Ocala, Florida, USA – December 05, 2024 – International competition is in full swing at World Equestrian Center – Ocala during Week I of the 2024 December Show Series. On Thursday afternoon, 61 horse-and-rider combinations from 17 nations gathered at the WEC Grand Arena, all vying for the $63,000 Wheels Up Grand Prix Qualifier CSI 3*.

FEI Level III course designer Catsy Cruz (MEX) set a challenging track for Thursday’s competition, with 15 riders delivering clear first rounds to earn a spot in the jump-off. As the lights illuminated the WEC Grand Arena, transforming it into the magical WEC Winter Wonderland presented by AdventHealth, the stage was set for an intense showdown. Top athletes from Switzerland, the United States, Ireland, Colombia and France returned to vie for the win under the heightened pressure.

The jump-off began with Beat Mändli (SUI) setting a swift pace aboard Kay Grey, clocking in at 36.82 seconds. Richard Spooner (USA) followed as the third to return, riding Halcon (Con Air 7 x Cardento 933), owned by Molly Ohrstrom. Fresh off a recent victory in the $75,000 Barnwalkers Grand Prix during the November Show Series, Spooner and the nine-year-old Argentinian Sport Horse stallion shaved two seconds off Mändli’s time, taking the lead in 34.67 seconds, before eventually finishing second.

Chloe Reid (USA) and her agile partner Crossover 4 (Cascadello x Chacco-blue), a 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Team Reid LLC, gave a strong performance, finishing the short course in 36.04 seconds to claim the second spot for the moment, conquering bronze honors in the end.

Several athletes tried to unseat Spooner, but it wasn’t until Paul O’Shea and Squirt Gun, the second-to-last pair to go, entered the arena that the leaderboard shifted. Flying through the course, O’Shea and Squirt Gun stopped the clock in a blazing 33.82 seconds, securing the win and the lion’s share of the prize money.  

Final Results – $63,000 Wheels Up Grand Prix Qualifier CSI 3*

1) Paul O’Shea (IRL) & Squirt Gun – 0 / 0 – 33.82

3) Richard Spooner (USA) & Halcon – 0 / 0 – 34.67

2) Chloe Reid (USA) & Crossover 4 – 0 / 0 – 36.04

Source: Press Release from World Equestrian Center

Photos: © WEC / Andrew Ryback Photography

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