San Juan Capistrano, Calif.—June 7

After Josephina Nor Lantzman and Chello Z laid down the new leading time in the jump-off for the $30,000 Blenheim Classic Grand Prix, Lantzman walked out of the ring and started cheering on the next competitor.

“I was screaming ‘Go Susie [Hutchison]’ ” said Lantzman. “Everyone around me thought I was crazy!” 

But Lantzman’s sportsmanship didn’t change the end result. In the race to catch the zippy grey, Hutchison and Ziedento ticked two rails to finish overall fifth, and Lantzman took the top check back to Del Mar, Calif. Keri Potter’s blazing jump-off round on Paloma came closest to catching Lantzman, but that pair settled for second. Eduardo Sanchez Navarro rebounded from Friday’s $25,000 Markel Insurance Grand Prix, where he and Pacifico parted company in the jump-off, to finish third.

Six riders of the 18 found a clear way around Olaf Petersen Jr.’s first round track during the feature class of the Blenheim June Classic I, set on the grass grand prix field at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park.  

“I love Olaf Peterson Jr.’s courses,” said Lantzman, Del Mar, Calif. “He does a wonderful job and we’ve actually won many of his classes. I thought the courses were technical but had nice space between so you could run. I loved it. I’m pleased to have him here.

“My plan in the jump-off was to start fast and keep going,” she continued. “In the past in a couple classes I’ve gone for it and had 4 faults in the jump-off, but in this one I didn’t want that—I wanted double clean. We went for it and got lucky.”

Lantzman’s biggest cheerleader, her father and trainer Fabio Nor, rode every fence from the sidelines, and told her to slow down to the last, but Lantzman didn’t listen.

“I could hear my dad saying ‘Whoa! Whoa!’ but I kept going,” she said. “I heard it but I was like ‘Eh, I’m fine,” and it worked out.”

That’s in no small part because she knows her horse inside and out. Lantzman and Chello Z (Chellano Z—Daphnee de Frely Z, Alme Z) paired up a decade ago, and she’s brought him along from a green 5-year-old to a horse who wins FEI World Cup-qualifiers.

“We got to know each other so well, and he trusts me and I trust him,” she said. “It’s really nice. You go in there and know he’s going to jump everything.”

The victory in the grand prix marked Lantzman’s second blue of the day. That morning she rode a newer ride, Unlimited, to the top of the $10,000 Cardflex 1.45-meter Classic. That was their first win together at the 1.45-meter level, and they just paired up six months ago. 

“He’s really coming along,” she said.

Find full results at Horse Show Time.

Want more Blenheim? We’ve got a report from the $25,000 WCHR West Coast Hunter Spectacular, and photos from around the showgrounds and you can see more photos of open hunters here. We’ll have news and full analysis from the show in our June 29 Junior and Pony issue ofThe Chronicle of the Horse magazine.

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