New GP victory in Ocala

Spectators near and far gathered at World Equestrian Center – Ocala for the grand finale of 2023, with the $150,000 Florida Coast Equipment CSI3* Grand Prix as the absolute highlight. For the second week in a row, the CSI3* GP in Ocala delivered a blue/yellow victory and this time the Portuguese rider Luis Sabino Gonçalves took care of this with the 9-year-old gelding Scoop de Septon Z, a son of Hunter's Scendro and Echo van 't Spieveld who was bred by SPRL Val De Somme. Sabino Gonçalves and Scoop de Septon Z, also good for a 3rd place during the 1.50m high GP qualifier on Thursday, were one of the 5 combinations that remained clear in the basic round and so managed to secure a place in the jump-off. They were the very first combination to enter the ring again and this time they also managed to complete their round without a hitch. They finished in 40.71 seconds, which gave them a lead of more than 3.5 seconds over the competition.

Luis Sabino Gonçalves: “There weren’t too many in the jump-off, but it was a tough group. I needed to add the pressure and take the risk. If I were to do a nice clear round, the next rider would be faster. So, I decided to go for it, take the risks and ‘Scoop’ was game. My horse doesn’t have all the experience. I started him in the futures prix here at WEC, then did the national grand prix, and then his first ever three-star. This venue has helped develop him and it feels like a championship show. It’s like we are showing at a final in Barcelona. It’s an amazing opportunity to help the horses prepare for big championships in the future.”

Sabino Gonçalves and Scoop de Septon Z became 3rd during the 1.50m high GP Qualifier on Thursday, but here too we saw a Zangersheide horse at the top of the rankings. The victory went to the American rider Todd Minikus with the 14-year-old mare Amex Z, a daughter of Andiamo Z and Landaris who was bred in Belgium by Hubert Brems. In a jump-off for which 9 combinations were able to qualify, they again kept it clear and with a finishing time of 39.16 seconds they were the only combination that managed to keep the time under the 40 seconds.

Todd Minikus: “Amex jumped great in the first round, but it’s never an advantage to go first in the jump-off. I honestly thought it was a nice third place round, because I didn’t even hit her gear yet. She’s an awesome mare who has won so much for me and I am so glad that I have her.”