Thermal, Calif. – Camilo Rueda and Chocoprince of Picobello Z claimed the win in the $75,000 C3RV Grand Prix by just one-tenth of a second on Saturday night, March 21, at Desert International Horse Park.
As one of the featured events of Desert Spring Fling 1, the class drew 39 entries to contest a Chris Jones-designed track under the lights of the Grand Prix Stadium. Of those 39 horses, five advanced to the jump-off round, where the time to beat got increasingly faster.
Camilo Rueda and Chocoprince of Picobello Z. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
When Rueda and Chocoprince of Picobello Z returned to the ring, Ali Ramsay and Domina VH Scheefkasteel Z had just taken over the lead with a time of 37.556 seconds. Rueda, however, had a good sense of what he needed to do to get the win.
“In the beginning, I wasn’t planning to turn inside to the last one, but I saw that the previous riders did it,” said Rueda. “My plan actually was trying to do a leave out for the last line and just going around so I could be a little bit quicker, but I thought if everyone was doing [the inside turn], I had to take a shot! It paid off. I didn’t end up needing the leave out for the last line, so it was a little bit the luck of being the second to last [rider to jump].”
Camilo Rueda and Chocoprince of Picobello Z were presented as the winners of the $75,000 C3RV Grand Prix. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
With the same inside turn taken as Ramsay, Rueda shaved off just enough time – 0.104 seconds – to ultimately take the win with a time of 37.452 seconds. Ramsay and Domina VH Scheefkasteel Z, owned by Windermere Stables LTD, maintained second place, and Kassidy Keith and her own Havana took home third on 38.939 seconds.
“Over the fences, he’s just a solid, brave horse,” said Rueda of the 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding, owned by Picobello Horses. “Today, I was really happy with it being his first time under the lights. He showed me that he’s ready for this type of class, so I was pretty happy. I’m really happy to have such a strong team behind me that makes this possible.”
Ali Ramsay and Domina VH Scheefkasteel Z finished in second place. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
Rueda acquired Chocoprince of Picobello Z in the summer of 2025, and lately, he has been focused largely on rideability with the gelding.
“[When I first got him], I feel that I did a couple of big things with him without knowing him that well,” said Rueda. “I think I was a little bit too hard with him. When I figured him out, I decided to put him in a little bit just the smaller classes, and for sure it’s paying off. He’s a really big, tall horse. He has such a big stride. I just need to create a little bit better connection between my leg and the hand. Sometimes, I still feel that I lose him in the turns, so I’ve been like really working on his rideability.”
Third place went to Kassidy Keith and Havana. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
Rueda will next point Chocoprince of Picobello Z at Desert Spring Fling 2’s $75,000 Platinum Performance Grand Prix. The all-new Desert Spring Fling horse shows offer two back-to-back weeks of National Hunter and Level 5 Jumper competition, continuing through March 29. To learn more and to view a complete schedule of class offerings, click here.
For all results from the $75,000 C3RV Grand Prix, click here.