WELLINGTON, Fla.--World No. 10 Mclain Ward 0n High Star Hero led wire to wire to win the $500,000, CSI5* Grand Prix during Saturday Night Lights on Feb. 21 at the Winter Equestrian Festival.

McLain Ward on High Star Hero (Photo by Sportfot)Over the 1.60m course set by Anthony d’Ambrosio, six-time U.S. Olympian Ward was the first of the five that went clean from a starting field of 31.

Ward, knowing the four after him were fast, rode to planin the jump-off and set a fast time to beat of  39.14 seconds. 

"Going first wasn't the worst spot for me," aid Ward. "I could ride my plan and let the others come after me."

“You always feel pressure, you want  to compete well," said Ward. "But as those guys behind me went clean, it made my decision easier. All these guys are super fast riders with very fast horses. I knew they were going to risk everything to win. I had to do what I thought was the winning plan, and the horse responded beautifully. He’s been jumping great for the last six months, and I couldn’t ask for more. Tonight, it was inches. It was phenomenal competition, and once in a while you end up on the top end.”

Richie Vogel of Germany on Gangster Montdesir was second to go in the jump-off, and he showed why Ward's plan worked, because, while he took almost two seconds off Ward's time, he had a rail down trying to do it to ultimately finish fourth.

Mark Bluman of Columbia on Landon de Nyze finished second in 39.71 seconds, a half second back, and Irish Olympian Shane Sweetnam on James Kann Cruz was third in 39.91 seconds.

Nina Mallevaey of Frace on Dynastie de Beaufour was fifth with four faults in 39.53.

 

THIS WAS Ward’s fourth in a WEF 7 grand prix.

Mark Bluman on Landon de Nyze (Photo by Sportfot)“I know exactly why I do well in this grand prix,” said Ward, whose last win came in 2020 with HH Azur. “I come a little later to Florida than most people and always start a bit rusty. I often think, ‘ah, I’m not doing very well.’ Then, I sharpen things up about this time.

“It’s been a difficult start to the year,” said Ward, referring to the death of his mount Imperial HBF, resulting from colic complications one week ago. “My team has rallied and put their heads down—it’s been a grind, and I’m proud of them, proud of the horse and proud to bring this home tonight.”
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Saturday night was Bluman’s first five-star grand prix competition with Landon de Nyze, and, with this second place finish, they now have three top-three placings since partnering in December.

“I’m not competing to be second, so I was a little disappointed with myself—not with the horse—because I could have taken more of a risk going into the double,” said Bluman. “In the qualifier on Thursday, I took a risk to the double and had it down, so I was cautious."

“I come from Colombia, and it’s not a country with a horse background, so to be sitting here with people that I grew up watching riding horses, it means the world,” said Bluman.

Shane Sweetnam on James Kann Cruz (Photo by Sportfot)Landon de Nyze was previously ridden by his cousin Daniel Bluman and World No. 2 Kent Farrington before that.

With Farrington, Landon won a team gold medal and an individual silver medal for the USA at the 2023 Pan American Games.

“I’ve never ridden a horse like this one in my life,” said Bluman. “Things are coming together finally, and it’s been a long hustle. Having a horse like this one means the world to me.”

Sweetnam’s third place finish marked the 20th individual top three in a five-star 1.60m for him and James Kannn Cruz.

Eight of those finishes have been in the last year.

“He hasn’t knocked a fence in a grand prix since Dublin (August), and that’s ridiculous,” said Sweetnam about his mount in the  Paris Olympics. “I’m blessed to have a horse that good.  He really loves his job."

“I took a risk at the third-to-last tonight, and if I took another risk to the next fence, I think I’d be sitting to my left,” said Sweetnam. “The horse was fast enough to win, but the jockey wasn’t.”

Following the class, Ward dismounted and walked along the rail, touching hands with all the fans lining the ring and then stopped to sign autographs on shirts being hand out and on hats and programs extended towards him.

“It’s spectacular; the community has become so engaged, and I also notice they are getting increasingly educated about the sport, even if they’re not horse people," said Ward. "That shows how important equestrian sports are in this community. For most of us, this becomes our second home—I’ve been coming [to Wellington] for 45 years—and it’s wonderful to be welcomed and cheered for by fans, but also the younger generation. I think there’s going to be fans here for many years to come.”