Team Helios fought down to the wire for the second season title of the Major League Show Jumping tour. The team held the lead through the entire ten events, securing the very last one Thursday evening at Desert International Horse Park (DIHP) to take the overall season title.
With Helios on 64 points and Eye Candy just behind on 61 coming into Thursday’s $200,000 Brown Advisory CSI5* MLSJ Team Competition, the race was neck and neck, and it came down to the jump-off for the gold medal to decide the final result. Whichever team won the gold won the entire season.
Team Helios topped the podium for the 2022 Major League Show Jumping season. Photo by ESI Photography
Helios was the only team to jump completely fault free in the first round, so that was a good start. As the final team to return for round two, they did what they needed to do.
Bliss Heers (USA) and Antidote De Mars put in a solid clear effort for Helios in the first jump-off, but put slight pressure on Ashlee Bond (ISR) and Donatello 141 to pick up the speed, which is exactly what they did.
Bliss Heers (USA) and Antidote De Mars. Photo by ESI Photography
Amy Millar (CAN) and Christiano, along with Paul O’Shea (IRL) and Squirt Gun, were dangerously fast, so Eye Candy ended up in pole position for the gold medal jump-off.
Karl Cook (USA) and Kalinka Van’t Zorgvliet put the pedal to the metal and brought home a blazing fast time in the jump-off for gold, and Jacqueline Steffens (CAN) couldn’t quite catch it. She and Freaky pulled down a rail at the second-to-last obstacle and added three seconds to their time, awarding the win, and the season title, to Helios.
“It feels a bit surreal,” Bond said of the team’s victory. “The start of the season was three wins in a row. I think we all thought we were good but that was really impressive. Then as it went on we thought we had it and we had a bit of bad luck. The pressure was put on tonight. We all wanted it really badly. Fortunately my teammates brought it and handled the pressure. It feels really good that we brought it home as a team. We all own this team together and that’s really special.”
Ashlee Bond (ISR) and Donatello 141. Photo by ESI Photography
Helios simply thrived under the immense pressure, and Bond explained how it’s very simple that they lived up to expectation Thursday evening. “We just want to win,” said the winner of this season’s MVP award. “We knew what we had to do. The three of us with our three horses are five-star winning [pairs]. We knew we were capable of it, we just had to go out and perform and not mess it up.”
“From the beginning, the Major League setup has brought camaraderie,” commented Heers. “On this team in particular, everyone is cheering for each other, whether it’s the team event or in life. That alone is really special. So when you have that plus the competition aspect, we enjoy it together.”
Cook had the honor of being the rider selected to jump for the gold medal. “The pressure it’s interesting,” he commented on how he felt with the team’s fate coming down to him. “It’s like when you feel motion sick before you scuba dive. The second you hit the water it’s all gone. Once I’m on the horse I’m happy. I knew what I had to do. I knew all I had to do was go as fast as I could, so I focused on that and hoped it was enough.”
Karl Cook (USA) and Kalinka Van’t Zorgvliet. Photo by ESI Photography
Additional Helios teammates Eugenio Garza (MEX) and Simon McCarthy (IRL) did not jump tonight, but cheered on their team from the sidelines. When asked which was harder between riding and watching, Garza responded, “Without a doubt watching. When you’re watching your team, especially this team because it’s a team of friends and family, you want them to do well, for you and for them. When you’re on the horse you’re in control, but when you’re on the ground all you can do is jump, kick, curse – pretty much what me and Simon did all night long.”
McCarthy is in a completely different place as a rider than he was prior to this season of show jumping. “What Major League has done, giving us these 10 amazing shows, has really brought along the sport. It’s given a rider like myself the opportunity to jump alongside Olympians and five-star grand prix winners. For me, personally, I’ve learned a lot inside and outside the ring with my teammates here. It’s been an unbelievable year. We’ve really grown close as a team and as friends.”
Another thrilling season and unforgettable finish at Desert International Horse Park has the MLSJ and the DIHP teams both beaming and ready for what the league will bring next. “That finish couldn’t have been better: Eye Candy against Helios,” said MLSJ co-founder Keean White. “It was amazing sport. To the horse park, what a job they did the last two weeks hosting us. They’ve really brought this park to an incredible level and to host the final here we owe huge gratitude to the whole team. They’ve done an incredible job. This season was exciting, fun, a great way to build, and we’ve got big plans going forward.”
Show jumping continues Friday with the $30,000 Brown Advisory Open 1.45m Classic at 8:00 a.m., followed by the evening portion, the $72,400 CWD CSI5* 1.50m at 6:00 p.m.
Final Results: $200,000 Brown Advisory CSI5* MLSJ Team Competition
1. ANTIDOTE DE MARS: 2010 SF stallion by Diamant De Semilly x Jarnac
BLISS HEERS (USA), Bridgeside Farms LLC: 0/0/46.13
1. DONATELLO 141: 2011 WESTF gelding by Diarado x Lamoreux
ASHLEE BOND (ISR), Ashlee Bond Showjumping, L.P.: 0/0/42.26
1. KALINKA VAN’T ZORGVLIET: 2010 BWP mare by Thunder van de Zuuthoeve x Flipper d’Elle
KARL COOK (USA), Signe Otsby: 0/0/41.37
2. CHRISTIANO: 2012 BRAND gelding by Canoso x Compliment
AMY MILLAR (CAN), Future Adventures: 0/0/41.65
2. SQUIRT GUN: 2011 OS gelding by Diarado x Quick Star
PAUL O’SHEA (IRL), Eye Candy Jumpers: 0/0/41.12
2. FREAKY: 2010 KWPN gelding by Darco x Litho X
JACQUELINE STEFFENS (CAN), Team Eye Candy: 4/4/47.96
3. COCOLINA: 2011 OS mare by Conthargos x Papillon Rouge
NATALIE DEAN (USA), Marigold Sporthorses LLC: 4/8/47.24
3. AUSTRIA 2: 2008 HOLST mare by Casall x San Patrignano Corrado
KENT FARRINGTON (USA), Take The High Road, LLC: 4/0/42.65
3. NARCOTIQUE V/H DINGENSHOF: 2013 BWP mare by Harley VDL x Chacco Blue
ERYNN BALLARD (CAN), Ilan Ferder: 8/0/42.94
4. AGANA VAN HET GERENDAL Z: 2011 ZANG stallion by Aganix Du Seigneur x Naminka
LILLIE KEENAN (USA), Chansonette Farm LLC: 4/4/50.92
4. CHIC CHIC: 2011 WESTF stallion by Comme Il Faut x Contendro
DARRAGH KENNY (IRL), Vlock Show Stables LLC: 0/0/42.47
4. VICK DU CROISY: 2009 SF mare by Mylord Carthago x Vondeen
LUIS GONCALVES (POR), Sigma Stables LLC: 0/4/47.50
Michan Uses Pure Horsepower to Win CSI5* Speed
Alberto Michan (ISR) secured himself a win in CSI5* action earlier Thursday with Eduardo Leon’s 16-year-old Bugatti. The duo sped to the top of the $9,000 Morning Star Sporthorses CSI5* Speed in a time of 65.29 seconds.
“I’m so happy to have a chance to ride this horse,” Michan, rider for the DIHP Roadrunners, said of the former ride of Germany’s Wilhelm Genn. “As we all know, Bugatti is famous, and he’s done so much in his life. He’s had an excellent sport career. I’m able to have a few of his last rounds with him but he still feels very energetic, very sound, and very happy to be out here. He likes to be in the ring and likes to perform and it’s a blessing he can still be here and keep performing.”
Alberto Michan (ISR) and Bugatti. Photo by ESI Photography
Bugatti has had the same owner for his whole life in Eduardo Leon, who gave Michan the ride earlier this year. “He’s a passionate, amazing owner,” Michan said of Leon. “He’s enjoyed this horse a lot and it was very nice that he was in Otomí and Monterrey this year, and at both venues the horse won. He was there to receive the prize and enjoy it. It brought a big smile to his face. Bugatti has brought a lot of smiles to Eduardo and he has been a very loyal and good owner.”
At 16, the Warmblood gelding is still eager to compete and shows his personality every step of the way. “It’s very funny because in the stable he’s very lazy and calm,” Michan continued. “As soon as he knows he’s going to the show, he puts his tongue out and he gets very bloody. In the awards ceremony he’s so impatient but he’s normally the most relaxed horse. It’s part of him; he’s excited to win. He’s just a lovely horse.”
Alberto Michan (ISR) and Bugatti in their winning presentation. Photo by ESI Photography
Kyle King (USA) took second with Chess, owned by The Chess Group, while Erynn Ballard (CAN) claimed third with Quilana Denfer, owned by Ilan Ferder.
The Irish anthem played again Thursday morning after a different Coyle won the $37,300 Pomponio Ranch CSI2* Speed. This time, it was Jordan Coyle (IRL) in the irons aboard Costa Diam, owned by Elan Farm, taking the win. Their time of 67.08 seconds just narrowly squeezed past second-place finishers Arturo Parada (MEX) and Signe Otsby’s Quidamo 10, with a time of 67.15 seconds. Rupert Winkelmann (GER) and Duverie, owned by Eickendorf Horses, took third.
Jordan Coyle (IRL) and Costa Diam in their winning presentation. Photo by ESI Photography
Crowd Pleaser Prevails in 3’6” Performance Hunters
In a world of rideshare apps, Julia Rossow still prefers her “Taxi.”
Thursday afternoon, she took championship honors aboard her mount, better known in the show ring as Crowd Pleaser, owned by West Coast Equine Partners LLC, in the 3’6” Performance Hunters during Desert Holiday II.
“Taxi is my good old faithful partner at this point,” she said of her relationship with the 15-year-old Selle Francais gelding. “It’s been a year now that I’ve been fortunate enough to ride him. He’s the man. We put him in the 3’6” performance this week to change it up on him. He usually does the 3’3”. He’s extremely intelligent and you have to keep him on his toes a bit otherwise he gets a little bored. He keeps it really fun because you have to change it up and he never does anything naughty, but as a professional you can’t get complacent and find ways to make it fun and exciting for yourself and him. He rewards you for that.”
Julia Rossow and Crowd Pleaser. Photo by ESI Photography
When asked how he got the barn name Taxi, Rossow responded, “When he was imported, his passport name was Taxi Driver. They kept Taxi as his barn name, and it’s extremely appropriate. He’s a big orange taxi. His owner rides and jumps him, and he cruises around and takes care of her.”
Desert Holiday II is a World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) member event, meaning riders in hunter divisions can earn points towards year-end awards and qualify for the Capital Challenge Horse Show in late 2023.
“I was fortunate to have gone to [Capital Challenge] a few times,” Rossow reflected. “In 2020 to win the Developing Professional Challenge was a huge goal of mine and to see it through was beyond what I could’ve imagined. I got to do the WCHR Professional Challenge and was in the top 12, but I would love to go back and do that class again, and to one day do the WCHR Professional Finals. That one is tougher to qualify for but it’s a great goal to work towards. It keeps you striving for excellence on all your horses.”
As a hunter rider, Rossow is very pleased with how DIHP has advanced their hunter program and recognizes hunters of all ages and levels.
“There’s a derby every week, whether it’s national, international or both, and the prize money continues to go up each year,” she continued. “It attracts more people in general: amateurs, juniors, owners, and professionals. They always make WCHR week really special. Continuing to give incentives – whether a true incentive program or a new class – to recognize and showcase hunters of all different types is huge for the hunter world.”
Rossow had a great day Thursday, also claiming reserve championship honors with her other mount, Vegas De La Joux, owned by Emily Moore.
Hunters continue Friday with Open and Junior/Amateur sections of the $10,000 HorseFlight USHJA National Hunter Derby.