After a fall that sidelined Torano earlier in the season, keeping him from several weeks of competition during his debut U25 year, Torano, 15, rallied to end on a high note by winning the BrainJuice U25. Torano trains under the direction of John Brennan and Missy Clark at North Run with support from his parents, Jimmy and Danielle.

Torano and Lyon 50, a 12-year-old Hanoverian stallion by Lord Argentinus stopped the clock in an 11-horse jump-off at 33.24 seconds, just under two clicks ahead of runner-up Ariana Marnell (USA) riding Jikke-Cara (35.17 seconds).

“I hadn't watched Ariana jump, but I asked her in the school area what stride she had done, and kept that in the back of my mind. She has a bigger-strided horse than I do, but I tried to do the same as best as I could,” said Torano, who was mounted on a horse owned by Kadley Farms and North Run. “My horse is quick, he was amazing today, and I was happy with the way I rode.”

Of his comeback to the competition ring, Torano noted, “When I got hurt, I was lying in the hospital bed telling my dad that my WEF season was ruined. To break my collarbone, be back in three and a half weeks, and have the second half of the season I've been having is a great feeling. My horses and I are right where we were going before I got injured.

“This is the sport that we do—there's obviously risk involved with every class,” continued Torano. “The best in the world makes mistakes, horses make mistakes, and what happened to me was a fluke accident. There’s a bit of fearlessness in everybody in order to do this sport. For the most part, when I walk in the ring for a class like this, I'm thinking, ‘let's go fast and let's win.’ I try my best not to think about anything else.”

Mark Bluman is Marvelous in Hermès 1.50m Classic

Colombia’s Mark Bluman made his mark once again, adding another $62,500 Hermès 1.50m Classic blue ribbon win to his credit. This time riding S&L Hello Sunshine, on Sunday of CSI4* Week 9 during the 2026 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). Hosting 12 weeks of international competition, WEF runs through March 29 at Wellington International in Wellington, FL. 

With twelve combinations out of a forty-rider line-up returning to the jump-off track set by Ken Krome (USA), Bluman, who is on an exceptional run of form with 15 international podium finishes since November, returned with the 8-year-old Selle Français stallion for owner S & L Farms. With a time of 39.90 seconds, Bluman overtook the previous leading time if Nicola Philippaerts (BEL).

“The horse is super fast, and he has a huge stride. I did seven and seven in the first two lines, and I ended up doing the leaveout to the last,” said Bluman of the Diamant de Semilly stallion’s execution of the tie-breaking round. “I think everything else was super smooth; I caught a good rhythm starting the jump-off, so it worked out.”

Less than a second separated Egyptian Olympian, Nayel Nassar and Orphea HQ, an 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Evergate Stables, from the first-place finish. 40.28 seconds put Nassar in second while Philippaerts held on for third in 41.30 seconds riding his own 9-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding Rolex Ter Leydonck.