Forty-six jumping athletes entered the $63,000 Wheels Up Grand Prix Qualifier CSIO5*-LLN with eight producing clear rounds over the track set in the WEC Grand Arena by Irish course designer Alan Wade. Two athletes, Rene Dittmer (GER) and Nina Mallevaey (FRA), opted not to return for the jump-off, leaving six to battle it out for the first major title of the week.

As the first rider to return for the tie breaker, Dominik Fuhrer (SUI) set the pace with a clear round in 35.78 seconds riding Ghost, a 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Lord Z x Cantos) owned by Albert and Ingrid Grob. Lillie Keenan (USA) moved into the lead after crossing the timers in 33.99 seconds with Chagrin d’Amour, a nine-year-old stallion (Candy de Nantuel x Stakkato) owned by her family’s Chansonette Farm LLC.

Hopes for an American win on opening day were dashed, however, when Whitaker, the final challenger, left all the rails in place and stopped the clock in 33.64 seconds riding Millfield Colette. The win marked not only his first at World Equestrian Center – Ocala but also his first on American soil.

“I did think it was tough enough,” said Whitaker of the challenging course design. “It took a bit of jumping with a lot of related distances and a lot of choices to be made. It was quite strong for the first day.”

Whitaker began competing with Millfield Colette in 2022. The 13-year-old grey Oldenburg mare (Cornet Obolensky x Clearway) that he owns in partnership with Reitsportanlage Dagobertshausen GmbH & Co.KG was his partner when Great Britain won the 2025 Longines League of Nations™ Final in Barcelona (ESP) last October.

“She’s naturally fast, so sometimes the problem is that you end up going too fast because she’s trying to win, and I’m actually trying to slow it down and do the nicest round I can,” he remarked. “She’s very fiery. She’s a bit of a typical mare in a way.  She likes to have people around her, but she likes to boss them around as well. She has a humongous heart. Like today, going in that ring, she just grows. You feel it the second you start trotting; her head comes up, and she can’t wait to get going. She’s incredible.”

Having settled for second place on opening day, Keenan and her U.S. teammates Natalie Dean, Laura Kraut, and Aaron Vale will hope to defend their title in the two-round $770,000 Longines League of Nations™ Ocala team competition. 
 
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