Richard Spooner Goes One-Two in the $150,000 UF Health Grand Prix CSI3*
The $150,000 UF Health Grand Prix CSI3* highlighted another exciting week of FEI competition during the 2026 Summer Series at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC), bringing together 26 horse-and-rider combinations from nine nations. By the end of the evening, the leaderboard belonged to Richard Spooner (USA), who claimed both first and second place aboard Show Jumping Syndications Int’l’s Lyjanair (Lyjanero x Coriano) and Serenity Spring Farm’s Belle Esprit.
American FEI Level IV course designer Anthony D’Ambrosio laid the 1.50m track on Saturday night. Ultimately, eight combinations managed to keep all the rails in their cups and stay within the time allowed to qualify for the jump-off.
Venezuela’s Luis Larrazabal was the first to tackle the short course and immediately set the standard, guiding Marie Bourdin’s 11-year-old Selle Français mare Feeling Change (Cornet Obolensky x Diamant de Semilly) to a blistering clear round in 45.94 seconds.
Sharn Wordley (NZL) followed with a fault-free effort aboard Brin D’or de Haute Melen Z but finished a few seconds off the pace. Aaron Vale (USA) appeared poised to take over the lead after stopping the clock in 45.80 seconds aboard Helios du Moulin, but a heartbreaking rail at the final fence kept them from the top of the leaderboard.
Spooner was the only rider to qualify two horses for the jump-off and returned first aboard the promising 10-year-old Zangersheide mare Belle Esprit (Cicero Z van Paemel x Baloubet du Rouet). After watching Larrazabal’s blazing pace, Spooner wasn’t convinced the younger mare could catch him.
“I watched Luis, and he was amazing,” he said. “Belle Esprit is younger and greener than Lyjanair, and I didn’t think I could actually catch him, but she was dialed in.”
Belle Esprit answered the call, attacking the short course with a forward gallop to stop the clock in 45.63 seconds to move into the lead.
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Richard Spooner Goes One-Two in the $150,000 UF Health Grand Prix CSI3* | World Equestrian Center
