Hawley Bennett-Awad and Gin & Juice at WEG. Photo by Jenni Autry.
It’s the end of an era for longtime partners Hawley Bennett-Awad and Gin & Juice, as Linda and Terry Paine, who own the mare in partnership with Hawley, announced they’ve severed their relationship.
“Hawley has been a member of our family for 10 years now,” Linda said in a statement. “She has developed and ridden some of our best horses we have bred, most notably Gin & Juice.”
Gin & Juice, a 14-year-old Thoroughbred mare who most recently represented Canada at the World Equestrian Games with Hawley in the irons, will now go on an extended break before returning to competing next season with a different rider, Linda said.
“We are presently in discussion with another top upper level event trainer to come and work with us at Kingsway,” Linda said. “We wish Hawley all the best in her future endeavors and thank her for all her hard work over the past 10 years.”
This comes as a shock to the eventing community, as Hawley and “Ginny” are fan favorites, having contested nine CCI4* competitions together during the course of their 10-year partnership. EN readers voted Hawley the 2013 Eventing Nation Rider of the Year, awarding her the coveted Golden Chinchilla.
Hawley is competing this weekend at Fresno County Horse Park and could not be reached for comment. We will release more information as it becomes available.
