The 2024 USHJA Young Jumper Championships came to a close on Saturday afternoon to wrap one of the first major events of the Traverse City Horse Shows Tournament of Champions. The five, six, seven, and eight-year-old age groups of the Young Jumper Championships took to the Turtle Creek Hotel and Casino International Ring one final time after two days of qualifying rounds. Future equine stars returned in order of their cumulative faults to take on the championship round, designed by Guilherme Jorge (BRA).
North Star Five-Year-Old Final
Across all age groups, the combinations that were fault-free throughout the week jumped off on the final day to claim championship titles. The first to take a tricolor was Kamille Marcussen (USA) and her own Twizel, a Belgian Warmblood mare by Up To Date Miltoo. The pair topped the North Star Five-Year-Old Final after jumping clear once again.
“We got her in March of this year,” said Marcussen. “We’d known of her and had our eye on her and were lucky enough to eventually get her into our barn. It was a bit of a slow start with her because she had just had a foal when we got her, so we basically restarted her into her five-year-old year but she’s so smart and powerful, we knew it’d be worth it.”
In addition to winning the final, Twizel was also awarded the best U.S. Bred Horse Award for the five-year-olds, something Marcussen was extra proud of after having ties to the mare’s bloodline.
“Her sire is Up To Date Miltoo and her mother is Bull Run’s Holy Smokes, who I actually showed as my first high amateur-owner horse and did my first couple of grand prix on, said Marcussen.
“It’s a full-circle moment.”
Marcussen and Twizel posted the fastest time in the final round of 34.655 seconds. Following on the podium was Filip de Wandel (USA) and That’s It, a Belgian Warmblood gelding by Virgo D’Arsouilles, owned by Five Way Farm LLC. The pair ended on a four-fault score in 36.239 seconds. Closing out the podium was Katie Cox (USA) and Tenacious van de Zeshoek, a Belgian Warmblood mare by Eldorado van de Zeshoek, owned by Kim Cox, coming home on a score of eight, in 35.480 seconds.
CWD Six-Year-Old Final
The CWD Six-Year-Old Final was next on the docket, and it was a winning day for Hallie Grimes (USA) and BP Bouladuff, owned by Can We Keep It?, LLC. Coming down to a second-splitting jump-off, the pair secured the championship by just 0.2 seconds.
“I think that his mind is one of the things that will make him a top horse one day,” said Grimes about the Irish Sport Horse gelding sired by Aganix du Seigneur. “Time will tell about the rest of his talent but his brain is everything you could want in a top horse.”
The gelding’s talents looked promising as the pair crossed the finish line in a clear 34.249 seconds, beating out the time set by Ireland’s Kevin Gallagher (34.490 seconds), who ultimately took the reserve with Stella Gold, a German Sporthorse mare by Stakkato Gold, owned by Marigot Bay Farm, LLC. Kianna Noel Luscher (USA) and E.G. Scotia Boy, a Warmblood gelding sired by Kannan and owned by Northeast Equi-Wave Therapy, LLC, closed out the podium on a jump-off score of eight in 41.454 seconds.
When asked about her process of developing successful young horses, Grimes stressed the importance of focusing on each individual horse. “The slow way is the fast way,” said Grimes. “I would encourage people to focus on the animals themselves rather than what people think or say they should be doing.”
North Star Seven-Year-Old Final
The afternoon continued with the North Star Seven-Year-Old Final where North Star’s own Montana took the top call with USA’s Charlotte Jacobs. Coming down to fractions of a second once again, Jacobs and the Dutch Warmblood mare by Casall kept the rail in the cups all week, securing the win as the last to go in a five-horse jump-off.
“We’ve had this horse since she was a foal but this is actually my first week showing her,” said Jacobs. “She’s been great for some of the riders in our program and is incredibly straightforward and honest. I’ve ridden her at home a handful of times and have seen her go her whole life so this really worked out for us.”
With Jacob’s family at North Star is sponsoring this week’s finals along with others throughout the year, young horses have been crucial throughout her career. “Most of the horses I’ve had, I’ve had since they were very young, so knowing them from that young age has become very important to me.”
Hallie Grimes returned to the podium with a seven-year-old, this time taking reserve with Ashton DVO Z, a Warmblood gelding by Aganix du Seigneur, brother of her six-year-old mount and owned by Can We Keep It?, LLC. The pair took a close second by finishing on a clear 32.424 seconds. USA’s Hunter Holloway closed out the all-female podium with Hortensio, a Selle Français gelding by Balko D’Elle, owned by Why Worry Group, on a clear 33.042 seconds.
Eight-Year-Old Final
Last but certainly not least, the eight-year-olds closed out the 2024 USHJA Young Jumper Championships. Ireland’s Kevin Gallagher redeemed his six-year-old beat out, this time taking the top call with eight-year-old Campinas 4, owned by the Freedom Group. The pair took the win as the only combination to jump clear.
“Guilherme has built great courses all week,” said Gallagher. “There were a couple of challenges but at the same time they’re fair. The format this week in general has been great for the young horses, where the faults are carried over, because it really shows who can be consistent.”
Slowly bringing the horse through the ranks, Gallagher felt Campinas performance throughout the year prepared him for this final. “He jumped his first ranking classes—a two-star and a three-star in Tryon—and after he was competitive there, we felt it was a good aim that he could definitely be in the mix to win in his age group,” said Gallagher of the Westphalian gelding sired by Campitello.
Francisco Goyoaga Mollet (ESP) and Kannonball, a Warmblood gelding by Kannan, owned by Spencer Smith, held the fastest time in the jump-off at 31.629 seconds, but with a knocked rail claimed reserve. Hunter Holloway returned to close out the podium once again, this time on Corlando, a Swedish Warmblood gelding by Corporal VDL, owned by Blue Star Investments. The pair came home on 34.422 seconds and a score of four.
Traverse City Horse Shows was proud to host the USHJA Young Jumper Championships as the future of U.S. show jumping was shining bright throughout the week at Flintfields Horse Park. For Saturday’s results, click here.
Additional special awards included:
· Leading Trainer: NICHOLA O DONOVAN
· Leading Rider: HALLIE GRIMES
· Leading Owner: CAN WE KEEP IT? LLC
· Leading U.S. Breeder: ANGELA PRITCHARD
· Breeder’s Cup Perpetual Trophy, donated by DiAnn Langer & Red Top Farms: FIVE WAY FARM LLC
· Leading Breed Registry: KWPN
Michael Morrissey and Germeta W Two-For-Two in $5,000 1.25m Kevin Babington Benefit Classic
Saturday at Traverse City Horse Shows concluded with an extra-special family win as Michael Morrissey once again took the top call in the $5,000 1.25m Kevin Babington Benefit Classic, presented by Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital. The class has become an annual favorite for athletes during the Silver Oak Jumper Tournament, which takes place as a staple of the Tournament Of Champions. The penultimate day of competition highlighted the 2024 Young Jumper Championships and saw the Traverse City National Grand Prix take center stage in the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring before concluding with the fan-favorite event.
Held in a two-phase format where athletes immediately jumped off if they produced a clear first-round track, course designer Guilherme Jorge (BRA) bult at the class’s 1.25m height, but still added various elements of technicality that tested the field of 20 horse-and-rider combinations. Eager to hold on to his 2023 win, Morrissey wasted no time navigating swifty over the course with Gateway Sport Horses, LLC’s 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, Germeta W (Mr. Blue x Wolfgang).
“This horse won this class last year and they shipped it in just for this week to do this class,” stated Morrissey. “I think Ruth and Lynne really wanted to have a shot at winning the class again so I was just happy I was able to do that for them.”
With a finishing time just under a second faster than the runner-up, Morrissey and the mare once again delivered, this time stopping the timers in 29.565 seconds. Germeta W’s groom, Jorge Contreras, was also honored with the Winning Groom Award at the conclusion of the day’s competition.
“It’s a fast horse and very competitive,” he explained. “It was nice for this level horse to be able to come in and jump in the big ring with a triple combination and a wall. It was a really nice course, similar to the national grand prix we jumped today, so to be able to go in there and jump a 1.25m horse over a technical track was really nice.”
Trent McGee and the Plain Bay Sales’ 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, It Takes Two, headlined the runner-up position on the podium. As the last combination to contest the track, the two stopped the clock in 30.267 seconds. It was an all-male podium as Loic Cannaert and Orpen Horses’ 15-year-old Oldenburg mare, Magic, rounded out the top three with a finishing time of 30.764 seconds.
Proceeds generated from participation in the Kevin Babington Benefit Classic at Silver Oak Jumper Tournament are donated to the Kevin Babington Foundation (KBF). KBF was founded in honor of Kevin Babington, an Irish Olimpian who suffered a career ending spinal injury while competing in 2019, to provide funding and support for equestrians who sustain spinal injuries. For a full list of results, click here.
Precluding the day’s finale class, Nicolette Hirt (USA) captured the victory in the Traverse City National Grand Prix with Chatwood Farms LLC’s nine-year-old Zangersheide gelding, Dalton van de Lindehoeve Z (Dagano VDW Z x Walme Z). The pair were the only double-clear entry out of a field of 15, and posted a time of 40.539 seconds. Kent Farrington (USA) piloted Grass de Mars into second place with one unfortunate rail in the jump-off, while Alex Granato (USA) and Carlchen W ended in third as the fastest of the first-round four-faulters.
Flintfields Horse Park is excited to host the Tournament of Champions from September 4 to September 22, featuring world-class show jumping as the pinnacle of the 2024 season in Northern Michigan. The centerpiece of the three-week series is the $340,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ of Traverse City on September 15. This premier event will attract the attention of the global equestrian community, including top riders and Olympians fresh from their performances in Paris.
