Competition continued July 4 at the Colorado Horse Park, and saw many spectators and riders alike sporting red, white, and blue in celebration of Independence Day. Many of the horses had different variations of red, white, and blue yarn added to their show braids, and made for a great way to spend a holiday, especially for Hunter Holloway, who rode beautiful rounds and earned the first through fourth place ribbons in the $1,500 Junior Hunter Classic.
Hunter Holloway, daughter of Brandie Holloway, is a 17-year-old from Topeka, KS, where she currently resides and trains at EquiVenture Farm with her mother. Today, she rode four different mounts in the $1,500 Junior Hunter Classic, taking home first place piloting Hays Investment Corp.’s Any Given Sunday.
Any Given Sunday is an 11-year-old who had impressive wins earlier in the season, including taking second place in a $50,000 FEI Grand Prix. Most recently, the team was awarded The R.W. “Ronnie” Mutch Equitation Challenge Trophy at the Devon Horse Show.
“All of the horses [I rode today] were very different,” said Holloway. When asked about her show apparel, she stated, “I wore brand new boots from Der Dau today, and I love with them! They’re so comfortable and pretty. I also always have a lucky bracelet of some sort. I wear them until they break, and then I get a new lucky one, but I save all my old ones and keep them in my tack trunk.”
So what else is in Holloway’s tack trunk? “I still have my glove from when I won my first grand prix at age 12. It’s stapled to the back of my tack trunk,” she revealed. “It is a lucky glove, but it’s from when I was 12, so it’s so tiny!”
Today, Holloway also earned both the champion and reserve champion tricolor in the Junior Hunter 3’6 Division aboard Hay’s Investment Group’s Any Given Sunday and Hay’s Investment Group’s Cascina, respectively. She also took second place in the $10,000 SJHOF High Junior/Amateur owner classic, sponsored by Griffis Residential, aboard Virginia T. Bartholomay’s VDL Bravo S.
$1,500 Junior Hunter Classic Results:
1. 1473 – ANY GIVEN SUNDAY – OWNED BY HAYS INVESTMENT CORP – HUNTER HOLLOWAY
2. 1466 – MTM RETRO – OWNED BY HAYS INVESTMENT CORP – HUNTER HOLLOWAY
3. 1468 – CASCINA – OWNED BY HAYS INVESTMENT GROUP – HUNTER HOLLOWAY
4. 1465 – THE GOVERNOR – OWNED BY HAYS INVESTMENT GROUP – HUNTER HOLLOWAY
5. 588 – UNWRITTEN – OWNED BY MARIGNY STRAUSS – MARIGNY STRAUSS
6. 1462 – DUET – OWNED BY SUSAN SCHMITT – PAIGE JUNKER
7. 914 – GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY – OWNED BY TRACYE FERGUSON – NATALIA DE VENCENTY
8. 1078 – CAPILANO – OWNED BY HAYLEY MICK – HAYLEY MICK
Emery Volkert, a 14-year-old Denver, Colorado, native, claimed victory today in the Dorothy Roberts Memorial Medal in her home territory aboard Rivale.
“Rivale is pretty new, we have only had him for about six months,” Volkert explained. Rivale is a 17.2 hand Dutch Warmblood who sported special red-white-and-blue braids in celebration of the national holiday.
“[When I show], I always wear a silver necklace with an angel on it that my grandmother gave me,” Volkert said when asked if she had any “good luck” charms. Volkert trains with Corky Shaha of Parker, CO.
Sophie Chavanon jumped Julie Walker’s Smoke and Mirrors to the second place prize. Jenna Thomas placed third aboard her own Troubadour, and Hannah Followill finished fourth riding Loretta Petterson’s Tempting.
Jumper Highlights:
Sponsored by Butet Saddlery, the $4,000 Modified Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic saw 22 trips with seven advancing to the jump-off. In the end, it was Hannah Delano piloting Danielle Urban’s Kryptonite that claimed victory with a time of 39.719 seconds and no faults. Following in a close second was Bailey Tims aboard Andrew Kocher’s Zarzuela Leuze Z with a time of 40.116 and no faults.
Kate Jenks and her own Breakfast at Tiffany’s claimed first place in the $4,000 NAL/WIHS Adult Jumper Classic. Out of 15 competitors, the team laid down the fastest jump-off time of 40.84 seconds and no faults. Shawn Tebben, owner and rider of Champagne Supernova, took second place with a clear round in a time of 41.281.
The $4,000 NAL/WIHS Children’s Jumper Classic saw 11 entries and victory was claimed by Emma Montesi, owner and rider of Claire de Lune. She took no faults and put down the fastest time of 42.15 seconds. Second place went to Abigail Grace Kelley piloting Cookie Desimone’s Cha Cha Cha.
Summer in the Rockies IV at Colorado Horse Park in Parker, Colorado, wraps up July 5, 2015. The $75,000 Adequan® Grand Prix starts at 2:00pm in the Coors Family Grand Prix Ring and promises an exciting competition. For more information and full results, please visit www.showgroundslive.com.
