Show Jumping Prospects Showcased at 2024 USHJA Young Jumper Championships

Williamsburg, Mich.—Sept. 13, 2024—Jumper prospects gathered at the Traverse City Fall Horse Show for the fourth annual USHJA Young Jumper Championships on September 4-7. A record 81 horses competed across five separate championships for the title of Best Young Horse and $88,200 in prize money.

4-Year-Old Championship

Taylor Flury began the week with a clean sweep in the 4-Year-Old Final on Thursday with two mounts owned by High Finance Farm. After going clear in the Qualifier aboard HFF Carryover Z (Carthago Z x Caligra), a warmblood mare, the pair captured the Championship and Best Young Horse honor. The Columbia Falls, Montana, rider then took reserve with HFF Trademark (Tobago Z x Miracle Van’t Meulenhof), a 2020 warmblood gelding. 

"The mare that I won on, I helped the owner purchase as a frozen embryo and it is really gratifying to see the quality she portrays for the future. The High Finance Team and I have worked together developing her this past year and we believe she shows extreme promise; she is light, balanced, elastic, and wants to please," said Flury. "It feels great to have won the 4-Year-Old Championship; developing young horses is not always an easy task and it is quite rewarding when you have moments like these."

HFF Carryover Z's groom, Katie Derer, was presented with the Young Jumper Grooms Award. Oslo MK (Erco Van’t Roosakker x Eloise Z), a Belgian Sport Horse gelding owned and bred by Kristina Photakis was named Best U.S. Bred Horse, with Photakis earning the U.S. Breeders Bonus Award.

5-Year-Old Championship

Saturday kicked off a day full of Championships, with Kamille Marcussen, of Coralville, Iowa, piloting her own Twizel (Up to Date Miltoo x Evy) to the top of the 5-Year-Old Final. The Belgian Warmblood mare bred by Angela Pritchard also went clean in the First and Second Qualifiers to finish the week fault-free. In addition to earning the title of Best Young Horse, Twizel was named Best U.S. Bred Horse and Pritchard received the U.S. Breeders Bonus Award. Twizel's groom, Alex Cumatzil, was presented with the Young Jumper Grooms Award.

"I have placed at the Young Jumper Championships before, but this is the first time I have won one of the overall championships and it feels incredibly rewarding. Twizel is out of Bull Run's Holy Smokes, also known as Evy, who was actually a mare I had the privilege to ride some of my first larger tracks on years ago, including my first Grand Prix and first U25 class. It feels incredibly full circle now to have one of Evy's babies and hopefully develop Twizel to be as talented as her mother," said Marcussen. 

"I absolutely love working with young horses and being a part of their careers early on. It's really rewarding to see them figure out the levels and grow into their own individual personalities. I love that the USHJA has been able to put together a championship to showcase the young Jumpers in the U.S. and encourage riders and trainers to work with young horses," she continued.

Filip de Wandel, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and That’s It (Vigo D’Arsouilles x Innocent DW), a Belgian Warmblood gelding owned by Five Way Farm LLC, collected reserve. 

6-Year-Old Championship

BP Bouladuff (Aganix du Seigneur x Cape Royale) bested the 6-Year-Old Final with Hallie Grimes, of Houston, Texas, in the irons. The duo went clear in the First Qualifier and took sixth in the Second Qualifier before having the quickest of two clear rounds in the Final by a quarter of a second. That effort earned the Irish Sport Horse gelding, owned by Can We Keep It? LLC and bred by GBBS International Limited, the Best Young Horse title. As groom to BP Bouladuff, Laurie Broome was awarded the Young Jumper Grooms Award.

"I definitely made this a goal. The way my string shaped up, I had a lot of young horses this summer and really only two FEI horses. So I went to a lot of smaller shows and really built these horses up, moving up and down the divisions and making sure that they were all confident," said Grimes, whose Can We Keep It? LLC also earned the overall Leading Owner award. " I didn't do anything special to prepare for this week. It's really a learning experience. So I'm thrilled that it worked out for my six-year-old." 

The Final's other clear round was performed by Wellington, Florida's Kevin Gallagher aboard Stella Gold (Stakkato Gold x Diamond Sky). The German Sporthorse mare owned by Marigot Bay Farm, LLC and bred by Paul Schockemohle took reserve.

S Aliblue ABF (Carrasca Z x For His Glory), a Belgian Warmblood stallion owned by Blue Chip Bloodstock, was honored as Best U.S. Bred Horse with breeder Aliboo Farm, Inc. receiving the U.S. Breeders Bonus Award.

7-Year-Old Championship

Fifteen combinations contested the 7-Year-Old Final, but it was Charlotte Jacobs, of East Aurora, New York, who topped the class with North Star's Montana (Casall x Pipaix du Hoissoit). The KWPN mare bred by Toon Holtus finished clear in the First Qualifier and took third in the Second Qualifier on her way to the Best Young Horse tricolor. Joss Piton received the Young Jumper Grooms Award as groom to Montana.

"I've known the horse since she was young, so this week just worked out and I'm really happy with how she's been," said Jacobs. "Most of my horses that I've had, I've had since they were very young. And knowing them since they were young is very important for me and the relationship I've built. It's exciting that people are starting to pay attention to it more and invest in young horses and develop them themselves."

Grimes returned to the podium, this time with Ashton DVO Z (Aganix du Seigneur x Ballerina Girl DVO Z) a warmblod gelding owned by Can We Keep It? LLC and bred by Marc Devolder, in reserve. 

8-Year-Old Championship

Leading the final victory gallop of the week and collecting the last Best Young Horse title was Gallagher and Campinas 4 (Campitello x Aluta) in the 8-Year-Old Final. The Westphalian gelding owned by Freedom Group was the only horse to finish the Championship fault-free after going clear in the First Qualifier and taking fourth in the Second Qualifier. Campinas 4's groom, Samuel Alverado, was presented with the Young Jumper Grooms Award.

"The format this week has been great for the young horses, where the faults are carried over, because it really shows who can be consistent," said Gallagher.

Finishing in reserve was Francisco Goyoaga Mollet, of Wellington, Florida, and Kannonball (Kannan x Ludovica), a Warmblood gelding owned by Spencer Smith and bred by Elisabeth Ribarits.

Additional special awards were presented at the conclusion of the Championships.

• Leading Owner - Can We Keep It? LLC
• Leading U.S. Breeder - Angela Pritchard
• Breeder’s Cup Perpetual Trophy, donated by DiAnn Langer and Red Top Farm - Five Way Farm LLC
• Leading Young Jumper Rider - Hallie Grimes
• Leading Young Jumper Trainer - Nichola O'Donovan
• Overall Leading Breed Registry - KWPN

The USHJA Young Jumper Championships serve as the national championship
for young Jumpers in the United States, allowing talented prospects to be showcased by
owners, breeders and riders and shown at the national level. The competition offers separate Championships for 4-, 5-, 6-, 7- and 8-year-olds. Four-year-olds compete in a Style and Jumping Championship, which includes a First Qualifier and Final set at .90-1.00m. Five- through 8-year-olds compete over a three-round format that features First and Second Qualifiers and a Final set from 1.20-1.45m based on each age section. In addition to prize money through tenth place, incentives and bonus prize money is offered for U.S. breeders and American-bred horses.

The USHJA extends a special thanks to the Traverse City Horse Shows team for hosting the Championships. The USHJA also thanks Official Sponsors CWD, Nutrena, and Parlanti and Supporting Sponsor Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.

For more information about the USHJA Young Jumper Championships, visit ushja.org/YoungJumper.

Photos: Andrew Ryback Photography