Traverse City, MI – July 14, 2025—Keri Potter (USA) won her second three-star of the week in Sunday’s $117,000 Southern Arches CSI3* Grand Prix during the second week of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, presented by B&D Builders. Potter returned to familiar territory to lead the victory gallop around the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring aboard Kalimera van de Nethe Z.
The 11th season of GLEF heads into its third of 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.
Potter and Kalimera van de Nethe Z opened the week with a win in the $32,000 CSI3* Two-Phase. On the same day that Kalimera van de Nethe Z’s owner—U.S. Olympic team silver medalist Karl Cook—won a five-star grand prix in Sweden, the 10-year-old Zangersheide kept a string of successes alive stateside.
Meghan Rawlins (CAN) set the courses for Sunday’s grand prix with seven combinations advancing to the jump-off. Potter—a Del Mar, CA, native—put her mare’s footspeed to good use, stopping the clock at 38.49 seconds. The closest challenger was Great Britain’s Samuel Hutton riding Etincelle d’Ellipse for owner Lauren Fischer. They crossed the final timers in 39.53 to settle as the runner-up. Canadian Olympian Erynn Ballard jumped onto the podium in third aboard Fave d’Authuit, owned by Ilan Ferder, in 40.36 seconds.
“This mare has come a long way this last year and this is the first time I’ve taken her out of California. I was nervous to try a new venue but she came here the first day, took a deep breath and said she felt at home,” said Potter about her first extended stay at Flintfields Horse Park in Traverse City. “It’s pretty easy to use her speed to your advantage because when you like gear five and that’s where she wants to stay, it’s easy to go fast.”
Potter’s partnership with Cook’s mare is still developing after getting the ride a year ago. “She’s the quickest, most careful, scopey horse I’ve ever ridden. Probably one of the most challenging as well; it’s taken a while to create this partnership but she and I now know each other so well now that we trust each other.”
Seasonal rain shows made an appearance in Traverse City this week, but Potter—and the facility—were unfazed. “I have never seen a facility that recovers from rain like this one,” she said. “This place really caters to the horses, but it’s not just a horse show. It’s a facility that cares about the animals; the horses can actually go out and not feel like they’re always competing, which gets them in a better head space.”
Sunday’s victory also earned Potter the Turnham Green Leading Lady Rider title for GLEF II.
International competition returns to the Turtle Creek Hotel & Casino International Ring with another three-star beginning on July 16.
Complete results from the $117,000 Southern Arches CSI3* Grand Prix can be found here.
Martha Ingram Tops Luxe EQ 3’3″ Amateur-Owner Hunter 18-35 Division
Martha Ingram of Nashville, TN, rode Private Practice to a champion tricolor in the Luxe EQ 3’3″ Amateur-Owner Hunter 18-35 division to highlight Sunday action in the Highstreet Arena at Flintfields Horse Park on closing day of week two at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, presented by B&D Builders. The champion honor came during the first of two World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) weeks at Flintfields Horse Park this season.
Private Practice—a 15-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Lordanos—opened the division on Saturday with a win over fences on a score of 86 coupled with a victory under saddle for owners John and Stephanie Ingram. They returned on Sunday to take two podium finishes in third on another pair of 86s.
“I’ve had Private Practice for quite a long time now—he’s won everything under the sun—and we know each other and trust each other really well.” said Ingram of her five-year partnership with the striking chestnut gelding. “As long as I don’t do anything crazy, he’s going to be there right for me.
“He has an incredible jump, he’s super brave, really handy and he’s beautiful,” continued Ingram. “He absolutely loves jumping and competing. My trainer actually said yesterday that he’s never met a horse that enjoys jumping more than him. It’s fun because I know he enjoys it.”
When asked what she focused on showing the judges on Sunday, Ingram said, “I tried to show off his brilliance and his jump and his turning ability.”
The 28-year-old amateur has been competing in Traverse City since she was ten and her family have now made a season home in the region, including a newly built barn in Grand Prix Village North across the street from Flintfield’s Horse Park. “It’s definitely one of our favorite horse shows of the year,” she concluded.
Brittany M Warden of The Plains, VA, picked up the reserve champion title in the Luxe EQ 3’3″ Amateur-Owner Hunter 18-35 division riding Bordeaux for owner Glebe Ventures.
For full results from the Luxe EQ 3’3″ Amateur-Owner Hunter 18-35 division, click here.
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.
