Germany’s Andre Thieme Masters $350,000 J.P. Morgan Grand Prix CSIO5*-LLN at Longines League of Nations™ Ocala
Germany’s Andre Thieme riding Paule S emerged victorious in the $350,000 J.P. Morgan Grand Prix CSIO5*-LLN held on Thursday evening, March 19, as part of the Longines League of Nations Ocala™ at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC) in Ocala, FL.
It was a nail-biter all the way to the finish as seven horse-and-rider combinations jumped their way into the all-deciding jump-off from an original starting field of 38 entries. Course designer Alan Wade (IRL) made full use of the WEC Grand Arena with a beautifully decorated track that tested bravery and accuracy under the lights.
Christian Kukuk of Germany won the $350,000 Grand Prix CSIO5*-LLN last year and had every intention of repeating his winning ways. The reigning Olympic champion opened the jump-off with a clear round in a time of 42.14 seconds riding Fantasia de WY, an 11-year-old Selle Français mare (Armitages Boy x Landsturm) owned by Francisco Pasquel, to lay down the gauntlet for those who followed. It was his fellow countryman Andre Thieme who picked it up, producing a classy clear in a time of 41.85 seconds riding Paule S. No one was able to better Thieme’s performance, giving Germany a one-two finish at the top of the leaderboard during a week where national pride is on the line.
France’s Nina Mallevaey, 26, rounded out the podium with Nikka vd Bisschop, a 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Emerald x Nabab de Reve) owned by Tara Dow-Rein and Rein Family LLC. The pair stopped the clock in 42.49 seconds to take third place, exactly as they had done one year earlier.
“I really wanted to win,” said Thieme, who has been spending his winters in Ocala for the past 26 years. “When I saw Christian, I knew this was going to be very hard. I was placed in every single grand prix here this year, and every single time, I didn’t take enough risk in the jump-offs. I thought okay, this is the last one in Ocala, so I took that risk, and it worked.”
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