Jayne and Hoxynula – N top the inaugural Road To The Top Jumper Challenge, while Michael Morrissey claims his third Kevin Babington Benefit Classic
Traverse City, MI — September 5, 2026 —Natalie Jayne made history Saturday at Flintfields Horse Park, claiming the win in Traverse City’s inaugural $25,000 Road to the Top Jumper Challenge during the opening week of the Tournament of Champions.
The new 1.15m competition was open to juniors, amateurs and professionals under 25 and combined traditional jumper scoring with equitation judging, rewarding both performance and riding style. The class was developed with Road to the Top as another platform for young riders pursuing careers in the sport.
Jayne is no stranger to both the equitation ranks and the higher-level jumper ring, so this class seemed right up her alley. Paired with Hoxynula – N, she rode to a double-clear effort to rise to the top of the competitive class.
“It’s a really fun format,” Jayne said of Saturday’s new class, which also debuted in California Friday for West Coast riders. “It’s very new and it’s something that hasn’t really been done before so it’s really exciting. It’s a great concept and rewards good, effective riding. It’s great for up and coming professionals, juniors, amateurs, whoever to get out on that stage. I really liked it and I had a good time.”
While many riders opted to bring forth an equitation mount, Jayne trusted her jumper Hoxynula – N for the occasion.
“I felt confident enough because I have a really good horse,” she said about her mindset going in. “I did the equitation for a number of years and the jumpers for a number of years but this is a mixture of both which I haven’t done before. But I think it worked out really well.”
The technical jumper track required riders to lean on their equitation backgrounds, but the time allowed also meant efficiency mattered.
“My plan was to ride it like a jumper round,” Jayne explained of her first-round approach. “My horse is a jumper so I wanted to ride it a little like a speed round, not super fast, but pick up a good pace and ride her like I would normally ride. I kept my equitation in mind but rode it like a good, effective jumper round.”
Any clear rounds after round one advanced to a jump-off, where time became the tiebreaking factor. Jayne produced another clear effort in 38.409 seconds, and matched with her elegant style, she captured the win.
“My horse I knew was the only true jumper in the class so she probably has more foot speed than the other three that were in the jump-off,” she shared. “I knew I didn’t have to go 100 percent so I just went efficiently. She’s a great turner and is confident in the jump-offs so I used that to my favor.”
Eleanor Rudnicki and Kensington produced the only other clear effort in the jump-off to finish second. Luca Endzweig and Lexicon Van’t Steentje nearly matched Jayne’s time but had one rail down to finish third.
“The RTTT Jumper Challenge was created to promote the Foundation’s core values of skill, precision, and horsemanship through an exciting equitation/jumper format,” said Sissy Wickes, Executive Director of Road to the Top.
“It was good to see the format work the way we hoped,” said Matt Morrissey, event director for Traverse City Horse Shows. “The riders were able to be competitive while also showing style, precision, and horsemanship. Creating opportunities for young athletes to develop and be recognized for those qualities is what this class is about.”
Michael Morrissey Strikes Again in $5,000 Silver Oak 1.25m Kevin Babington Benefit Classic
A crowd favorite returned to the Silver Oak Jumper Tournament Saturday with the $5,000 Silver Oak 1.25m Kevin Babington Benefit Classic, won for a third time by Michael Morrissey. Aboard Dolce Gusto From Second Life Z, Morrissey posted the fastest jump-off time against a competitive group.
Morrissey went early in the order and gave it his best shot on a slower horse with a big step, eliminating strides wherever he could to save time. As the class drew to a close, he still stood at the top. Kelli Cruciotti VanderVeen took home second place with Shamonix SF, and Michelle Carnes was third aboard Mescandro PS.
“It’s a fun class, and I always look forward to it,” said Morrissey, who unfortunately had to miss the 2025 iteration of the class due to injury. “It’s for a great cause, I love that Kevin Babington is watching, and it’s a lot of fun. They make a great presentation of it and make it feel very important. The champagne, the victory gallop, the roses – it makes it all very special.”
This year, the ante was upped with a grand prize of a cruise, gifted by Windstar Cruises, for the winning athlete. “I’ve never even been on a cruise so I’m very excited,” Morrissey said of his grand prize. “I learned that just before the class and it added a little oomph to everything.”
Competition concludes Sunday at the Silver Oak Jumper Tournament with the $116,050 Agero & Silver Oak CSI3* Grand Prix. The final day will also feature the $10,000 Stud Tree & Silver Oak 1.40-1.45m Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic and the Gajoch Family 1.30-1.35m Junior/Amateur Classic.
Find daily sport coverage, results, photos, schedules, and more throughout the Tournament of Champions at the TCHS Mobile App.
