Wellington, Fla. – March 21, 2026—Twelve weeks of Hermès 1.50m competition came to a peak on Saturday evening in the $150,000 Hermès CSI4* 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Final during the penultimate week of the 2026 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) at Wellington International. Daniel Bluman (ISR) and Mark Bluman (COL) went head-to-head in a second round, with the top 12 returning to decide the final placing and the season title.
Podium finishers in the $150,000 Hermès CSI4* 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Final: Daniel Bluman, Mark Bluman and Kent Farrington with Ray Vega. Photo ©Sportfot
Forty-three qualified entries moved forward to the Hermès Final during the WeatherTech-sponsored WEF 11 over courses designed by Andy Christiansen (USA). Mark sat handily in the lead of both the final and the season aboard 11-year-old Belgian-bred mare Phelina de Septon (Jenson Van’t Meulenhof x Landor S) until his cousin Daniel and seasoned 15-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare Gemma W returned to chase them down.
Danie Bluman & Gemma W. Photo ©Sportfot
“Every time that I get to go in the ring on Gemma, it means a lot to me,” said Daniel of the mare owned by Blue Star Investments together with Over The Top Stables that carried him to a top 20 finish at the 2023 World Cup Final in Omaha. “I saw Mark’s jump-off, and it was fast—I didn’t think I could beat them, but I wanted to for sure give it a try. At this point in Gemma’s career, she’s game, and I felt from the beginning that she was going for it.
“If I were standing where he’s standing, I would probably still be very happy,” continued Daniel. “We love for each other to win. He won the last two, and I get to take this one. It’s been a long time since I was that excited after finishing a round—it was so much fun.”
Mark is coming off a streak by winning the last two Hermès 1.50m Qualifiers during WEF 9 and 10, both on different horses. The consistency helped him to secure the season title with his runner-up placing, just one tenth of a second off the lead.
Mark Bluman & Phelina de Septon. Photo ©Sportfot
“I was able to compete every single week this season—it’s the first time in my career that I have had a group of horses like this,” said Mark of a season that has kept him at the top of the 1.50m rankings, and includes Phelina de Septon, a mare owned and previously piloted by Canada’s Mario Deslauriers. “When I have Daniel and Gemma coming behind me, I knew I was fast, but I also knew he could get me. I just tried to celebrate and get the crowd involved, trying to rattle him up and maybe catch a rail. The plan didn’t work out, but I am still very happy.”
For the overall Hermès 1.50m title, Mark was awarded a $10,000 Hermès store credit.
Hear From Mark
Complete results from the $150,000 Hermès CSI4* 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Final can be found HERE. Visit WellingtonInternational.com for results, schedules, and wall-to-wall streaming.
Greg Crolick Champion in USHJA International Derby Presented by Perfect Products
Greg Crolick of Clarkston, Mich., rode to victory on the grass derby field in Saturday’s $50,000 USHJA International Derby, sponsored by Perfect Products, during Week 11 of the 2026 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). Crolick and Chappy were in familiar territory after also winning the same event in 2025.
Greg Crolick & Chappy. Photo ©Sportfot
Ken Krome’s (USA) hunter derby course saw twenty-four rider combinations, with the top twelve returning to tackle a handy round. Crolick sat third with a 186 before the second round and added a second round score of 201 from the two panels of judges put him on top.
“I’m very excited—he’s a horse of a lifetime, so it’s nice to have him come out and perform,” stated Crolick of the gelding owned by Carole Chase. “Chappy’s always brave, and he wants to go to the jumps, but it’s hard to keep him excited and interested. In the first course, I was thinking, ‘How do I keep this energy up?’”
A partnership that has blossomed from the beginning, Crolick reminisced on the pair’s win in the WEF 11 derby, not only in 2025, but also in 2020. “I think he’s getting better with age,” said Crolick. “He knows what I’m thinking, I know he’s thinking, and he’s getting better and better.”
Greg Crolick & Chappy are presented as winners of the $50,000 USHJA International Derby, sponsored by Perfect Products. Photo ©Sportfot
Hot on the heels of Crolick was Victoria Colvin of Loxahatchee, Fla, taking second with a total score of 386 riding Golden Road for John and Stephanie Ingram. Third place honors went to Jennifer Hannan of Wakefield, R.I., and Cellestino, owned by Stephanie Bulger, on a final score of 385.5.
With the horse of a lifetime, Crolick hints at the idea of his daughter Ava Crolick one day taking over the reins of the 14-year-old Mecklenburg gelding. “It’s going to happen soon; he’s a lovely horse for me, and I love riding him, but we’ve been showing at a high level for a long time.
“I still want to keep him for the bigger derbies, because that’s his forte, but I think he will become even more famous having Ava riding him around and do better than me,” laughed Crolick. “It’s nice to watch what you’ve produced and created, and then see it go and also be a star in another ring with your child.”
Keeping the workload low between shows, Crolick hopes to have a successful season with derby finals on his mind at the end of the year.
For full results of the $50,000 USHJA International Derby, sponsored by Perfect Products, click HERE.
Charlotte Jacobs Comes Back with Rincoola Milsean in BrainWater Grand Prix
After sustaining an injury at Traverse City in 2024, Rincoola Milsean was back under the U.S. flag with Charlotte Jacobs in the tack to win the $62,500 BrainWater CSI2* Grand Prix during Week 11 of WEF in the International Arena.
Charlotte Jacobs & Rincoola Milsean. Photo ©Sportfot
Last to go, Jacobs stopped the clock at 38.3 seconds over Andy Christiansen’s (USA) jump-off course with the 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding besting the nine other pairs that made it to the jump-off from the original forty-five on the start list.
“He’s extremely tight and quick across the ground. I knew if I stuck to my plan and didn’t get too caught up in what everybody else did, I would have a good chance. I wasn’t 100% sure if I had it or not, but he’s extremely fast and today was my day,” Jacobs said of her track with the Aldatus Z x Cruising gelding.
Jacobs spoke of the well-loved gelding affectionately known as Roy, saying, “Every day, I thank my lucky star that he came into my life. He’s a special horse, incredibly competitive and has a huge personality. He has a heart of gold and a heart of a lion; he would jump anything you put in front of him.
Charlotte Jacobs & Rincoola Milsean are presented as winners of the $62,500 BrainWater CSI2* Grand Prix by BrainJuice CEO & CMO. Photo ©Sportfot
“I’m lucky he came back from his injury the way he did. I wasn’t really expecting this, and we’re still trying to get jumping fit, but every time I get to go in the ring with one of my favorite horses, it’s a bonus,” explained the 32-year-old North Star rider.
Earning a second-place finish was Germany’s Rupert Carl Winkelmann riding his own Imodo, a 12-year-old KWPN gelding by Bessemeind’s Quasimodo Z, with a time of 39.84 seconds. Rounding out the podium was Jacqueline Ruyle (USA) and her own H Cornetta Dk, an 8-year-old Selle Français mare by Windows VH Costersveld x Diamant De Semilly, stopping the clock at 40.73 seconds.
In addition to the win, Rincoola Milsean was also awarded the Champion Equine Insurance Jumper Style Award for WEF 11 by Laura Fetterman.
For full results of the $62,500 BrainWater CSI2* Grand Prix, click HERE.
For complete results from WEF 11, click HERE.
