Hunter Holloway and Henry Jota Ariel race to victory in the $116,500 Southern Arches CSI3* Grand Prix during GLEF II at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, presented by B&D Builders, at Flintfields Horse Park. Photo © Natalie Suto Photography.
Press release from Traverse City Horse Shows, edited by World of Showjumping
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 (Picadilly Tame x Casparo).
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, 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 (Carambole x Padinus) after a win in two-phase action on Friday, and Ashley Vogel (USA) was third with Toulonia (Toulon x Balou du Rouet).
Hunter Holloway, aboard Henry Jota Ariel, celebrates her victory in the $116,500 Southern Arches CSI3* Grand Prix with family members visiting from Kansas to watch her compete during GLEF II at Flintfields Horse Park. Photo © Natalie Suto Photography.
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.”
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.
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