A field of the world’s best athletes suited up this evening to tackle Peter Grant’s (CAN) intricate tracks in the $50,000 UF Veterinary Hospital Grand Prix Qualifier CSI3*. Eleven different nations were represented, but at the end of the night, it was Canada’s Angela Covert that flew past the competition aboard her own Hollywood De Rase Z (Hoegie Van’t Bergske x Triomphe De Muze).
An even twelve horse-and-rider combinations representing the United States, Spain, Ireland, Brazil and Canada successfully completed all of the questions asked in the first round to return for the jump-off.
The crowd was on the edge of their seats as the lead was swapped out numerous times. Second-to-last to go, Angela Covert was ready to put all of the cards on the table with Hollywood De Rase Z, “I knew if I was able to get the seven from one to two, I could stay on the time. If I had not had such a nice forward first jump, I maybe wouldn’t of kept pushing, but he’s one of those horses once you find that first distance, all of the rest keep coming.”
The pair found each fence on an open gallop while taking the tidiest track available to stop the timers in 43.54 seconds, a full second faster than second place.
Covert spoke about her partnership with the adorable 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding, “Hollywood De Rase Z is amazing. I love him so much. We call him Woody after the toy in Toy Story because he has a lot of personality and character. I got him when he was eight years old and he is just the best. He even has a ‘Woody’ doll that comes with him to every horse show. We hang it up in his stall, and sometimes it ends up in the water or feed bucket or thrown out of his stall completely. I always have a backup just in case he destroys it,” laughed Covert.
Covert believes that Hollywood De Rase Z thrives under the lights at World Equestrian Center – Ocala, “The first night class I did with him was back in 2021, and he has always been fantastic in that ring. I think horses go into that arena with the electric atmosphere and grow, at least in my experience. I think Woody thinks that everyone is here to watch him and cheer him on.”
Olympic Gold Medalist Will Simpson (USA) snagged the runner-up position aboard Chacco P (Chacco-blue x Elite), a 14-year-old Mecklenburg gelding owned by Will Simpson Stables Inc. Simpson and Chacco P were the last pair to attempt to snag the time and came up just one second shy in 44.94 seconds.
Kelli Cruciotti Vanderveen (USA) and Serenity Farm’s nine-year-old Zangersheide gelding Gideon (Super Trooper De Ness x Corland) rounded out the podium with a quick time of 45.41 seconds.
Final Results: $50,000 UF Veterinary Hospital Grand Prix Qualifier CSI3*
1 HOLLYWOOD DE RASE Z: 2012 Zangersheide gelding by Hoegie Van’t Bergske x Triomphe De Muze
Angela Covert (CAN), Angela Covert: 0/0/43.54
2 CHACCO P: 2009 Mecklenburg gelding by Chacco-blue x Elite
William Simpson (USA), William Simpson Stables Inc.: 0/0/44.94
3 GIDEON: 2014 Zangersheide gelding by Super Trooper De Ness x Corland
Kelli Cruciotti Vanderveen (USA), Serenity Farm: 0/0/45.41
4 IDALGO: 2013 Dutch Warmblood by Catoki x Quidam De Revel
Tom Foley (IRL), Sher Al Farm: 0/0/45.58
5 CROSSOVER 4: 2013 Hanoverian gelding by Cascadello x Chacco-blue
Chloe Reid (USA), Team Reid LLC: 0/0/45.78
Source: Press release
F©: Andrew Ryback Photography