Mark Bluman and Marilyn Nab the $100,000 1.45m FEI Grand Prix at Split Rock Sarasota CSI2*, Hosted by TerraNova Equestrian Center
Myakka City, Fla – Jan. 29, 2022– The $100,000 1.45m FEI Grand Prix, part of the first leg of the 2022 Split Rock Jumping Tour (SRJT), hosted at TerraNova Equestrian Center, treated spectators to electrifying show jumping with a nail-biting finish.
Olaf Petersen Jr. (GER) designed the 16-effort track. Out of 42 horse and rider combinations, 16 were clear and within the time allowed to progress to the short course. First to go in the jump-off round, the winners of Thursday's $37,000 1.45m Welcome CSI2* Jessica Mendoza (GBR) and Windsor Farms' Dublin (Cobra 18 x Calido 1) set a lightning-fast time to beat of 34.2 sec. The pair held on to the lead for 12 rounds until Alberto Michan (ISR) and Firewall, a black KWPN gelding (Lexicon x Bailey) owned by Eduardo Leon, put in a fault-free finish in 34.19. Last to go, Colombia's Mark Bluman and Marilyn, a bay mare of unknown breeding owned by Over the Top Stables LLC, pulled out all the stops and edged out Michan to win the class.
An exuberant Bluman fist-pumped his way down the rail celebrating his win. Though he's come close in the past, it was Bluman's first international grand prix win.
"[Going last] I had time to watch everyone go, and the only thing to do was go as fast as I could and turn tight, and hope that the rails stay in place and they did for me," he said. "I have been close multiple times and was really hoping to come here and get that under my belt," he said. "Marilyn is not very experienced, but we have big hopes for her for this year."
Bluman shared that his whole family has supported SRJT from the beginning. He said that the SRJT team always delivers great atmosphere, excellent footing and top-notch customer service.
About the TerraNova Equestrian Center, Bluman said, "I loved it. I'm impressed. We're very lucky that people are making an effort to get more beautiful venues and more options for riders to go to different places."
Split Rock Jumping Tour Sarasota International CSI2* will culminate on Sunday, Jan. 30, with the featured $20,000 1.35m National Prix. The remainder of the 2022 SRJT Tour will include a number of exciting stops, including new locations in Paso Robles, California and Portland, Oregon. To see the full schedule for the 2022 tour, visit our website here.
Click here for more information on the remainder of the 2022 Split Rock Jumping Tour, featuring several new and exciting stops.
For specific questions about SRJT please contact:
Show Manager: Derek Braun Derek@splitrockjumpingtour.com
Show Office/ Stabling: Kaitlin Farmer at Kaitlin@splitrockjumpingtour.com
Sponsorships: Sami McDermott at Sami@splitrockjumpingtour.com
Event Coordinator: Stephanie Rowney at Stephanie@splitrockjumpingtour.com
TerraNova Equestrian Center is Florida’s newest equestrian competition venue. Tucked into the picturesque countryside of Myakka City, in Manatee County, east of Bradenton and Sarasota, just 20 minutes from Interstate 75, TerraNova is a welcoming setting for all levels of equestrian competition. The team at TerraNova built a family-friendly facility designed to deliver an unparalleled experience for competitors and horses while keeping safety a priority. No detail was overlooked with six state-of-the-art arenas and a sprawling cross-country course designed by Olympic gold-medalist Capt. Mark Phillips and built by master craftsman Eric Bull.
TerraNova Equestrian Center is the vision of equestrians Hannah Herrig Ketelboeter, her husband Zach Ketelboeter and the Herrig family. The couple manages and trains at their private facility on the 225-acre site and have been leading top-notch organizing committees for The Event at TerraNova CC14*-S and the TerraNova Spring Hunter/Jumper Series March 16-April 3. Split Rock Jumping Tour selected TerraNova Equestrian Center as the kick-off destination of their 2022 season.
An amenity-rich real estate development is planned with multi-acre lots. The property has the feel of old Florida with giant Spanish-moss-covered oak tree hammocks, lush green grass lanes teeming with deer, the sounds of sandhill cranes and other native wildlife.
For more information about TerraNova Equestrian Center, click here.