Aaron Vale & Carlo Top HITS Ocala $2.5k Brook Ledge Welcome

Ocala, FL (March 5, 2016): Williston’s own Aaron Vale, riding Carlo, owned by Amatoville Enterprises, topped the leaderboard in Wednesday’s $2,500 Brook Ledge Open Welcome with a double clear round in a blazing-fast 33.220 seconds. Course designer Bernardo Cabral from Lisbon, Portugal, challenged the thirty-three competitors with a technical course set at 1.40 meters.

Aaron Vale and Carlo on their way to a $2,500 Brook Ledge Open Welcome win. Photo: ESI Photography

Only six were able to jump clean in the first round to advance to the jump-off. A broken line from the mid-course vertical to back to back oxers in the combination at 10A-B, proved difficult for many and caused the majority of rails in the first round. The six that mastered the first-round all proved their skill when all jumped double-clear to contend for the victory.

First to jump clean was Allen Nabors of Ocala, Florida, riding Caesar 322 owned by Christi Israel. They galloped the first line in six strides, did a tight rollback to the tall vertical and made to the inside turn to the combination, crossing the timers in 35.184, which held the lead through most of the class.

“He’s an amazing horse,” said Nabors. “He is just so scopey and jumps so hard, it takes all the leg I have just to hang on to him. I’d really like to thank the Israels for letting me ride him.”

Immediately following Nabors was Cara Raether Carey of North Palm Beach, Florida, aboard Cedric, owned by Trelawny Farm. The bay jumped double clear in 36.647 to slip in behind Nabors.

Nine trips passed before another pair advanced to the jump off, until Lincoln Russell of Columbus, North Carolina, jumped clear on Unex Timo IV, owned by Thinkslikeahorse of Williston, Florida. He clocked in at 37.446 for sixth-place.

Sulu Rose Reed from Mechanicsville, Virginia, riding Denali for Paula Pell, piloted the big chestnut to a double clear in 37.251 for fifth. Nabors anxiously watched from the sidelines, still holding the Great American Time to Beat.

Going twenty-sixth in the order, David Beisel of Goshen, Ohio, jumped a double clear on Call me Hannes, owned by the Harlow Investment Enterprises. The big grey covered so much ground with every stride and stopped the clock in 34.448 to steal the lead from Nabors.

After several top-five finishes in the Brookledge open this circuit, Vale and the 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding, Carlo, would not be denied the blue today. They made all the inside turns and kept up the pace throughout, whipping through the timers in 33.220 for the win, which dropped Beisel to second and Nabors to third.