Daniel Bluman had a feeling that Landon de Nyze (Comilfo plus z x Quadrillo) would be well suited for his cousin, Mark Bluman, and that perception proved to be correct on Thursday, December 11, at Desert International Horse Park. In only their second show together, Colombia’s Mark Bluman piloted Landon to victory in the $182,000 CSI5* Qualifier, held as part of Desert Holiday 2.
“Daniel is going to heaven if he keeps giving me these kind of horses!” said Mark Bluman in speaking of the 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding previously competed by Daniel Bluman and to great success by Kent Farrington before him. “[Landon] was super successful with Kent. He got [an individual] silver medal in the Pan Am Games, won a couple CSI5* grand prix with him. Kent had enough horses at the time, and he wasn’t really taking Landon much to the shows…Daniel bought him for him to ride.”
Mark Bluman continued, “Again, same story with Daniel, he had many horses to ride at the time, and he knew the horse could be a great match. Even at the beginning when [Daniel] first bought it, he said, ‘Listen, I think this could be a good match for you. Let me give it a go and see how it goes, but I know at the end of the day, you’re going to end up riding him.’ So, now it’s up to me!”
As Mark Bluman and Landon de Nyze navigated the first-round, Olaf Petersen Jr.-designed course, they looked every bit a veteran partnership. They joined seven other entries from the 42-horse starting field in punching their ticket to the jump-off.
The third pair to return, Callie Schott (USA) and Southern Arches LLC’s Garant (Warrant x Verdi TN) set the time to beat at 42.05 seconds, and four trips later, it was Mark Bluman’s turn.
“Knowing that Nina [Mallevaey] was behind me, I tried to give it a real go,” explained Mark Bluman. “I didn’t go full gas because I honestly don’t know the horse very well…The run to the last, I think that’s where I took advantage of being on a mega-careful horse. I just ran to the last vertical, and he just cleared it!”
The pair flew across the timers in 40.75 seconds to clinch the win. Schott and Garant held on to second place, and Laura Kraut and Kaylee (Carrera VDL x Numero Uno) , owned by Gian Battista Lutta, finished in third with a time of 45.14 seconds.
