Old and New Mounts Bring Blue For Holloway Family and Hayes Investments Corporation at International Omaha – Hunter Awarded Leading Junior and International Rider
The Century Link Center saw some of the world’s top competitors enter into a battle of the best April 9-11, 2015 during the International Omaha Horse Show. Brandie Holloway and her daughter, Hunter Holloway, dominated the 2-star jumper competition with their Hayes Investments Corporation’s top mounts.
Brandie rode to the top of the leader board during the $33,500 FEI CSI 2* Mutual of Omaha Speed Derby with Lucky Strike, laying down a quick and speedy effort to take home the lion’s share of the earnings.
Brandie showed Lucky Strike, Hunter’s former equitation mount, throughout the entire HITS Ocala circuit, making a trade with her daughter. It turned out that it worked out for the best for both of them. Brandie has competed Lucky in grand prix for the last several months, while Hunter has been showing her mother’s grand prix mount, Any Given Sunday.
Brandie Holloway and Lucky Strike win the $33,500 FEI CSI 2* Mutual of Omaha Speed Derby at the International Omaha Horse Show.
Brandie said, “All of our horses are pretty neat. Lucky [Strike] had been Hunter’s equitation horse until about a few months ago. She went to Wellington to horse show, and she took my grand prix horse Sunny [Any Given Sunday], who she also rode at indoors, the Maclay Finals and so forth.”
Since then, Hunter as learned Sunny’s nuances inside and out. Standing at right under 16 hands, he is not a large horse by any measure. The pair earned sixth place in the Pessoa Hunt Seat Medal and then continued on to the Washington International Horse Show where they took the second place during the WIHS Medal Finals. Trainer Don Stewart continued to guide Hunter to the 2014 ASPCA Alfred B. Maclay Medal Finals where they duplicated their efforts, riding to the second place. There, Sunny was also the horse that Tori Colvin rode to the win with when they swapped horses during the final test of the class.
Six years ago, Hunter became the youngest rider in history to win a national standard Grand Prix competition, and she has proven herself in each and every competition since-showing that it’s not luck, but passion, determination and talent.
With dreams of being a part of Team USA at the Olympics, it is no wonder that Hunter dominated the competition at the International Omaha.
During the highlight event of the week, Hunter rode Any Given Sunday to the second place finish in the $55,500 International Omaha Grand Prix with a fantastic effort, only narrowly losing the win behind Matt Cyphert.
Cassevel was a new name on the tip of everyone’s tongue during the International Omaha, and he is sure to continue to be one to watch in the upcoming years as Hunter prepares for her shot at the Olympics. The recent purchase is a coming 8-year-old, and he is the horse the Holloways hope to see Hunter paired with as she advances up the ranks. Hunter tried the gelding during Ocala, and there was no hesitation when it came to the purchase. Hunter and Cassevel took the third place award during the $25,000 National Series Open Jumper Classic.
“Derek Peterson owned him, and Mike McCormick basically said, ‘Hunter this is your next horse. This is the horse that’s going to that next level. When you’re ready to go to the Olympics. He’ll be ready to go to the Olympics,'” Brandie recounted.
Cassevel was not the only horse that found a new home with the Holloways during Ocala. They entered into a partnership with Virginia Bartholomay to buy the eye catching grey jumper VDL Bravo S. Diane Carney and Bartholomay purchased the jumper in December. Hunter enjoyed riding him so much that the Hayes Investment Corporation entered into a partnership, and even at the early part of their relationship, Hunter and VDL Bravo S have already claimed top honors, clinching the victory in the $15,000 High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic in Omaha.
Hunter Holloway and VDL Bravo S captured the $15,000 High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic during the International Omaha Horse Show.
Hunter was named the Leading Junior Rider, as well as the Leading International Rider. The awards didn’t stop there. Due to the top placings from Brandie and Hunter, the Hayes Investment Corporation was named the Leading Owner of the Omaha International Horse Show. The group of investors has a formula that works when purchasing horses, and it is proven every time one of the Holloways walks into the show ring.
“When we buy horses we always buy them young and green because that’s the way we can afford them and afford to do this sport,” Brandie explained. “We’re very lucky that we have a group of investors like we do, and that when we find a good horse we’re able to pull the trigger, especially because a lot of the great horses aren’t around on the market for very long.”
Brandie concluded, “The International Omaha is a fantastic show. John McQueen is just an amazing show manager, and Lisa Roskens is amazing as well. The stands are always packed, and the show hosted an autograph signing on Saturday night for an hour and a half! They give ribbons to the riders – their win ribbon and another ribbon to throw to the crowd. Those kids were so excited! I went back and got more of Hunter’s other ribbons that she had won throughout the week. I went to the line and passed them out to the kids. We have been coming here for two years, and I cannot say enough good things about Omaha. We will definitely aim to be here for the 2017 FEI World Cup Finals.”
For more information on the Omaha International Horse Show, please visit: www.theinternationalomaha.com. To stay up to date with VDL Bravo S and Hunter Holloway’s winning ways, please visit www.telluridefarm.com.
Source: Press release
