Luis Pedro Biraben & Vasco Victorious in the $130,000 Mars Equestrian Grand Prix CSI 3*

By Jumper News on 2025-08-10

Ocala, United States – August 09, 2025 – The grand finale of the 2025 Summer Series drew packed stands at World Equestrian Center – Ocala for the week’s highlight event, the $130,000 MARS Equestrian™ Grand Prix CSI 3*. Forty-two elite international combinations representing 16 nations vied for the last summer title, but it was Argentina’s Luis Pedro Biraben (ARG) who claimed victory after a season of consistent podium finishes aboard his own Vasco 109 (Vigo D’arsouilles Stx x Clarimo).

FEI Level IV course designer Leopoldo Palacios (VEN) built a challenging, winding track for Saturday night’s feature, with 12 riders advancing to a high-stakes jump-off.

**Robert Blanchette** (IRL) & **Chardonnay**

Luis Sabino Gonçalves (POR) set the first benchmark aboard Scoop de Septon Z in 41.70 seconds. Robert Blanchette (IRL) and Ridersmith LLC’s 14-year-old Westphalian mare Chardonnay (Comme II Faut 5 x Jus De Pomme) soon upped the ante, clocking in at 40.32 seconds.

**Rowan Willis** (AUS) & **For Dilando PS**

Several pairs chased the lead, with Rowan Willis (AUS) and Just A Cheeky One’s nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding For Dilando PS (For Pleasure x Chacco-Blue) coming the closest to Blanchette’s time after navigating two precise inside turns to finish in 41.25 seconds.

Biraben, who has been on a hot streak all summer with Vasco 109, entered the ring with a simple plan: “Go fast.” He explained, “I was able to go inside for both turns, and I tried to be as fast as I could everywhere else. Tonight, luck was on my side.”

**Luis Pedro Biraben** (ARG) & **Vasco 109**

Biraben and the 10-year-old German Sport Horse gelding flew around the track, taking tidy turns and slicing fences, with his open gallop to the last helping secure a time of 39.94 seconds that couldn’t be beat.

The victory also marked another milestone in a partnership that has been steadily building over the past year. “I got him a year ago when he was nine, coming ten, and he’s been doing very well. This summer, he’s placed in almost every grand prix. He’s been knocking on the door, and it was great to get this win,” Biraben shared.