Aaron Vale's Rollercoaster Week, Millions at Stake, and More

Here’s a snapshot of the highlights we’ll cover from this week:

1. Aaron Vale’s consecutive, yet bittersweet victories in Wellington.

2. The UAE’s rapid ascent in the showjumping industry.

3. The first Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Major of 2023 is happening this weekend and 8 of the top 10 riders in the world will be vying for the title.

Also… we’ve got some trivia for you:

We’ll give you the answers later in the newsletter!

Aaron Vale and I Adermie R 4 Capture Their Second Consecutive Win in an Emotional Week

From a field of 24 horses, Aaron Vale won the $40,000 1.45m CSI3* Two Phase Special aboard the ten year old KWPN mare, I Adermie R 4.

Vale owed his unbeatable time to his talented mount successfully navigating a handful of daring moves.

“There was a hard inside turn from the Wheels Up jump to the fan vertical,” says Vale.

“It was hard to get inside smoothly, a lot of horses stopped or jumped a bit funny because it was a tough angle. I didn’t get there as smoothly as I wanted, but Adermie is quick footed enough that she kept it up.”

While Vale and Adermie won with a time of 31.94 seconds, Nicole Walker and her 10 year old KWPN mount, Excellent B, were hot on their heels with a time of 32.20 seconds. Santiago Lambre came in third with a time of 33.02 seconds.

A Bittersweet Week

Aaron Vale and Adermie also emerged victoriously in the $40,000 1.45m CSI3* Speed just two days earlier, but these victories were bittersweet.

Adermie’s owner, Lori Osterstock, lost her battle to cancer the morning of their first win on March 1st.

“It’s been an emotional day for everyone at the barn. While I was on course with I Adermie R 4 I got jumped loose through the last combination and I think Lori pushed me back on. She was my guardian angel and flew with us through that course today,” shared Vale.

The UAE is Packing For Paris

The UAE clinched one of just two available positions for the 2024 Olympic Games at a qualifying show in Doha earlier this week.

This is the first time the UAE has ever had an equestrian team qualify for the Olympic Games, though it’s probably not the last.

The UAE has recently invested heavily in the showjumping industry, led most notably HH shaikha Fatima Bint Hazza Al Nahyan, the owner of Al Shira’aa Stables.

Al Shira’aa began investing in show jumpers about eight years ago and have not only acquired some of the most talented jumpers from across the globe, but they also began hosting some of their own FEI approved shows six years ago.

The Dutch Masters is This Week… and it’s Gonna Be a Showdown

Be sure to pick up some popcorn at the store this week, because you’re gonna be glued to the Dutch Master this weekend.

The four day competition (March 9-12) will host the first Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Major of the year, and it has an impressive roster of riders.

Eight of the world’s current top 10-ranked riders and seven Rolex Testimonees will attend along with a host of other impressive riders.

Some of the noteworthy entries include:

• McLain Ward: The current Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Live Contender

• Daniel Deusser: Three-time Dutch Masters Grand Prix winner

• Gerrit Nieberg: Winner of the Rolex Grand Prix at CHIO Aachen

• Henrik von Eckermann: Current World #1 and previous winner of the Rolex Grand Prix held and The Dutch Masters

• Martin Fuchs: Current World #2

• Julien Epaillard: Current World #3

Millions At Stake

So how does the Rolex Grand Slam work? It’s pretty simple – if a rider wins three shows in a row, they’ll receive 1 million Euros in addition to the prize money from each show.

Alternatively, if you win two of the three shows consecutively, you’ll receive a bonus of 500,000 Euros.

Trivia Answer: What would McLain Ward do if he didn’t ride horses?

B. Build Luxury Houses

In an interview with Rolex Grand Slam, McLain Ward revealed, “I imagine that I would have ended up building high-end houses and developments. I have actually built a number of properties and I truly enjoy it.

I appreciate the challenge when building and renovating places; it allows me to be creative when I work with landscapes and designs. There are a lot of crossovers with show jumping, as in both you have to think creatively and forwardly.”

Superstition of the Week Answer:

Kevin Staut

He mentioned in an interview that he has two rituals before every class; he listens to music to concentrate and pats his horse five times on each side of its neck.

Thought of The Week – Why Karl Cook Doesn’t Set Long-Term Goals

Most people preach the importance of setting long-term goals. However, Karl Cook has a unique approach.

"I never do a five-year plan type of thing. I don't like setting long-term goals. I specifically don't do that. I feel like that puts an unnecessary marker in the road.

That marker can:

• A - make me feel like I'm falling behind unnecessarily, even if I'm not falling behind. And…

• B - it can also make me push the horses too hard.

I try to make the step that's in front of me. I think it's very important to be focused on what the next step is, not the point 20 steps from now." – Karl Cook

Farms We Love

If you have $3.98 million sitting around, check out this luxury property in Wellington FL.

This 5 acre farm has a six stall barn, outdoor ring, three bedroom house, and is just a short hack from the land bridge bridle path to the Wellington horse shows.