Friday’s international competition featured the highly competitive $65,000 CSI4* Grand Prix 1.50m Qualifier. With 51 entries and eight advancing to the jump-off, the stakes were high. Daniel Bluman (ISR) and Hummer Z clinched first place with a flawless double-clear round and a jump-off time of 38.02 seconds. Nayel Nassar (EGY) and ESI Ali came in second with a time of 38.21 seconds, followed by Alessandra Volpi (USA) aboard Candy Luck Z in third.
“I started riding Hummer Z in April,” shared Daniel Bluman after his recent victory. “He was developed by one of my greatest idols, and in my opinion, one of the best that ever existed, Beezie Madden.”
Bluman expressed his admiration for the foundation laid by Madden and her program, which has made his transition with Hummer Z seamless. “Getting a horse that has been developed by such an incredible horseman and incredible program really makes things easier on my end. I also have a very good relationship with the Madden team, so I was able to get the complete information and package on how to work with the horse.”
Since their partnership began, Bluman and Hummer Z have achieved remarkable results. “It’s been about becoming a partnership. We’ve jumped a lot of clear rounds. He actually jumps clear rounds most of the time. We’ve had a lot of top tens, a few top-three podiums, and everything. But this is actually our first win, so it’s great. We’re very happy—the horse deserves to win—and yeah, I am really happy with the result today.”
