A Win is Icing on the Cake for Ansgar Holtgers, Jr. in KASK CSI4* Grand Prix
Ansgar Holtgers, Jr. (USA) scored the biggest victory of his career on Sunday of Week 11 at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), ending his season with a bang in the $200,000 KASK CSI4* Grand Prix aboard Pixel-K van’t Kattenheye. Highlighted by 12 weeks of consecutive FEI competition, WEF continues through March 30 at Wellington International in Wellington, FL.
Among the class’s contenders were nearly 20 Olympians, all testing Andy Christiansen’s (ECU) course to snag a spot in the jump-off. Ultimately, 12 were successful, but no match for 20-year-old Holtgers Jr.
“We’re over the moon, and I couldn’t be more excited,” he said of the emotion he and his team were feeling. “Any win feels nice, but this is definitely the icing on the cake. This is one of the hardest show circuits in the world—most competitive, best course designers, best horses—so to be able to come out here and win is spectacular.
“My horse is a little bit green to this level; it’s only his third 1.60m,” continued Holtgers, Jr., whose best international placing before Sunday was a three-star grand prix win during the 2024 WEF. “I knew there were fast riders behind me so I thought I’d take my shot. It all worked out, thankfully. I was going to be happy at the end of the day either way.”
The time they posted was quick, crossing the timers in 40.04 seconds. Second-place finisher Spencer Smith (USA) almost caught him as last to go, finishing in 40.13 seconds aboard HHS Seattle, owned by Ashland Farms. In third was Shane Sweetnam (IRL) with Gilona AO, owned by himself, Popish Farm, and Seabrook LLC.
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A Win is Icing on the Cake for Ansgar Holtgers, Jr. in KASK CSI4* Grand Prix
