A consistent string of clears finally results in a major victory in Traverse City for Hunter Holloway and Henry Jota Ariel
It’s an achievement in its own right to jump clear and qualify for almost every FEI Grand Prix jump-off so far this season in Traverse City, but Hunter Holloway (USA), naturally, wanted more. She went one step further on Sunday of week two of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, presented by B&D Builders, and finally secured the win in the $116,500 Southern Arches CSI3* Grand Prix aboard Henry Jota Ariel.
She was the first in the ring to challenge Mauricio Garcia’s short course aboard Hays Investment Corp.’s 11-year-old Argentinian-bred mare (Picadilly Tame x Casparo), and Holloway knew what she needed to put on the board to make the rest of the field chase her.
“It was a great course today, my horse jumped great, and it all came together which is nice especially having to go first,” Holloway shared. “I wanted to be competitive and quick but not go too wild. I want to try to close the door as much as possible but not take extra risk.”
She was pleased with her effort, stopping the clock in exactly 36 seconds. Then all that was left was to watch how the cards fell as the all-female jump-off field attempted to challenge her time.
“Luckily it suited my horse quite well,” she said of the jump-off course. “She’s very handy, she covers the ground quickly, and I was able to turn back nice and tight. I thought I left the door open a little bit. I knew Erynn Ballard is an amazing rider and she was behind me, Sam Schaefer was behind me, and a lot of good riders that are also fast. I was a little nervous about that.”
Ultimately, there were only three double-clear rounds, and Holloway remained the fastest as the class concluded. Schaefer (USA) took home second place with Frasier after a win in Two Phase action on Friday, and Ashley Vogel (USA) was third with Toulonia.
Holloway’s statistics in international competition this summer show consistency at its finest, and she’s even prouder that she’s accomplished this across a variety of horses with differing experience levels. She has qualified for jump-off action in every FEI welcome stake and four out of six FEI Grand Prix so far this season at Flintfields Horse Park, making her strike rate 83% among those classes.
“Two of the horses that have been amazing and have made so many jump-offs are 9 and stepping up to this level,” she explained. “So they’re obviously learning how to go fast, but [Henry Jota Ariel] is my seasoned horse so to have a win with her is extra special.”
Making the day even more memorable was having her entire family watching, as they visited Traverse City from their hometown of Topeka, Kansas, to cheer on Holloway and her horses.
“The whole family is in town this week which makes it extra special,” she remarked. “All my brothers, my grandmother, my aunt, and my dad are here.”
Erynn Ballard Keeps Winning Streak Alive in $20,000 1.40m-1.45m Jumper Classic
With a World Championships campaign ahead, Ballard scores her second major win of the week at GLEF II
Erynn Ballard (CAN) continued her winning ways Saturday in Traverse City, taking the $20,000 1.40m-1.45m Jumper Classic aboard Fave d’Athuit.
“I’m quite happy with him being the fastest today,” she said of her jump-off performance with Fave d’Athuit, owned by Ilan Ferder. “I was able to leave out a stride from one to two which I don’t normally do on him. Sometimes when the jumps aren’t the biggest you can practice things that are harder for you. I think it was a nice way to start our summer here. I’m feeling the confidence that I can go fast with him.”
Fave d’Athuit is back on U.S. soil after competing in Europe, with the World Championships in Aachen still ahead this summer for the 11-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Cornet Obolensky x Kannan). Ballard placed him strategically in this class knowing what he’s already done and what lies ahead.
Ballard had two entries in the class and ultimately claimed the top two spots. After qualifying both Fave d’Athuit and Ginger ASK for the short course, Ballard was surprised by which horse ultimately ended up on top.
“Typically the more chances you get the faster you’re able to go,” she said of having two shots at the jump-off. “I thought I went equally as fast on Ginger, and Fave ended up being the faster horse. I’m always practicing trying to go faster and turn tighter, whether it’s this height or 1.60m.”
Ballard is chipping away at securing the Leading Open Jumper Rider Award for a second year in a row, with a stellar debut at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, presented by B&D Builders.
“I always have a good go in Michigan; it’s been quite good to me the past few years,” she reflected. “I came here this summer serious to win and do better than last year. I have an incredible new string of horses that we’re slowly getting started with. I think it should be an exciting summer and this is a ring that brings me a lot of success.”
Ballard sees Traverse City as an ideal place to progress both her own riding and her string of horses through the summer months. She’ll stay for three weeks with her team and also make a return for the Tournament of Champions in the fall after the World Championships.
“You’ve got to stay current and stay riding against the best riders in the world,” she said of why she chooses to base in Traverse City while also traveling internationally when the opportunity presents itself. “It’s a cool statistic to be the highest-ranked rider here this week, but when everybody comes in September I don’t get to hold that status. I can work myself up to continue to be one of the top riders in the sport.”
Samantha Schaefer Earns Turnham Green Leading Lady Rider Award
Samantha Schaefer was named the GLEF II recipient of the Turnham Green Leading Lady Rider Award, presented each week to the female athlete who accumulates the most points across FEI competition. Schaefer’s week included a victory aboard Frasier in the $31,100 Elk Rapids Marina CSI3* Two Phase and a second-place finish in Sunday’s $116,500 Southern Arches CSI3* Grand Prix.
GLEF III begins Wednesday, welcoming another week of CSI3* action to the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring. Fans and competitors can view full schedules, results, and live updates through the Traverse City Horse Shows Mobile App.
