field, it feels great.”
The Palm Beach County Sports Commission CSI3* Grand Prix was the final international offering on the Equestrian Village derby field before grass competition pivots to the all-new state-of-the-art field at the main WEF grounds for the 2027 season.
Wellington International
news@wellingtoninternational.com
www.wellingtoninternational.com