Traverse City, MI – September 6, 2025—Final accolades were presented in the $100,000 USHJA Young Jumper Championship, presented by North Star, on Saturday as young horses were in the spotlight during opening week of the Traverse City Tournament of Champions at Flintfields Horse Park.
Leading off in the North Star 5-Year-Old Final, Taylor Flury of Columbia Falls, MT, won aboard HFF Cha-Ching Z. Jumping to the only clear round of the final, the Chacco Blue son owned by Aliboo Farm topped the field without the need for a jump-off.
“My focus has always been on developing young horses—it’s getting more unaffordable to develop young horses and harder to find good ones, so I think it’s so important to have these classes,” said Flury, who was also second riding Thor Z with only three time faults. “I’m a big believer that you don’t force them into doing the job that you want, you make them want to do the job, and these horses are definitely better because of this championship.
“Bernardo did a great job setting the courses just tough enough and asked more questions of them,” said Flury of Bernardo Costa Cabral’s (POR) courses. “I love the format for the five year olds because they get to go three days with a day off, and they grow every day.”
Hayley Barnhill of Collierville, TN, and her own Timebreaker, a Belgian-bred gelding by Pommerol de Muze, topped the CWD 6-Year-Old Final. A head-to-head duel in a two-horse jump-off with Canada’s Chris Pratt left Barnhill on top by two seconds.
Timebreaker is a new mount for Barnhill, but a proven winner. “He’s so fast, has such a good character and he always wants to win,” said Barnhill, who also piloted homebred Denali Z in the 6-Year-Old Final. “I really enjoy doing the young horses; I have a few that I’ve bred now, and it’s really important how you develop and start a relationship with them from when they’re young. It’s great to come here with young horses and feel like you have something to show off .”
In the $15,000 North Star 7-Year-Old Final, Pratt had his own moment by winning aboard Scarlett, a Comme Il Faut sired mare owned by Take The High Road, LLC. He made his way to the winner’s circle by less than a second from a three-horse jump-off.
“She has everything that I look for in a horse,” said Pratt of Scarlett. “She can turn, she has quick foot speed, and she has a massive stride when you ask for it. She put all that together today.
“In places all over Europe, the young horses are really prominent,” he continued. “These types of championships help promote all of those young horses here [in North America]. To have a championship like this to aim for throughout the season makes all the difference because it makes it clear where you need to be with your young horses.”
The day culminated in the $20,000 8-Year-Old Final, won by Kady Abrahamson of Georgetown, KY, and her own Martini VDL, a Dutch-bred gelding sired by Zapatero VDL. Clear rounds were difficult to come by in the opening round, sending five four-faulters into the jump off. Martini VDL sealed the win with a clear jump-off just two tenths ahead of the runner up. Abrahamson was also third on Rhumba JW-van de Moerhoeve.
Martini VDL was sourced through the VDL auction in Wellington last year and was clear over the fences, but a tow in the water forced the four-fault jump-off. “He didn’ touch a rail all day; he deserved to win, so it was nice that everyone jumped off.
“I have a bunch of young horses now,” continued Abrahamson. “Last year, I decided to rebuild the string with some young ones and they all started off at seven. It has been eye-opening for me, but rewarding to take horses up the ranks.”
The $100,000 USHJA Young Jumper Championships, presented by North Star, welcomes equine athletes aged four to eight to a series of finals that celebrate North America’s up-and-coming talent at TCHS. More than 60 young horses were showcased throughout the week with finals for 4-, 5-, 6-, 7-, and 8-year-olds in the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring.
Special USHJA Awards
5-Year-Old Final Winning Groom: Sarah March
6-Year-Old Final Winning Groom: Marcos Martinez
7-Year-Old Final Winning Groom: Francisco Salazar
8-Year-Old Final Winning Groom: Annie Ricigliano
Best U.S. Bred 5-Year-Old: Papaya PCM, owned and ridden by Oliver Close and bred by Paige McWhinney
Best U.S. Bred 6-Year-Old: Bit O’Luck, ridden by Kelly Soleau-Millar and owned by Bridge Brook Farms
Best U.S. Bred 7-Year-Old: Valencia, ridden by Rachel Long, owned by Michael Kvistad and bred by Fall Creek Farm
For complete results from the $100,000 USHJA Young Jumper Championship, presented by North Star, click here. FEI competition—as part of the Silver Oak Jumper Tournament—returns on Sunday in the $117,000 Agero CSI3* Grand Prix.
Capping the day, the $5,000 1.25m Kevin Babington Benefit Classic, presented by Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, welcomed Kelli Cruciotti Vanderveen of Wellington, FL, to the winner’s circle aboard Shamonix SF, owned by Serenity Farm.
Funds generated from the Silver Oak Jumper Tournament support important charitable organizations through partnerships with Danny & Ron’s Rescue, Omega Horse Rescue & Rehabilitation Center, the Kevin Babington Foundation and the Davis McCullough Foundation.
Amateur and Junior Hunters Shine During Tournament of Champions WCHR Week
Amateur and junior riders took their turn to shine during Traverse City Horse Shows (TCHS) second World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Week of the 13-week season. Weekly championship titles were awarded in amateur, adult and junior hunter divisions on Saturday. Also highlighting hunter action, the week concludes with another edition of the $10,000 USHJA Open and $10,000 USHJA Junior/Amateur Hunter Derbies on Sunday in the Highstreet Arena.
TOC I Hunter Champions
Frank & Eileen Amateur-Owner Hunter
Champion: Hollin Sutherland & Rafferty
Reserve Champion: Owen Gajoch & Checkpoint
3’6” Junior Hunter
Champion: Alice Goodwin & Kapatero
Reserve Champion: Olivia Sweetnam & Kingweis WV
3’3″ Small Junior Hunter
Champion: Ella Endzweig & Contara
Reserve Champion: Sydney Mohrhardt & Lillooet
3’3” Large Junior Hunter
Champion: Ava Crolick & Tradewind
Reserve Champion: Maxwell Brown & Apache 286
Great Lakes Equestrian Realty Adult Amateur Hunter
Champion: Terri Irrer & Ittolo
Reserve Champion: Nicole Andrea Jeffries & Clooney
About Traverse City Horse Shows
Traverse City Horse Shows (TCHS) offers 13 weeks of top 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.
