Only four combiantions managed to qualify for the Jump-Off in the 1.60m CSI5* Grand Prix at Wellington International. In the end it was Israel's Daniel Bluman securing the win aboard Ladriano Z .
All four combinations in the Jump-Off produced a clear round. In the end Daniel Bluman and his son of Lawito were about half a second faster than Ireland's Shane Sweetnam and the 10-year-old James Kann Cruz.
“It’s an amazing horse to have in the barn,” said Bluman of Ladriano Z. "It’s a really big horse, so being able to control his striding is really important, so you can put him in the best spot possible. He feels like I can do anything I want at the moment with his stride – keeping a good connection, a good canter, and that allows him to have a very good jump. He really feels the best that he’s felt since I’ve had him. Hopefully we can keep it up like that!”
On stage, USA's own, Karl Cook completed the top three with Lorenzo de Luca his former Belgian mare, Kalinka van 't Zorgvliet (Thunder vd Zuuthoeve).
Aboard Koen and Andres Vereecke (BEL) their former Igor Van de Wittemoere (Cooper vd Heffinck) it was Egypt's Nayel Nassar following in a fourth place while Eduardo Pereira De Menezes and Niels Nanning his former H5 Elvaro (Calvaro Z) completed the stage.