Brian Moggre and MTM Vivre Le Reve Make the Dream a Reality in the $200,000 Florida Coast Equipment Grand Prix CSI4*
Another night of top sport unfolded under the lights of the WEC Grand Arena, where the $200,000 Florida Coast Equipment Grand Prix took center stage. A packed crowd created an electric atmosphere as some of the world’s fastest riders went head-to-head in a thrilling jump-off. In the end, it was 24-year-old Brian Moggre (USA) who piloted his longtime partner, MTM Vivre Le Reve (Ustinov x Chello II), to the top of the leaderboard after a nail-biting finish.
Course designer Colm Quinn (IRL) set a challenging track for the 21-horse field, which featured riders from 10 different nations. Seven combinations navigated the course fault-free, earning a place in the jump-off.
Week VI Grand Prix winners Andre Thieme (GER) and Paule S were the first to return, setting a strong target in 36.61 seconds. Hot on his heels, Aaron Vale (USA) knew he had tough competition ahead. “When we were getting ready for the jump-off, I joked with my team, ‘Too bad there aren’t any fast riders in this class,’ and we all laughed because, obviously, that couldn’t have been further from the truth,” Vale expressed. He then delivered a blazing round aboard Gray’s Inn (Cannavaro x Oscar), stopping the clock at 36.39 seconds to take the lead.
However, his time at the top was short-lived. Moggre and his 16-year-old Westphalian gelding entered the ring ready for the challenge. “I knew he was game tonight. He was whinnying down the ramp as we were going in,” Moggre shared.
With the gelding’s massive stride, Moggre strategically shaped his turns to maintain pace without sacrificing efficiency. “Even in the leave-outs on the last two lines, I kept galloping because if I had to slow down, that’s where I’d lose time,” he explained. In a scorching 36.36 seconds—just three-hundredths of a second faster—Moggre secured the win.
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