Juan Jose Bancalari Elmudesi Rises to the Top in $24,999 Palm Beach Equine Clinic Grand Prix
Another exciting week of the Spring Series is officially in the books! Circuit award standings will be updated this evening in preparation to award our 2025 Spring Circuit Awards Champions next week. Week 5 concluded on a high note with the highlight class of the weekend, the $24,999 Palm Beach Equine Clinic Grand Prix, where Juan Jose Bancalari Elmudesi (DOM) delivered a standout performance aboard Cascais HC. As the final pair to take on the Hector Loyola (PRI) designed jump-off, Bancalari kept his composure and expertly piloted his mount to a fault-free finish, clinching the victory and wrapping up the week in style
Reflecting on his round, Bancalari shared, “Going last in the jump-off, I saw there was a chance to take out a stride after the combination. It had to be really quick—one to two —then adjust to seven, and then quick to vertical number five, and be quick through the combination. After that, I planned to leave one out to the oxer and just gallop out. I had good footspeed with her, so I felt I could take a few chances, and it worked out well.”
Finishing just fractions of a second behind the winning time, Bruno Diniz Das Neves (POR) and Gucci Musterd, owned by Laura Khorshid, secured the second-place spot with a time of 38.502 seconds. Close behind in third was seasoned Derby Field competitor Gabriel De Matos Machado (BRA), who delivered a smooth and speedy round aboard Lezaro, owned by Olympic gold medalist McLain Ward, crossing the timers in 38.606 seconds. With razor-thin margins separating the top contenders, the class delivered a thrilling conclusion to an action-packed week of show jumping.
Jumper competition got underway in exciting fashion Thursday morning with the $5,000 1.35m Open Stake, sponsored by Dever Golf Carts. Leading the pack was USA’s Abigail McArdle aboard Olympia Van Het Eikenhof, owned by Sweetwater Jumpers LLC, who delivered a blazing clear round in 39.479 seconds to take the win. Finishing just behind her to claim second was fellow American Andrew Welles and his own Dorchester, stopping the clock at 41.232 seconds. Rounding out the podium in third was Faith Schuttemeyer (USA) with Volo’s Diamond, who crossed the timers in 41.361 seconds. The class marked a competitive start to the week with tight times and strong performances across the board.
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Juan Jose Bancalari Elmudesi Rises to the Top in $24,999 Palm Beach Equine Clinic Grand Prix
