Traverse City, MI – June 12, 2025—Egyptian Olympian Nayel Nassar and Dorado de Riverland hit the ground running at the Traverse City Spring Series with a win in the $32,000 CSI4* Speed on Thursday to open week two.
The Traverse City Spring Series, presented by Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel, continues through June 29 and features three weeks of FEI jumper competition, weekly hunter derbies, including the International Hunter Derby Regional Championships, in addition to the USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships and the Markel/USHJA Platinum & Zone Jumper Team Championships.
Forty horses faced off over the one-round speed track designed by course builder Peter Grant (CAN). From second to go in the starting order, Nassar guided his Evergate Stables-owned 12-year-old Selle Français gelding (Untouchable M x Argentinus) to an uncatchable time of 69.36 seconds.
“He’s naturally a fast horse so as long as I leave them up, I’m usually within striking distance,” said Nassar, 34, of Dorado de Riverland. “There was a lot of room between the jumps and I tried to stick to the leaveouts that I thought were within reach for him. I got lucky the rest of the way with some people having jumps down—today was our day.”
The closest contender was Kaitlin Campbell (USA) and Karius, owned by Mirasol Equestrian, finishing the runner-up in 69.86 seconds. The top-three placings were bookended by Evergate Stables horses with Ireland’s Philip McGuane taking third in the irons of Paso Doble SCF on a time of 72.17 seconds.
“We have a great group of horses right now,” said Nassar, who plans to build momentum throughout the summer and return in contention for the top-sport opportunities taking place at Flintfields Horse Park later in the 2025 season, including the Major League Show Jumping CSI5*, Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ CSI5*-W–Traverse City and American Gold Cup CSI5*. “The horses are going so well, and it’s very horse-friendly out here.
“There’s tons of space for the horses to graze and work quietly, and I think the footing is fantastic,” continued Nassar of his second appearance at Traverse City Horse Shows.
When asked about his plans for Dorado de Riverland’s schedule, Nassar noted, “This [four-star] level is his comfort zone; it’s what he’s good at. We’re going to keep him where he can win—I’ll try not to stretch him too thin and see if he can pick up a class like this every week.”
International competition continues at Flintfields Horse Park on Friday with the $63,000 GFL Environmental CSI4* Welcome Stake. To see complete results from the $32,000 CSI4* Speed, click here.
Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Regional Championships Belong to Nick Haness
The Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Regional Championships returned to Flintfields Horse Park during the Traverse City Spring Series, presented by Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel, and were host to dominating performance by Nick Haness of Temecula, CA.
Competing at their respective combined heights of 3’ & 3’3” and 3’6” & 3’9”, the top 12 in each section returned for a final round to determine the 2025 champions with $20,000 in total prize money up for grabs.
A cut-off of 80 was set for the $10,0000 Performance/USHJA 3’ & 3’3” Green Hunter Incentive Regional Championship. Haness headed into the final round in the lead with a 93 aboard Navarino, owned by Brianne Tsakopoulos, and sitting in second with Glade Run Farm’s Et Cetera on a score of 90. His fate was secured when Et Cetera laid down an impressive 96 to move up and take the overall title.
“What makes this horse special is his way of going and his expression,” said Haness of the seven-year-old Holsteiner gelding. “He has such a crisp jump and is extremely athletic.”
After having a successful 2024 season with Et Cetera, Haness has aimed for 2025 to be a year of championships for the gelding, highlighted by the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships in Kentucky. “This year, we’re taking it easy and targeting these main events,” said Haness. “We’re trying to strategize which ones to target and get the best results from. It’s nice to have that reward pay off when you know you’ve saved the horse for a certain class and it goes well.”
Haness took home the reserve championship with Navarino, adding a 92 to their original score of 93. Jacob Pope of Columbia, MD, took third with 3’ mount Cumberland Blues, owned by Carrie Dickenson. The pair secured their spot in the final with a first-round score of 90 and second score of 89.
For full results of the $10,000 Platinum Performance/USHJA 3’ & 3’3” Green Hunter Incentive Regional Championship, click here.
Haness continued his success on Thursday with the championship title in the $10,000 Platinum Performance/USHJA 3’6” & 3’9” Green Hunter Incentive Regional Championship. This time topping the first 3’6” incentive round on a score of 89, Haness continued his dominance with Hush Money, owned by Glenda Monkarsh, securing the top tricolor with a final score of 88.5.
“When Hush Money came to our barn, he started at a low point,” said Haness. “Our goal has been to make him a happy horse, and he’s become such a special part of the whole team.”
The eight-year-old Hungarian Sport Horse gelding has found a happy balance between the professional and amateur classes, successfully competing with his owner in the Adult Hunters. “He was the Adult Hunter WCHR Winner at Capital Challenge with his owner,” said Haness. “For a horse to be able to go with an amateur and then be able to come here and jump as well as he did is pretty remarkable.”
Competing a total of twelve horses throughout Thursday’s regional championships and taking home the winning title in each, Haness stands as an exuberant supporter of the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive program.
“I’m such a supporter and so happy with the program,” expressed Haness. “It gives young horses a chance to develop and shine from the bottom level of the sport all the way to the top. It also gives owners a reason to allow professionals to produce quality horses and keep the hunter divisions thriving. The regional [championships] are a significant part of the program because it gives the horses a fair chance to produce championship rounds to get to the finals.”
Haness managed a clean sweep of the championship by taking reserve with Golden Road, owned by John & Stephanie Ingram, on scores of 88 and 89.
For complete results of the $10,000 Platinum Performance/USHJA 3’6” & 3’9” Green Hunter Incentive Championship, click here.
About Traverse City Horse Shows (TCHS)
Traverse City Horse Shows (TCHS) is a premier destination for summer equestrian events in North America, hosting 13 weeks of world-class competitions, including 12 weeks of FEI-ranked events. Nestled in the scenic landscape of Williamsburg, Michigan—just 15 minutes from downtown Traverse City—TCHS attracts elite equestrian talent from around the globe to Flintfields Horse Park—a venue that seamlessly blends top-tier sport with the natural beauty and vibrant culture of Northern Michigan.
For more information on the season, visit TraverseCityHorseShows.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates.
