Jon Holling and Prairie Schooner
Every horse that we ride has a lot to teach us. The longer we ride, the more we can pick out skills that specific horses have taught us along the way. However, there is always one horse that starts it all for us. The one that teaches about riding and makes us into the rider we are today. This new series is going to tell the stories of the horses that started it all. This week, I got to chat with Jon Holling. Talking with Jon, one can tell how much he truly loves his horses and this sport. All photos used with Jon’s permission.
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After graduating from high school in Wisconsin, Jon Holling went off to university as his parents wished. He showed up at 7 am for his first class, walked in, and realized that he was supposed to be there at 7 pm. He turned around and walked outside. “I decided that it must be a sign. This was not for me.” I went home and told my parents that I was going to move to Florida and be a working student for Peter Grey. They were horrified, but I was sure that this was what I wanted.” In the autumn of 1996, Jon started his life in the eventing world.
As the months passed, his parents warmed up more and more to the idea of Jon living the equestrian dream. About 5 months after Jon arrived in Florida, his parents took his college fund and told Jon that they were going to buy him a horse. “I am so grateful to my parents for doing that. I was just so lucky.”
Jon and Schooner in their first Intermediate show jumping together
After searching for a horse, they discovered Prairie Schooner at Denny Emerson’s farm. Schooner had gone Advanced with Lynn Coates-Holmes, and he was to show Jon the ropes. Jon had never competed above Prelim, and he was ready to take the next step with his new horse. Three weeks later, he and Schooner did their first Intermediate at the North Georgia Horse Trials. Before the cross country, Peter walked up to Jon holding a Kimberwicke bit, and said, “Have you ever ridden with one of these? You’re going to learn today.” Jon took the bit and went to warm up. This event was known as one of the toughest courses, and he and Schooner ended up second. Captain Mark Phillips talked with Jon after the event. It was surreal, and Jon was so happy. Schooner was an amazing horse and had really taken Jon around the course.
After that, Jon took Schooner to Bromont for the CCI*. The horse was foot perfect, and they won the event. It was Jon’s first one star of his career, and he was thrilled. This finish qualified him to do the two star at Young Riders later that year. He went on to Team Silver with Buck and Nancy Davidson and Ursula Brush. It was surreal for Jon, as he had gone from Prelim to the YR 2* in his first year of owning the horse.
The following spring, Jon and Schooner made the big move up to Advanced at Pine Top. Jon was nervous cantering around in the cross country warm-up, but Schooner was so relaxed and confident. Jon remembers looking down at him and thinking, “If this horse is relaxed and confident and knows his job, then we will be just fine.” Schooner rocked around the course and was amazing.
Later that spring, they headed to KY for Rolex CCI***. Schooner was 11th after the dressage, and Jon headed into cross country with a lot of nerves riding along. In Jon’s own words,
“I rode horribly. However, about three quarters of the way around, I remember looking down at my horse and making the conscious decision that this was what I wanted to do with my life. Up until then, I was just trying out that life. I didn’t want to get to my mid-thirties knowing that I had never tried. In that moment, I knew that I had what it took to do it. I had a lot of work to do, but I knew that’s what I wanted. Even though I didn’t get the result I was hoping for at Rolex, that’s when it all came together for me.”
Unfortunately, Schooner hurt himself on cross country and could not show jump on Sunday.
Schooner came back the following spring better than ever. They were on track to run Rolex again that spring when Jon broke his ankle and had to have several surgeries to repair it. Jenn Holling kept Schooner going during Jon’s time off, and they came back together to compete in the Advanced at Checkmate in Canada. They won the division from start to finish, and Jon was thrilled to be back on his horse. They continued to compete well together.
Schooner in retirement
Later that year, Schooner re-injured himself and had to be retired from eventing. Jon wanted to make sure that he got the best life possible in retirement. A close family friend from Wisconsin took him to do dressage. Schooner is now about 27 years old and is living his life out in a field with his own herd of mares. He looks just as good now as he ever has.
Schooner taught Jon the ropes of riding in the big time. He taught him how to be competitive in the dressage, how to be brave cross country, but most of all, he taught him how to deal with the pressure of riding in the big leagues. People can teach you how to ride, but they can’t teach you how to deal with the pressure of it all. Jon says of Schooner,
“Schooner was so special. I owe so much to him. He was such a great horse. You worry with special horses that they won’t feel so special once they retire. Not Schooner, he still knows he’s special. That makes me very happy. I think every good young rider should have an experienced horse to teach them the ropes.”
Jon also says that he felt very confident taking Downtown Harrison to Bromont in the spring of 2012 after having won the CCI* there with Schooner. He went on to win the CCI*** (and went streaking). Jon feels very fondly about Bromont, as it is the only place where he has won international CCI’s.
