Daniel Bluman and his 2012 Olympic partner Sancha LS compete at the 2018 Winter Equestrian Festival.
Daniel Bluman’s Horsemanship Skills Lead To International Victories
Story and Photos by Betsy LaBelle
With six horses currently competing at the Grand Prix level in show jumping, Daniel Bluman has slowly and steadily worked his way to the top through great horsemanship and care. Already in 2018, Bluman, 28, accomplished two huge CSI Grand Prix triumphs and one national Grand Prix in Wellington on three different horses all within two weeks. In February, Bluman first captured the $205,000 NetJets CSI4* Grand Prix aboard his Olympic partner Sancha LS, and a week later, he won the $384,000 Fidelity Investments CSI5* Grand Prix riding Landriano Z, owned by Over the Top Stables LLC. That same week, he 44
april 2018 | wellington the magazine
also topped a national show. The two-time Olympian for his native Colombia holds dual citizenship with Israel and recently switched flags in his efforts to qualify an Israeli show jumping team for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. But first, he hopes to represent Israel aboard Landriano Z at the FEI World Equestrian Games this September in Tryon, N.C. Thrilled to be standing at the top of the winner’s podium, Bluman’s hard
work and dedication are paying off this winter. “When I’ve won a Grand Prix, there’s always a cool story behind getting there. My first Grand Prix was followed by two more weeks of wins,” he said. “I can tell you that this is the first time in my life that has happened.” Born in Medellin, Colombia, Bluman showed a passion for horses early on. His parents were not riders, although his cousins, Ilan and Marky Bluman, introduced him to riding and fueled his passion for the sport. His family later moved to South Florida, within an hour’s drive of Wellington. “I started working with horses at a