Winning Schott! Callie Makes Triumphant Return in the $117,000 Grand Prix of Traverse City CSIO 3*

By Jumper News USA on July 28, 2025

Traverse City, United States – July 26, 2025 – Callie Schott (USA) returned to international competition in winning fashion with Garant on Saturday in the $117,000 Grand Prix of Traverse City CSIO 3* during Nations Cup CSIO 3* week at Traverse City Horse Shows’ Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF), presented by B&D Builders.

The 11th season of GLEF features six weeks of FEI competition running through August 10, showcasing an FEI Nations Cup CSIO3*, the FEI North American Youth Championships, and the return of Major League Show Jumping CSI5* competition to Traverse City. Highlights also include the $100,000 USHJA World Championship Hunter Rider Central Spectacular and weekly qualifiers for the all-new $150,000 Traverse City Equitation Championships debuting in September.

Schott was sidelined for nearly seven months after an injury and subsequent shoulder surgery kept her from riding. Nations Cup week in Traverse City—the site of her and Garant’s first five-star grand prix victory in 2022—marked her return to international competition.

“This is great for our whole team because we’ve come off quite a break,” said Schott. “Garant loves it here—I think he feels at home—and this is our first FEI grand prix since December. It was great for the morale of the whole team to have this win.”

From a starting field of 42, six advanced to the jump-off over courses designed by Nick Granat (USA). Posting the first clear round over the short course in 36.45 seconds, Schott and the 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Warrant X Verdi TN) owned by Southern Arches set the standard.

Finishing second, Irish Olympian Darragh Kenny (IRL) and no. 17 in the world was the only other clear contender in 37.67 aboard 15-year-old Amsterdam 27, owned by Vlock Show Stables. The fastest four-fault round in 37.28 seconds was posted by Canadian Olympian Erynn Ballard (CAN) riding Fave d’Authuit to a time of 37.28 seconds.

“Being in there with people like Darragh and Erynn—they’re so competitive and fast—it was an honor to be able to ride against them and be faster for once,” continued Schott. “I ride the best when I’m having fun, and John [Madden] told me to go out there, have fun and try to enjoy it.”

Coming up during the fifth week of GLEF, the future stars of horse sport call Flintfields Horse Park home for the FEI North American Youth Championship for dressage and jumping, running through August 3.