Traverse City, MI – July 26, 2025—Callie Schott (USA) returned to international competition in winning fashion with Garant on Saturday in the $117,000 CSIO3* Grand Prix during Nations Cup week at Traverse City Horse Shows’ 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.
Schott was sidelined for nearly seven months after an injury and subsequent shoulder surgery kept her from riding. Nations Cup week in Traverse City—the site of her and Garant’s first five-star grand prix victory in 2022—marked her return to international competition.
“This is great for our whole team because we’ve come off quite a break,” said Schott. “Garant loves it here—I think he feels at home—and this is our first FEI grand prix since December. It was great for the morale of the whole team to have this win.”
From a starting field of 42, six advanced to the jump-off over courses designed by Nick Granat (USA). Posting the first clear round over the short course in 36.45 seconds, Schott and the 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Warrant X Verdi TN) owned by Southern Arches set the standard.
Finishing second, Irish Olympian Darragh Kenny and no. 17 in the world was the only other clear contender in 37.67 aboard 15-year-old Amsterdam 27 owned by Vlock Show Stables. The fastest four-fault round in 37.28 seconds was posted by Canadian Olympian Erynn Ballard riding Fave d’Authuit to a time of 37.28 seconds.
“Being in there with people like Darragh and Erynn—they’re so competitive and fast—it was an honor to be able to ride against them and be faster for once,” continued Schott. “I ride the best when I’m having fun, and John [Madden] told me to go out there, have fun and try to enjoy it.”
Garant, a horse that was produced by Dutch rider Willam Greve to win the five-year-old Young Horse World Championship in Lanaken (BEL) in 2016, was also previously piloted by Schott’s trainer and two-time U.S. Olympic team gold medalist Beezie Madden.
“I’ve had Garant for quite a while and it’s been a wonderful partnership; we have really grown together,” said Schott. “He’s been my first horse to compete at this level, and he’s taught me a lot.”
When asked about how Granat’s jump-off played to her mount’s strengths, Schott said, “Garant is an amazing double-vertical jumper, so I went as fast as I could across the middle and hoped it would show up. I probably could have done one less to the last, but I was confident I had been fast enough already.”
In addition to the grand prix win, Schott also pocketed the Turnham Green Leading Lady Rider Award title for GLEF four.
Highstreet Community Foundation has partnered with Traverse City Horse Shows on a “Clear for the Cause” initiative to show how much they care. Each time a rider cleared both the Highstreet and Traverse City Horse Shows fences in Saturday’s competition, Highstreet Community Foundation pledged $50 to local causes, including Brickways—which assists individuals with disabilities to lead independent lives—and Child and Family Services of Northwestern Michigan. At the conclusion of the grand prix, $850 was donated.
Complete results from the $117,000 CSIO3* Grand Prix can be found here.
Earlier in the day in the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring, Elina Liebert, Peyton Meidl, Reagan Mientka and Avery Reid won the $10,000 World Wide Technology Non-Pro Team Jumper Challenge under the banner of Team Honegger.
Coming up during the fifth week of GLEF, the future stars of horse sport call Flintfields Horse Park home for the FEI North American Youth Championship for dressage and jumping, running through August 3.
Natalie Jayne and Anna Taylor Cash in During GLEF
Leading rider bonuses were paid out in the amateur and junior hunter ranks on Friday of GLEF four, with $5,000 being presented to winning horse and rider combinations, generously sponsored by Makoto Farms, Hunter Edge & Zoology Foundation.
Qualifying took place in weekly national hunter derby offerings throughout the Traverse City Spring Series, presented by Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel, as well as the first four weeks of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, presented by B&D Builders.
After eight weeks of qualifying, Natalie Jayne and Starstruck went out with a bang by winning the final USHJA Junior/Amateur Hunter Derby on Friday and securing the $5,000 Amateur Bonus. For the juniors, the $5,000 Bonus was presented to Anna Taylor and Your Welcome BC after they won two hunter derbies throughout the Spring Series and GLEF.
Travers City Horse Shows congratulates these leading hunter riders and thanks Makoto Farms, Hunter Edge & Zoology Foundation for their support.
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.
