OCALA, Fla.--Aaron Vale on Helios du Moulin won the $250,000 Grand Prix CSI4* on Saturday evening, June 27 at the World Equestrian Center.

Aaron Vale on Helios du Moulin (Photo by Andrew Ryback)From a field of 20, eight were clean to make the jump-off over the course set by Alan Wade of Ireland. 

Third to go in the jump-off, Vale, who had won the $150,000 CSI3* Grand Prix the previous week, was the first to go clean, finishing in 41.74.

"I knew there were some fast ones behind me because the qualifying was inverted and some of the best ones went last," Vale said. "But I walked the plan. I was nine strides from one to two. There were two places I thought I could have gotten one less. Luis Sabino Goncalves was ultimately the only one that figured out the track to get it, and then he had the last jump down, so it worked out for us."

"You know, he's a small horse, but he is a fighter, said Vale. "And he just keeps doing it. It wasn't the biggest track tonight for a four-star. We wanted to have a jump-off. But still, somehow this horse just sneaks around these courses and you come out and say, 'Wow, that wasn't that hard,’ He’s a great little horse and has a great group of people that own him with me. He is just so fun.”

 

A VALE exited the ring, a crowd of young fans gathered at the top of the ramp waiting to celebrate with the winning rider.

"It's great, the crowd, the energy and support that the horses and riders get, because they’re all horse people," Vale said. "We're horse people, and the kids are horse people starting at the bottom coming up. And I think that's what the whole facility is about."

Austria's Peter Petschenig placed second on Ennebel van het Posthuijs, clean in 43.91 seconds.

Petschenig has been riding the mare for three years.

"She's improved all the way through it," Petschenig said. "She doesn't look like it, but every time you ask a question, she answers. She jumped all over the world and she's always game."

Captain Brian Cournane on Artic JT Z was third.