Halton Hills, On – A young rider from Colombia made his Canadian debut an auspicious one last Sunday (September 6) by winning the Swisscan $100,000 World Cup Qualifier at Halton Place.
Daniel Bluman, 19, and his 14-year-old Hanoverian ‘Fatalis Fatum’ finished on top in a field of 19 international riders in the grand prix, held week two of the three week Canadian Country Classic. It was the second major victory in as many weeks for Bluman and the flashy chestnut gelding, as they also claimed victory in the HITS-on-the-Hudson $50,000 Grand Prix in Saugerties, New York, the previous week. Sunday’s win put Bluman in strong contention for a berth to the 2010 World Equestrian Games, representing Colombia.
“I had been waiting a long time to win a major grand prix and at last, I had my first chance last week and again this week. I’m still in shock,” said Bluman, who bought Fatalis Fatum from Argentinian rider Federico Sztyrle eight months ago. The horse (by For Pleasure) is brother to Canadian rider Ainsley Vince’s mare, Frieda, who also competed in the competition. Bluman’s former mount, Secret, won the $35,000 Villarboit Open Welcome class on Friday with his new owner, Andres Rodriguez of Venezuela and finished fifth in the World Cup Qualifier.
Bluman was one of five riders on Sunday to negotiate a fault-free first round, and posted a time of 36.81 seconds in the jump-off. While Frenchman Yann Candele (who recently became a Canadian citizen) and Lothlorien owned ‘Game Ready’ managed to beat Bluman’s time, they knocked a rail to fall to fourth place. In second place was Lauren Hunkin of Caledon with Larry 0146 at 38.43 seconds.
Bluman, who lives in Wellington, Florida and is sponsored by Café de Colombia (the coffee company associated with the famous fictitious character Juan Valdez), came to compete at Halton Place because “some friends of mine told me it was a beautiful place and offers great prize money. I got to see this place, which is so beautiful and relaxing. The horses love it and I love it too. I’m planning on coming back next year. I’m always very loyal to a place that treats competitors so well.”
Bluman said while he hasn’t shown in Canada before, he has jumped courses in the U.S. designed by Canadian Michel Vaillancourt, who set the Halton Place course.
Caledon’s Lauren Hunkin, who has recently opened a stable near Kemptville and is trained by Ian Millar, was thrilled with her second-place finish. “Larry came out and gave me everything he’s got,” she said of the 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding. “He’s a great partner for me. He’s got a big heart. This is the biggest track we’ve jumped this year.”
Competition at Halton Place continues this week with the final phase of the Canadian Country Classic, September 9-13. Feature events during the week include the Ontario Hunter Jumper Association (OHJA) Young Riders Final, the OHJA Medal Class, Friday’s unique $10,000 Villarboit Hunter Classic held in the show jumping derby ring and Sunday’s GoodLife Grand Prix at 2pm.
Spectator-friendly, with plenty of prime viewing locations, Halton Place offers many amenities for day visitors to the Canadian Country Classic. Ringside seating is available for all competitions and is included with parking ($10 per car), with a browsing trade fair area and public food concessions.
For those wanting to ‘step-up’ the occasion for their day in the country, VIP tents overlooking the competition rings with gourmet catered luncheons, are available on a day pass basis. To order VIP passes, please contact/email Halton Place a minimum of 48 hours in advance. VIP parking is included with these passes.
Halton Place, located in the beautiful Halton Hills is close to Georgetown and Milton and within an easy drive from Oakville or Burlington. It is also one of the most scenic equestrian facility locations, overlooking the beautiful Niagara Escarpment.
$100,000 Swisscan World Cup Qualifier
Rider, Country, Horse, Faults/Time
1. 1. Fatalis Fatum, Daniel Blumen, Colombia, 0:0/36.81 seconds
2. 2. Larry 0146, Lauren Hunkin, Caledon, Ontario, 0:0/38.43 seconds
3. 3. Santo’s Utopia, David Arcand, Montreal, Quebec, 0:0/39.09 seconds
4. 4. Game Ready, Yann Candele, Caledon, Ontario, 0:4/34.62 seconds
5. 5. Secret, Andres Rodrigues, Venezuela, 0:4/47.65 seconds
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