Ocala, Florida, USA – June 23, 2024 – The $40,000 YETI National Grand Prix was the highlight event on Sunday morning, featuring 39 horse-and-rider combinations competing for top honors. Fresh off last night’s $125,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSI 3* victory, Erynn Ballard (CAN) continued her success by claiming first place aboard Mullentine Shalom (Untouchable 27 x Mullentine Crosskeys) and third place with De Flor 111 Z Santa Rosa (Der Senaat 111 x Eveline 111), both owned by Ilan Ferder.
Guilherme Jorge (BRA) designed the national course for this morning, where seven pairs qualified for the jump-off. Top athletes from Canada, Mexico, Lebanon, New Zealand, and Australia tackled the short course, but only three combinations managed a double-clear effort.
Erynn Ballard rode two of her mounts in the jump-off, starting with Mullentine Shalom. “My plan is always to go fast. Whether I go first or last or in the middle, when I go into the jump-off, it’s a little bit irrelevant what everyone else is doing. I ride my speed, my track, try to leave out, and pick up speed wherever I can,” she said.
Ballard and the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare completed the short course in a blazing 32.124 seconds, securing the victory. “Today is [Mullentine Shalom’s] first big win! She’s a horse that we’ve been developing since she was eight years old. She’s always knocking on the door. Their first win is a memorable one. I just think the world of her. A lot of the horses I ride come and go, so it’s a bit different when you get to keep one and they really become your partner,” Ballard remarked.
Nicole Velazco Magana (MEX) and her horse, F.C. Okarla (Verdi Tn x Cokarla), nearly matched Ballard’s time with a swift round of 32.608 seconds, earning them second place.
Ballard had another chance to place on the podium as the second-to-last competitor with Ilan Ferder’s 13-year-old Zangersheide stallion, De Flor 111 Z Santa Rosa. Their quick performance in 33.791 seconds secured third place. Ballard commented on her new partnership with De Flor 111 Z Santa Rose, “He’s new to me and a little bit new to this level. When I ride him, I have to think about him differently because his stride is so big; you can leave out strides where a normal horse couldn’t. He’s also a stallion, so you have to ride him the way he wants to be ridden, but so far, he’s placed in every national grand prix, so we have big hopes for him.”
Reflecting on this week’s competition, Ballard added, “To have a three-star week with a national grand prix, it’s great. I just came from being on the road for six weeks with only four horses in Calgary, Canada because you’re restricted with how many you can show internationally. So, this specific venue at this time of year is very important to us because we can bring 40 horses, and they all have classes to show in. This week the seven-year-olds went in the big ring, which was incredible, because our seven-year-old is going to be showing in Aachen, Germany and what a better place to set her up.”
Final Results – $40,000 YETI National Grand Prix
1) Erynn Ballard (CAN) & Mullentine Shalom – 0 / 0 – 32.124
2) Nicole Velazco Magana (MEX) & F.C. Okarla – 0 / 0 – 32.608
3) Erynn Ballard (CAN) & De Flor 111 Z Santa Rosa – 0 / 0 – 33.791
4) Sharn Wordley (NZL) & Valentine Car – 0 / 4 – 31.465
5) Sharn Wordley (NZL) & Hagelin – 0 / 4 – 33.370
6) David Cameron (AUS) & Beijing Ls La Silla – 0 / 4 – 33.730
7) Jad Dana (LBN) & Fleur-De-Lis’ Cherie – 0 / EL
8) Sarah Kerins (IRL) & Centriko Volo – 1 / 78.475
9) Savannah Jenkins (USA) & Bresil De Carnaval Santa Rosa – 4 / 73.433
10) Annie Bolling (USA) & Mykonos SCF – 4 / 73.504
Source: Press Release from the World Equestrian Center
Photos: © WEC / Andrew Ryback Photography
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