Traverse City, MI – July 11, 2025—Canadian Olympian Erynn Ballard topped an all-female podium riding Kandide Chavannaise in Friday’s $32,000 MacAllister CIS3* Welcome Stake during the second week of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF), presented by B&D Builders.
The 11th season of GLEF features six weeks of FEI competition running through August 10, showcasing an FEI Nations Cup CSIO3*, the FEI North American Youth Championships and the return of Major League Show Jumping CSI5* competition to Traverse City. Highlights also include the $100,000 USHJA World Championship Hunter Rider Central Spectacular and weekly qualifiers for the all-new $150,000 Traverse City Equitation Championships debuting in September.
With an unbeatable jump-off time, Ballard and her 9-year-old Anglo-European mare (Cicero Z Van Paemel x Graf Sponeck) owned by Ilan Ferder, bested the seven who qualified for course designer Meghan Rawlins’ (CAN) tie-breaker.
Kandide Chavannaise broke the final timers in 34.25 seconds, ahead of 16-year-old Olivia Sweetnam (USA) riding Epic, owned by Sweet Oak Farm (35.39 seconds). Margie Goldstein-Engle rounded out the podium with Jackofhearts in 38.23 seconds for third.
The mare is a new one for Ballard, after being formerly produced by Switzerland’s Janika Sprunger. “I actually watched her develop with Janika as an eight-year-old and it was love at first sight when she came my way,” said Ballard. “She’s a strong personality, but she’s a fighter.
“This is our first big win, and she is such a competitive horse,” continued Ballard. “When it’s your time, it’s your time and I was going so fast today. But, a fast horse has to be fast in between the jumps and in the air. My horse for sure had the advantage today.”
Ballard missed GLEF last year as she was competing for Canada at the Olympic Games in Paris. Coming off an appearance at CHIO Aachen last week, she is pleased to be back, saying, “I have the right horses and I’m certainly glad to be here.”
Sweetnam followed Ballard in the ring and the Olympian admitted that she actually drew some inspiration from the next generation. “She gave me a pretty good run and it’s fun to see kids that you watch do ponies now competing alongside you,” she said. “I know it’s a challenge and an inspiration just like if Laura Kraut goes ahead of me in a jump-off; I want to be as good as her or better. If she beats me next time, I’ll be happy for her as well.”
International competition comes to a peak on Sunday at Flintfields Horse Park with the $117,000 Southern Arches CSI3* Grand Prix. Complete results from the $32,000 MacAllister CIS3* Welcome Stake can be found here.
Action in the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring wrapped up on Friday with the $10,000 World Wide Technology Non Pro Team Jumper Challenge. Seven teams took to the stage, but one rose above the rest. Team Seal Team Six stood atop the podium after conquering both rounds, and a tie-breaking jump-off on zero faults. In the jump-off for gold, Anika Spaeth, of Aiken, SC, and her own Tic Tac de la Pomme Z beat out three other riders, securing gold for Seal Team Six with a winning time of 34.016 seconds.
Spaeth stood atop the podium with fellow team members Harley Hott, Sydney Chmel, and Brooklyn Webb.
For full results of the $10,000 World Wide Technology Non Pro Team Jumper Challenge, click here.
Nick Haness and Hollin Sutherland Take Home WCHR Week Derby Wins
It was derby day on Friday in the Highstreet Arena during World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Week at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF), presented by B&D Builders. Nick Haness of Temecula, CA, topped the $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby, presented by The Gajoch Family, riding Et Cetera, while Hollin Sutherland of Gross Pointe Farms, MI, claimed the $10,000 USHJA Jr/Am National Hunter Derby, presented by Makoto Farms, Hunter Edge & Zoology Foundation, aboard Rafferty.
WCHR week during GLEF II features top competition for hunters, highlighted by the $100,000 WCHR Central Hunter Spectacular on Saturday evening.
Et Cetera, owned by Laura Karte’s Glade Run Farm, carried Haness to a 91 in the opening classic round and high score of the handy with a 94.
“Today was his first derby,” admitted Haness, who piloted the seven-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Untouchable to a win in the Platinum Performance/USHJA 3’ & 3’3” Green Hunter Incentive Regional Championship earlier this season at Traverse City Horse Shows. “We thought this week we would give it a try in the derbies and test the waters with something new and interesting to see what we could get, and we got a great result.”
A single point off the lead, Caroline McLeese of Omaha, NE, took second aboard Shades Of Grey for owner Jennifer Rosen’s Fairway Ranch, with a pair of 92s. Rachael Herkowitz of Bloomfield Hills, MI, finished third on her own Harmony with scores of 94 and 88.
Haness noted that Friday’s derby was the week’s goal for Et Cetera, saying, “We conserved him and didn’t show in a division this week. He did the Incentive as a warm-up yesterday and won that. This is a great hunter show and we are really busy here, so I learned my course two seconds before we went in, but the horse was great.
“Things are heating—both weather and the competition,” joked Haness as he sets his sights on Saturday’s WCHR Central Hunter Spectacular.
In addition to the win, Et Cetera was also named Platinum Performance Hunter Horse of the Week for GLEF II.
For full results from the $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby, presented by The Gajoch Family, click here.
From a competitive field of 42 entries in the $10,000 USHJA Jr/Am National Hunter Derby, presented by Makoto Farms, Hunter Edge & Zoology Foundation, Hollin Sutherland topped the list by a slim margin aboard her own Rafferty. They coupled scores of 91 and 91.5 in the classic and handy round, respectively.
A half a point behind Sutherland, Grace Loughlin of Spartanburg, SC, settled for runner-up riding Briljant Z. They boasted the handy high score of 92. Natalie Jayne of Elgin, IL, scored an 88.5 in the classic round and a 90 in the handy to finish third with Starstruck for owner Ashleen Lee.
Sutherland has had the ride on Rafferty for four years, and the partnership was seamless from the start. “He’s been perfect since the day we got him,” said the 21-year-old amateur rider, who was competing in the children’s hunters when she took over the reins. She has since moved up to the 3’3” amateur-owner division with the same horse. “We got him when he was just turning seven and he has never put a foot wrong. He’s been the best horse and I’m so lucky to have him.”
When asked what makes the 11-year-old Dutch-bred gelding by Dallas VDL special, Sutherland responded, “He gets impressed by the jumps, but not spooky; I trust him to go out there and jump around anything, which I think helped us today in the handy. He always tries over every jump no matter what—even the trot jump.”
Sutherland is a Michigan native training with Tiffany Morrissey at East Wind Farm and spends her summers at Travers City Horse Shows.
Herkowitz and Harmony currently maintain their lead in the $5,000 Leading Amateur Hunter Bonus standings, while Anna Tyler and Your Welcome BC remain at the top of the $5,000 Leading Junior Hunter leaderboard. Both bonus awards are sponsored by Makoto Farm, Hunter’s Edge, and the Zoology Foundation. The winners will be determined during GLEF IV.
For full results from the $10,000 USHJA Jr/Am National Hunter Derby, presented by Makoto Farms, Hunter Edge & Zoology Foundation, click here.
Friday derby action continued in the Vankampen Ring with the $2,500 2’6” Traverse City Non-Pro Derby, presented by Fairway Farms, and the $1,500 USHJA Pony Hunter Derby, presented by Memorial Park Hunters.
Taking the win in the non-pro derby was Lauren Bialy of Davie, FL, and her own Billboard. The pair took the top call after earning a classic round score of 85 and a handy score of 84. The pony derby blue belonged to Darby Mullally of Kalamazoo, MI, and Speaking Terms, owned by Judgement Farms LLC. Mullally took the win after earning a classic round score of 84 and a handy score of 87.
For full results of the $2,500 2’6” Traverse City Non-Pro Derby, presented by Fairway Farms, and the $1,500 USHJA Pony Hunter Derby, presented by Memorial Park Hunters, click here.
Weekly Equitation action picked up in the Highstreet Arena on Friday afternoon with both the Traverse City Horse Shows 3’3” & 3’6” Equitation Qualifiers, presented by Dana Hall School. Holding weekly qualifications, riders are taking aim at the $100,000 Dudley and Barb Smith 3’6” Equitation Championship and the $50,000 Cherry Capital 3’3” Equitation Championship, taking place during week two of the Traverse City Tournament of Champions this fall.
Taking the win at the 3’3” height was Alice Goodwin of Richmond, VA, and her own August. Following in the 3’6” division, the blue was earned by Olivia Sweetnam of Wellington, FL, and Seven Miles, owned by Sweet Oak Farm.
About Traverse City Horse Shows
Traverse City Horse Shows (TCHS) offers 13 weeks of top equestrian competition each summer at Flintfields Horse Park in Williamsburg, Michigan—just 15 minutes from downtown Traverse City. The venue blends world-class sport with the natural beauty of Northern Michigan and features 12 weeks of FEI-ranked events, including three five-stars and an FEI Nations Cup CSIO3*.
The season culminates in the three-week Tournament of Champions, highlighted by the $340,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ CSI5*-W—Traverse City and $340,000 American Gold Cup CSI5*. New this year, the $100,000 Dudley and Barb Smith 3’6” Equitation Championship and $50,000 Cherry Capital 3’3” Equitation Championship deliver big prize money and prestige to the equitation ranks.
For more information on the season, visit TraverseCityHorseShows.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates.
