July 27, 2025 
To Americans, it seems there isn’t much Aaron Vale hasn’t won—at age 57, he has 275+ Grand Prix victories on his record. But there’s one notable achievement that has eluded him…
Vale had never won a five-star grand prix. Until Dinard.
Carissimo 25 is changing the scope of Vale’s career, propelling him to new heights, both literally and figuratively. It’s a horse he’s always felt was a winner, and on a perfect day along the northern French coastline, they got their career best win.
The pair were the last to go in a star-studded, eight-horse jump-off, and Vale used the horse’s natural athleticism and massive stride to their advantage.
“You never know until the last round,” Vale said. “I watched Nina [Mallavaey]; she’s fast and wins everything. Then Harrie [Smolders] took the lead, but I felt I had a shot. I just had to stay clear and go full throttle. And it worked.”
Full throttle earned them the win by almost two seconds. Stopping the clock in 38.77 seconds, they beat out Smolders, who took second with Mr. Tac (40.51), and Mallevaey, who was third with Dynastie de Beaufour (40.64).
Carissimo, who dons the nickname “Ducky” because of his owner’s collection of rubber ducks, was well prepared for the occasion in Dinard. The seasoned pair competed at Aachen at the beginning of the month and picked up right where they left off.
“I competed in America on footing very similar to Dinard’s, which helped a lot,” Vale explained. “I hadn’t shown him for a few weeks, but our groom did an incredible job keeping him in top shape.”
The now 12-year-old Holsteiner (Cascadello x Clinton) appears to grow more careful at speed. At 1.60m, his clear rate in jump-offs is 75%. At 1.50-1.55m, that number grows to 80%. And the horse is still relatively slim on experience at those heights.
Now, Vale is focusing on speed and consistency, both of which are improving every time they step out.
“He’s a very good horse,” Vale continued about his winning partner. “We’ve been expecting a win for a while, and today was the day. It’s just fantastic. We’ve often finished second or had an unlucky rail despite a great round. I’m absolutely thrilled with this result.”
Having their last two wins in settings with incredible atmosphere, both Vale and Carissimo feed off the crowd. Their last major grand prix victory was at the Devon Horse Show, an event renown for its crowds and intimate feeling.
“This place is magic,” he said of Dinard, which has quite a different feel from Devon, though just as energetic. “The atmosphere, the people, the setting – it’s just unreal. It feels like a stadium built for horses and show jumping. The way the crowd gets involved, it gives you adrenaline before you even ride.”
