Holly Jacks wins the Horseware Indoor Eventing Challenge Photo Courtesy: Ben Radvanyi
The Indoor Eventing season has started with Canada’s Holly Jacks taking the win in the $20,000 Horseware Indoor Eventing Challenge Final at the Royal Horse Show taking place as part of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, Canada
On the second night of the exciting mix of jumping cross-country obstacles and traditional show jumping fences, Jacks produced what looked like an effortless, quick clear round with Josephine, a nine-year-old Canadian Sport Horse mare owned by Donna van Beek.
After finishing the first round with 77.84, the pair finished with a combined score of 163.87 in the second and deciding round of competition, where the results from both nights were combined.
Riding in the eventing colours of her student Zara Buren who died tragically in 2020, Jacks was emotional about the win.
“She was a very big part of all of our lives in our barn,” she said. “Her friends were really important to her and so we try to do things to keep us together and remember her as a group. This helps us all stay close as a barn family.”
Jacks could be seen motioning to the stands after her ride to a large contingent in attendance who were cheering, all wearing the Ride for Zara burgundy shirts.
Holly Jacks and Josephine Photo Courtesy: Cealy Tetley
The win was an exciting one for the young horse that Jacks has been training alongside her owner van Beek. “She was unreal tonight,” she said. “She’s a really green horse, I think she's done less than most of the horses here and it's only her second time ever jumping inside.”
Now with the performance at The Royal, and from what they’ve been seeing of her at home, Jacks sees a bright future for Josephine. “I hope that she'll be a serious horse for Canada,” she expressed. “Down the road, that would be my absolute goal with her.”
The course set by Captain Mark Phillips proved to be more challenging for some with Friday’s leader, eight-time winner Waylon Roberts with CS Carrera incurring 10 penalty points and Germany’s Michael Jung taking third on borrowed mount Renegade.
Another highlight of the evening for the eventers was the presentation of the Michael Gutowski Award for 2022 to this year's recipient Colleen Loach, of Dunham, Quebec. The award is presented to the highest placed Canadian Eventing Rider on the FEI rankings. Loach is currently 69th on the international list.
"I'm honored to get this award," said Loach. "I'm blessed with having a couple of really good horses right now and you've gotta take it when you get it because we all work hard. I'm also so very appreciative of all of the support I have. My owners, Peter and Susan Barry, Amanda Bernhardt, my parents, my boyfriend. It's the whole team, not just me!"
Colleen Loach receives the Michael Gutowski Award Photo Courtesy: Cealy Tetley
