Kalispell, MT (August 5, 2016)—Internationally successful eventer Jonathan Holling traveled over 2,600 miles from his home base in Ocala, Florida to compete in the recent Event at Rebecca Farm CCI3*, held in Kalispell, Montana. Like the hundreds of other equestrians who made the trip for the annual eventing competition— the largest equestrian triathlon in the United States— Holling was looking forward to enjoying the venue’s famous scenery while competing on world-class arena surfaces alongside some of the nation’s finest eventing horses and riders. Unfortunately, Holling was in for a major disappointment when his horse developed a sore leg after his arrival in Montana, rendering him unable to compete over the weekend. But Holling, who had brought his wife and son along, decided to make the trip worthwhile by taking the opportunity to give back to the equestrian community. He and his family stayed around for the entire weekend, coaching other riders and doing volunteer work at The Event. “I wanted to give back to the sport a little bit, considering how much I get to compete and travel,” explained Holling. “I’ve been around the world, and there are countless volunteers that make it possible for me to do what I do, so it seemed to make sense that I should stay and try to help everybody else out this week.”
In recognition of his outstanding sportsmanship and generous contribution to the eventing community, Premier Equestrian, the Official Footing Supplier of The Event at Rebecca Farm, selected Holling to win the Premier Equestrian Award. The award, established to encourage a positive all-around show environment, is presented at venues across the country to highlight equestrians who are not only successful in the saddle, but who also go above and beyond to make a positive impact on the equestrian community. In honor of his dedication to the sport, Holling was presented with an official tri-colored ribbon, an engraved plaque, and the title of “Premier Equestrian.”
“I couldn’t be any happier to be here, and I can say that after coming out here and bringing a horse, I certainly am going to be back every year,” said Holling. “I can’t think of any place more special than Rebecca Farm. The venue is beautiful, the staff and the Broussard family are just amazing, and I get to ride and compete on the best footing in the world.”
Since 2013, Premier Equestrian, the Official Footing Supplier and Dressage Arena of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), has generously supplied Rebecca Farm with world-class Master’s Blend footing. Master’s Blend footing is a premium proprietary blend of textiles and cushioning agents that creates a superior surface for performance.
All of the footing was updated this year after the venue added several new arenas to accommodate the event’s rapidly growing number of competitors. “We remixed all the surfaces and tweaked them for optimum performance,” said Heidi Zorn, President of Premier Equestrian. “We followed our own guidelines of firmness, cushion, rebound, cupping, and grip. There were over 600 entries, and the arenas took a huge amount of traffic. The surfaces held up well to the horse show traffic, yet still kept the biomechanics in place.” The company also supplied Rebecca Farm with its advanced Pro Groomer to ensure that an ideal riding surface was maintained for all competitors throughout the event.
The arena footing was a big hit among competitors, many of who took the time to seek out the Premier Equestrian vendor booth to thank the company for its generous sponsorship. Olympian Gina Miles said, “The Master’s Blend footing is completely consistent. The horses love it. It gives you that extra spring, and you feel that your horses have a little bit of lift to their stride. Most importantly, it is absolutely consistent from the first competitor to the last competitor, so it really is a level playing field.”
While Jonathan Holling was unable to compete over the weekend, he had a chance to sample the footing and is eager to compete on it next year when he returns to Rebecca Farm. “Occasionally I go to competitions and the footing is very tight. It’s okay to compete on occasionally, but it is very hard when you are going to be riding on it day in and day out,” he said. “These would be one of the few rings that I’ve ridden on where you feel like you could not only compete on it but also train on it every day.”
For more information on all Premier Equestrian products, including world-class arena footing, dressage arenas, revolutionized horse jumps, and stable accessories, visit their website at www.PremierEquestrian.com or call 800-611-6109.
