August 19, 2022 
In 2021, A.I.M United’s Daniel Bluman came to Ontario’s Angelstone Events for the first time in a decade and started the week off with a memorable win.
Chasing the leading time of Lucky Charms Shane Sweetnam in the first 1.50m 5* class of the week, he and the ever speedy Cachemire de Braize crossed the timers in exactly the same time—40.98 seconds—to tie for the win.
This despite losing his reins to the oxer.
Here’s that moment:
This year, Bluman is back at MLSJ Toronto with a new team in Trailblazers and different horses in Gemma and Ireland.
But the week has started off much the same way.
In a seven-horse jump off that saw Team Lugano’s Kent Farrington set the time to beat in a blistering 34.32 aboard Creedance, Bluman chased the winner’s time again—and rode away with a win. Again.
“I was lucky tonight to go after Kent,” said Bluman, who stopped the clock tenths of a second faster in 34.06 seconds.
“Kent with Creedance are one of the fastest combinations in the world. I think he rode a beautiful jump off. I actually came early to be able to watch him, and I knew I had to take some risks. You know, Gemma is quite a fast horse herself. But Creedance is a faster moving horse.”
Bluman’s strategy: trust his longtime partner to leave out strides and leave the jumps up.
“Gemma and I have been together for a very long time, so we know each other,” he continued.
“[This] jump off was a good one for her. It allowed me to leave strides off the left turn and then there was couple of lines where I could do one less to the combination and to the last.
“I wasn’t quite sure when I landed if I was faster or not, because with Kent it’s impossible to know, especially with that horse. But I was and it played out my way. So I’m thrilled about the win. You know, it feels good to start the week like this.”
Bluman is now hoping to end it the same way as in 2021. He won the Grand Prix at MLSJ Toronto last year with the expressive stallion Ubiluc.
Related reading: Ubiluc Keeps Daniel Bluman on his Toes
Tune in Saturday at 8:30pm ET to see if he can reclaim his title.
