When Daniel Bluman (ISR) brings his mare Gemma W into jump-off action, he knows he can rely on her speed. That’s precisely what he did Thursday, riding to victory in the first major class of week two of the Tournament of Champions in Traverse City. The pair was last to jump off and captured the $181,170 Cabana Coast CSI5* Major League Show Jumping Qualifier by just .13 seconds.
“I got to see what everyone had done,” Bluman said of his advantage, coming in last in a jump-off of 12 fast, highly accomplished pairs. At the time, Karl Cook (USA) led with Foxy de la Roque, and Bluman knew there was no margin for error if he wanted that top spot. “At the end it came down to going as fast as I could. I had to give 100% today.”
Over a Grégory Bodo-designed course, Bluman guided the 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (Luidam x Unaniem) around the tightest possible track. Their final time of 36.49 seconds was just barely enough to unseat Cook, who ultimately took second with a time of 36.62 seconds. Nina Mallevaey (FRA) was third with My Clementine in 36.99 seconds.
“Words cannot describe the feeling I have when I ride this horse,” Bluman said of Gemma, a horse he’s produced himself since 2018. “She gives her entire heart every single time. She’s an incredible animal. She almost always delivers. I came up with a plan, I wanted to go for it, she felt great, and I edged out second and third by a fraction.”
Bluman and Gemma prepared for this win by taking another big victory early in the season, specifically in the CSI4* Welcome Stake during Traverse City Spring I. Bluman knows she’s perfectly targeted for these midweek classes and he can rely on other up-and-coming horses when it comes time to jump the Grand Prix over the weekend.
“Gemma doesn’t jump the grand prixs anymore, so she’s done for the week,” he remarked. “I have Malina here for the team class, I have a young horse here in the two-star, and we’ll decide about Saturday’s Grand Prix. I have a young group of horses here I’m developing and I have to make sure I do things right so they’re prepared for a long future.”
A win in Traverse City is extra special for Bluman, who not only loves the venue but knows the caliber of competition during this stretch of the season.
“Traverse City is normally very nice to me; I love being here,” he shared. “We love to win here, we love the town, we love the horse show, we love the organizers, and that’s why we keep coming back every year, not only for Major League but for some of the other weeks as well. It’s a great place and it’s lovely to jump in places that care about what we’re doing.”
The win gives Bluman a strong start to Major League Show Jumping week, with team competition and Saturday’s CSI5* Grand Prix still ahead at Flintfields Horse Park.
Kent Farrington and Nikki Angel following their victory in the $31,020 Traverse City Record-Eagle CSI2* MLSJ Welcome, with Traverse City Record-Eagle representatives Jordan Fuller, Megan Fuller, baby Brooks and Tyler Stange. (Natalie Suto Photography)
$31,020 Traverse City Record-Eagle CSI2* MLSJ Welcome
Following the CSI5* Qualifier was the $31,020 Traverse City Record-Eagle CSI2* MLSJ Welcome, where Kent Farrington (USA) continued his winning streak, this time aboard Nikki Angel, besting a field of 60 entries. Second-place honors went to Roberto Teran Tafur (COL) and Magdalena VDL, while Erynn Ballard (CAN) and Ravallo van de Helle followed closely behind in third.
“I think a lot of this horse,” Farrington said of eight-year-old Nikki Angel. “She’s actually jumped a couple three-star grand prixs and I think she has a great future and it’s off to a great start.”
While Farrington has his eye on the bigger prizes of CSI5* week, he is equally deliberate about where his developing horses fit into the schedule.
“That’s part of staying at the top is to always have the next horses coming up through the levels,” he explained of his strategy, placing the horses where they need to be based on their development. “Most of the horses you see me doing at the highest level of the sport are the same horses I rode in classes like this years ago.”
Major League Show Jumping takes center stage Friday with the $200,000 ClipMyHorse.TV Major League Show Jumping Team Competition, bringing the league’s team format to the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring for the second matchup of the 2026 season.
Results here.
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