The Bridesmaid Becomes the Bride: Hunter Holloway Claims First Equitation Championship at WIHS

© Rebecca Walton: Hunter Holloway and Any Given Sunday Hunter Holloway and Any Given Sunday

Washington, D.C. – Oct. 29, 2016 – Hunter Holloway has been a top contender in all of the equitation finals for many years, but at the 2016 Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) she finally captured her first major championship.  After earning a top score of 96 in the WIHS Equitation Hunter Phase, Holloway returned on Saturday afternoon to top the Jumper Phase as well. With a dominating performance in the final Work-Off, Holloway took home the winning title and led the lap of honor at a major equitation event for the first time.

“I am still a little bit in shock,” smiled Holloway. “It’s a pretty incredible feeling. It’s something I’ve working very hard towards ­– I have an amazing horse and an amazing team of people behind me. It’s an incredible feeling to be sitting here today.”

© Rebecca Walton: Hunter Holloway and Any Given SundayHunter Holloway and Any Given Sunday

After multiple wins in the Junior Hunters to kick off the day on Friday, Holloway felt very confident going into the Hunter Phase with her veteran partner Any Given Sunday. Their confidence was clear to the judges, George Morris and Danny Robertshaw, and they rewarded the stylish round with the top score of 96.  During the Jumper Phase, despite the nerves of being on top, Holloway once again laid down a flawless trip, edging out Lucy Deslauriers by just .75 points. Holloway and Deslauriers entered the Final Work-Off with scores of 192.75 and 192 respectively.

© Rebecca Walton: Hunter Holloway and Class Action“I was pretty comfortable going into the Hunter Phase,” explained Holloway. “I felt really confident on [Any Given Sunday]. I always feel confident on him. I’ve jumped a lot of bigger classes on him, so I was really happy with that performance. Going into the Jumper Phase I was pretty nervous. If you’re on top, you’re always a little nervous. But I was able to keep it together and my horse was awesome, he took good care of me and the whole team of people and everyone has been amazing.”

The top 10 finishers from the Hunter and Jumper Phases returned for the Final Work-Off where they all switched horses with the rider closest to them on the scoreboard. Holloway was the last to return aboard Deslauriers’ Class Action (right), and with a score of 97, the pair captured the victory with a total score of 289.75, over six points ahead of second place finisher Madison Goetzmann.

“I was pretty excited when I heard I was getting on Class Action because that horse has been around for a while,” said Holloway. “You always see him go and he’s always good, so it was a nice horse to have the privilege of riding.”

For judge George Morris, it was what the audience could not see that made Holloway’s rounds stand out. “First of all her basics are so correct, her angles,” he commented. “Then you look for execution and accuracy, and then what separates the top ones, you cant see it. It’s a dying art, called invisible aides. And that’s what separates first, second and third. Invisible aids. They can see it, but you can’t see them see it. She was a very good winner. Like I said, the top 10 were wonderful, but she won the class.”

Holloway’s trainer Don Stewart added, “Hunter is always knocking at the door. We are glad that Madison didn’t close it on us. She’s a really hard worker and a great student. She’s on time, She doesn’t complain, she’s always very gracious. She’s got a big strong desire to excel, which she gets from her grandmother. The temperament is quite good too, but I was really happy for her, because like I said, she’s knocked on the door, second in all these finals, so it’s nice to win one of these!”

© Rebecca Walton: Hunter Holloway and Don StewartHunter Holloway and Don Stewart

This marks the second year in a row that Goetzmann scored the reserve championship with Contelido. She was ranked fifth after the Hunter Phase, but moved up to third with score of 96 in the Jumper Phase. Scoring a 94.5 during the Work-Off with Taylor St. Jacques’ mount Charisma, Goetzmann moved up another notch in the rankings with a total score of 283.

“To be second again, I can’t complain about that and it was a very well deserved win by Hunter,” stated Goetzmann. “My horse has been so great to me. He gives me so much confidence in the ring. I can go in and really trust him. It was the same thing with the horse I switched on to. I was a little nervous at first, you’re always a little nervous when you switch onto a horse you’re not familiar with, but as soon as I went in the ring and jumped my first jump, I was able to breath and finish a nice, smooth round.”

© Rebecca Walton: Madison Goetzmann and ContelidoMadison Goetzmann and Contelido

Goetzmann’s trainer Stacia Madden commented, “Madison just exuded confidence to me this whole week. I did not see any nerves. Every time she went in the ring, she was not only trying to deliver, but actually delivering. She was on the same horse here last year, but it was basically her second horse show on him last year. I felt coming back to this championship this year that it was really a super horse choice, and Maddy really developed great relationship with the horse during the year and I think that really showed round after round.

© Rebecca Walton: Lucy Deslauriers and Class ActionLucy Deslauriers and Class Action

During the Work-Off, Deslauriers was aboard Holloway’s Any Given Sunday. The pair had a light rub and a tight distance, earning a score of 87.25 for a 279.25 total, which would be good enough for the third place award. The fourth place honors went to Maya Nayyar and Fox Z, while McKayla Langmeier made the biggest jump in the standings, placing 18th during the Hunter Phase, but moving up to round out the top five with an excellent performance in the Jumper Phase and Work-Off.

© Rebecca Walton: Maya Nayyar and Fox ZMaya Nayyar and Fox Z

© Rebecca Walton: McKayla Langmeier and SkyfallMcKayla Langmeier and Skyfall

Riders will now turn their attention to Lexington, Kentucky where the final major equitation championship of the year will be held. The ASPCA Alfred B. Maclay is held during the National Horse Show, and riders will try one last time to take home one of the coveted equitation championship titles.

© Rebecca Walton: Stacia Madden, Madison Goetzmann, Hunter Holloway, Don Stewart and George MorrisStacia Madden, Madison Goetzmann, Hunter Holloway, Don Stewart and George Morris

RESULTS: WIHS Equitation Championship
1     883     ANY GIVEN SUNDAY     HUNTER HOLLOWAY     HAYS INVESTMENT CORP.
2    894     CONTELIDO     MADISON GOETZMANN     MADISON GOETZMANN
3    869     CLASS ACTION     LUCY DESLAURIERS     LISA DESLAURIERS
4    108     FOX Z     MAYA NAYYAR     MAYA NAYYAR, LLC
5     890     SKYFALL     MCKAYLA LANGMEIER     LINDA LANGMEIER
6    847     CHARISMA     TAYLOR ST JACQUES     HERITAGE FARM, INC.
7    896     VICEROY     BRIAN MOGGRE     MTM FARM
8    338     CLEARWAY     EMMA KURTZ     BETSEE PARKER
9    851     FINNICK     JORDYN ROSE FREEDMAN     JORDYN ROSE FREEDMAN
10 861     CAPTAIN JACK     KENDRA GIERKINK     KADLEY HOLDINGS LLC

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