Ocala, United States – July 11, 2026 – The clouds parted just in time for a beautiful sunset to set the stage for the highly anticipated $250,000 MARS Equestrian Grand Prix CSI 4* during Week V of the 2026 Summer Series at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC). Exhibitors and spectators packed the stands to watch a star-studded field representing 10 nations battle for the victory.

FEI Level IV course designer Marina Azevedo (BRA) built a technical 1.55m track that proved to be a true test, with most combinations falling victim to a rail. Of the 19 horse-and-rider combinations, only five managed to produce fault-free first rounds to advance to the jump-off, representing Venezuela, the United States, Lebanon and Portugal.

Fresh off a successful European tour, Ocala’s own Aaron Vale (USA) guided The Carissimo Group’s Carissimo 25 (Cascadello x Clinton) blazed through the timers in 42.03 seconds to take over the lead.

Vale explained the decisions that shaped his jump-off track. “My plan was to go wide from one to two in seven. Even going wide, the seven was still quite slow for me. I was very deep at fence two, which made my eight strides to number three very fast. In the course walk, I thought I might have been able to get eight back to the wall, but I was a little far off the oxer, so I ended up doing nine.”

Vale’s time looked difficult to catch, but Jad Dana (LBN) was next to enter the ring.

Dana and Itchcock des Dames flew through the timers in 41.95 seconds, edging Vale by just eight hundredths of a second to take the win.

Final Results – $250,000 MARS Equestrian Grand Prix CSI 4*

1) Jad Dana (LBN) & Itchcock des Dames – 0 / 0 – 41.95

2) Aaron Vale (USA) & Carissimo 25 – 0 / 0 – 42.03

3) Luis Sabino Gonçalves (POR) & Scoop de Septon Z – 0 / 4 – 43.84

Source: Press Release from World Equestrian Center

Photos: © WEC / Andrew Ryback Photography

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