Traverse City, MI – September 4, 2025—Matthew Le Master and Princeton MK took the first title of the $100,000 USHJA Young Jumper Championship, presented by North Star, in the 4-Year-Old Final on Thursday during Traverse City Horse Shows’ (TCHS) Tournament of Champions (TOC).
Finishing on top for the second day in a row, Princeton MK—a U.S. bred Emerald van’t Ruytershof gelding—took the championship for owner/breeder Kristina Photakis.
“Championships like these [in North America] are great advertisement for breeding programs and for the people developing horses,” said Le Master, who brought Princeton MK along himself from a foal to the gelding’s first jumps. “We’ve been super happy with the facility here. Everything has been fantastic for us.”
The week is a family affair for Le Master, who is also competing Princeton MK’s dam, Maeberry, in the 1.40m ranks in Traverse City. “We foaled this horse out ourselves and brought him along—he’s been so easy to deal with.
“We focus on our own breeding operation, and to make it a business sometimes they sell as babies, but some we’re able to keep a little longer and get them going,” continued Le Master on the opportunity to begin competing Princeton MK.
Le Master was also third in the 4-Year-Old Final with Tum Tum van’t Reevediep Z (Tic-Tac du Seigneur) for owner Cathy Kubacak of Lubbock, TX, while Taylor Flury took second riding Firestone 2000 Z, a For Pleasure son owned by Aliboo Farm out of Columbia Falls, MT.
Continuing championship action, Hunter Holloway of Topeka, KS, piloted Bo Rouge to win the CWD 6-Year-Old Qualifier. The Zangersheide gelding by Chat Botte du Ruisseau Z is owned by S.T. Rugglin, LLC, based in Whitefish, MT, and was bred in the Netherlands by J&M Driessen.
In the North Star 7-Year-Old Qualifier, Charlotte Jacobs of Wellington, FL, rode North Star’s own Nadim Il Faut to victory. The Comme Il Faut sired Dutch Warmblood stallion was bred by Dutch breeder D. de Jong.
Finally, the 8-Year-Old Qualifier win went to Caroline van der Merwe of Littleton, CO, riding Silvester Van’t Ameldonk Z for owner VDM Sport Horses. The Zangersheide stallion by Solid Gold Z was bred by Judy Anne Melchior and Ameldonk BVBA in Belgium.
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 will be showcased throughout the week with finals for 5-, 6-, 7-, and 8-year-olds presented by North Star and CWD, being showcased in the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring on Saturday.
For complete results from the $100,000 USHJA Young Jumper Championships, presented by North Star, click here.
Richie Moloney and Skelwith Diamond Lady Win Muny Sunk Stables CSI3* Two-Phase
Closing out the day in the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring, Ireland’s Richie Moloney rode Skelwith Diamond Lady to a win in the $32,000 Muny Sunk Stables CSI3* Two-Phase. The event kicked off international competition during the Silver Oak Jumper Tournament, which highlights jumper action during opening week of the Tournament of Champions.
The one-round course with a speed phase was designed by Bernardo Costa Cabral (POR) and hosted Moloney in the winner’s circle by only .04 seconds over Kelli Cruciotti Vanderveen (USA). Skelwith Diamond Lady, an 11-year-old AES mare (Kalaska de Semilly X Balou du Rouet), crossed the final timers in 32.84 seconds for owner Equinimity LLC. Vanderveen settled for second in 32.88 seconds aboard Mochito vd Mishagen, owned by Serenity Farm.
Rounding out the podium placings was Mexico’s Maya Ines Denis Chambon riding Jantien de Muze in third on a time of 34.02 seconds.
Three-star competition during the Silver Oak Jumper Tournament continues Friday in the $32,000 GGT Footing Welcome Stake and comes to a peak in Sunday’s $117,000 Agero CSI3* Grand Prix.
For complete results in the $32,000 Muny Sunk Stables CSI3* Two-Phase, click here.
Professional Hunters Earn WCHR Tri-Colors During Opening Week of Tournament of Champions
Traverse City Horse Shows (TCHS) once again celebrated the hunter discipline with a second World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Week during its 13-week season. Weekly championship titles were awarded in professional and young hunter divisions on Thursday with amateur and junior divisions taking center stage through the rest of the week. 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
GGT Footing 3’ Green Hunter
Champion: Kelsey Epperson & River Bliss
Reserve Champion: Joshua Graves & Quentus 3
Green Conformation Hunter
Champion: Greg Crolick & Kingweis WV
Reserve Champion: Joshua Graves & Cornet’s Quaprice
Perfect Products High Performance Hunter
Champion: Greg Crolick & Chappy
Reserve Champion: Greg Crolick & Zanziebar R Z
3’3” Performance Hunter
Champion: Kelsey Epperson & Apache 286
Reserve Champion: Nicholas Pongracz & Saint Louis
3’6” Performance Hunter
Champion: Jef Lauwers & Hallpass
Reserve Champion: Jef Lauwers & Malito
3’6/3’9″ Green Hunter
Champion: Jef Lauwers & O-Chadischa
Reserve Champion: Jacob Pope & New Girl
2’9″ Young Hunter 5 & Under
Champion: Nora Goldfarb & Dreamcatcher WS
Reserve Champion: Hillary Johnson & Goldspun
3’/3’3” Young Hunter
Champion: Greg Crolick & Celine
Reserve Champion: Owen Gajoch & Montalcino
2’6” Baby Green Hunter
Champion: Sarah Duhon & Half Time
Reserve Champion: Hillary Johnson & Velveteen
2’9” USHJA Hunter
Champion: Hillary Johnson & Pop Culture K
Reserve Champion: Nicholas Pongracz & My Secret Romance
2’6” USHJA Hunter
Champion: Sarah Duhon & Pierson
Reserve Champion: Hillary Johnson & Anakin
Complete WCHR Week results are available here.
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.
