When Olympian Daniel Bluman (ISR) canters into the ring with longtime partner Gemma W, spectators and exhibitors alike know there is a good chance they are watching the start of a class’s winning round. In the $62,480 CSI3* Welcome Stake at HITS SHOWS Hudson Valley in Saugerties, New York, on Thursday, July 16, that was exactly the case.

Eager to Make His Mark

Bluman brought out the big guns in mounts Gemma W and Hummer Z to take home the top two spots in Thursday’s featured event.

“We love the horse show here at HITS Hudson Valley; this is a place that, for us, feels like home,” enthused Bluman. “Gemma and Hummer are in top shape, and I’m super happy with the result. First and second are as much as you can hope for, and this was a class with a lot of good riders and horses.

Mexican Mastermind In Course Design

Once again, FEI Level 4 course designer Anderson Lima (MEX) was the mastermind behind the track for the $62,480 CSI3* Welcome Stake, which featured a technical track designed to artfully challenge the 32 horse-and-rider combinations’ strengths and weaknesses.

A total of 10 entries in the starting field found their way through a fault-free first round, while only one pairing was kept from the jump-off by a single time fault, and an impressive 11 additional duos suffered the fate of a single downed rail.

Bluman put forward two entries and punched his ticket to the jump-off on both, giving himself good odds against the other eight contenders.

“The role of the course designers and having a world-class venue when preparing for championship events, such as the upcoming FEI World Championships in Aachen, [Germany,] is everything,” he continued of his carefully crafted competition schedule.

“For those of us in North America who have families and businesses and homes here, it’s very important to have shows like this at HITS because we want to feel we are ready to go to Europe and compete and win. If we didn’t have events like this, it wouldn’t be possible.”

Win Win

Daniel Bluman and Abigail Wexner’s 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding (VDL Harley x Hemmingway), Hummer Z Photo @ ESI Photography

Bluman first stepped back into the Douglas Elliman Grand Prix Stadium for the short course on Abigail Wexner’s 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding (VDL Harley x Hemmingway), Hummer Z, a partner he has found immense success with after taking over the reins from U.S. Olympian Beezie Madden. Together, the duo set a new standard to beat, stopping the clock in 37.67 seconds. However, if anyone could beat his winning time, it was Bluman himself with his iconic, superstar mount, Gemma W.

“I think in the last two years with Gemma, there have only been two classes that we didn’t finish in the top 10,” commented Bluman of his seasoned horse.

Adding to the plethora of wins for the pair, the Over The Top Stables LLC’s 15-year-old KWPN mare (Luidam x Unaniem) crossed the timers in 36.680 seconds, shaving almost a full second off of her stablemate’s previous leading time and taking her place in the front of the victory gallop once again. For Bluman, the win is one of many in a strong season of sport that has seen him skyrocket into ninth place in the FEI world rankings.

Riding for Israel

“To hit that milestone is huge for any rider, and it shows huge consistency, not only for me personally, but for the entire team,” expressed Bluman. “This is not possible to do without an extensive team that works with me every day, so this is huge for us. It’s very rewarding.

Having the Israeli flag amongst the top ten in the world, and to show the world, ‘I’m Israeli, and I am Israel’ when people know me and that I stand for good values, is a testament, and I’m extremely proud of that.”