Inside Holloway's Victory, A (Super) Rich Horse, and Young Superstars

In this issue, you’ll learn:

• Inside scoop on the winning round of the Old Salem Farm Grand Prix.

• Which rich showjumper just got richer.

• The 21 year olds taking Hamburg by storm.

But first, here’s some trivia!

Pepita Con Spita Defends Her Throne In The $200,000 Grand Prix at Old Salem Farm

Hunter Holloway and Pepita Con Spita thrilled the crowd this past weekend at the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Show where they emerged victorious in the $200,000 Empire State Grand Prix.

Holloway was the first of nine riders that qualified for the jump off, and despite an unlucky draw, nobody else could catch her blazing time of 39.40 seconds.

“I had plenty of fast riders coming after me, so my plan was to just lay down the fastest, cleanest round I could,” Holloway said. “I know my horse very well, and we have a great partnership. She’s naturally quick over the ground; I have a lot of trust in her and just put pedal to the metal today. I did get a little lucky in the first round with only a light rub on the final line, but she was fantastic. I couldn’t be happier.”

Holloway and “Princess Pea” clearly have the Midas touch this year, as this event marked their first appearance since winning a bronze medal at the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Finals in April.

You can watch their winning round on Hunter Holloway’s Instagram post.

Following the dynamic duo by just over a half second was Columbia’s Mark Bluman aboard Ubiluc, and Mimi Gochman took third place with Celina BH.

One of The World’s Richest Showjumpers Just Got Richer

Gerrit Nieberg was a hometown hero this week in Hamburg as he and Ben 431 claimed the CSI5* ​​€300,000 Longines Grand Prix of Hamburg.

Nieberg and “Big Ben” were one of the 12 combinations that qualified for the jump-off from a field of 44, but they were instantly recognized as a strong threat.

In 2022 this pair won the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen, and Ben 431 was also the second highest earning jumper horse of 2022.

In fact, he’s wealthier than most doctors…

Nevertheless, the win was no cakewalk.

Great Britain's Ben Maher, who recently returned to competition after sustaining an injury in February, was also in the jump-off aboard Dallas Vegas Batilly. After a second place win last weekend at the Royal Windsor Horse Show on Explosion W, Maher was really hoping to capture a victory, but he ultimately added yet another silver medal to his growing collection.

Rounding out the podium was Ireland’s Michael Duffy and Che Fantastica. He took the reins of the 14 year old mare from Germany’s Philipp Weishaupt in February, and this is their first major title together.

You can watch their winning round here:

Nieberg was also the trivia winner of the week!

Other News

Young Talent Wins The €153,000 Idee Kaffee Hamburg Derby (And Owes His Mother)

21 year old Marvin Jüngel had an impressive weekend in Hamburg, winning not only the speed Derby aboard Koradina R, but also the iconic €153,000 Idee Kaffee Hamburg Derby on Balou’s Erbin.

Jüngel’s mother, Sonja, seems to have played her cards right as she not only raised the rider, but also owns the 14 year old mare. Sonja also celebrated her birthday this weekend, and we’re guessing that in addition to enjoying cake with family, she also enjoyed cashing a fat check at the bank.

Hopefully Jüngel also gives his mom a discounted training rate.

The only other rider from the field of 32 entries to jump a clear round and qualify for the jump-off was another 21 year old; Denmark’s Caroline Rehoff Pedersen. She rode an excellent jump-off round on Calvin 115, but a single time penalty ultimately landed them in second place.

The French Flag Flew in Peelbergen

The French team wiped out the competition this weekend in Peelbergen, winning the third leg of the Longines EEF Series.

After the first round, only France, Spain, and Argentina managed to finish with zero faults across the board.

Spain ultimately claimed third place in the second round of competition, though Argentina and France both emerged unscathed, and a jump-off was arranged to decide the winner.

Matias Albarrachin represented Argentina in the jump-off, and while they jumped a clean, fast round, France’s Maelle Martin ultimately crossed the timers more than a second faster than Albarrachin to claim the win for France.

Germany Mourns The Loss Of Beloved Former Nations Cup Athlete

Heinrich-Wilhelm Johannsmann, a former champion and Nations Cup rider in the equestrian sport, passed away at the age of 71.

He achieved success early in his career, participating in the World Show Jumping Championships in Aachen in 1978 and winning team silver at the European Championships in Rotterdam in 1979. Johannsmann continued his tournament career with various sires, representing Germany in 22 Nations Cup competitions. 

He retired from active riding in 2005 but remained involved in the sport as a trainer, working with renowned stables and even heading the Ukrainian teams at Nations Cups from 2011 to 2013.

Farms We Love

If you enjoyed the Old Salem show and are looking for a place to crash, consider this gem just 90 minutes from New York City.

It’s basically a town in 200 acres, complete with three barns, six run-in sheds, and a woodworking shop (maybe for DIY fencing repair?).

It also has three houses – a Main House, Farm Manager’s House, and VIP Guest House (I guess non-VIP guests have to sleep in the barn).

The timber house is also pretty sweet with five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a gym, billiard room, and “hobby room.” We’d definitely fill that hobby room with tack.

The price tag? Just $8.5 million!

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