Jardin Breaks Grand Prix Maiden with Kyla Makhloghi in Traverse City
The Traverse City Spring Series, presented by Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel, came to a close on Sunday with a celebrated win for Kyla Makhloghi of Wellington, FL, and Jardin in the $25,000 Traverse City Grand Prix. The occasion marked the first grand prix victory on the 11-year-old Dutch-bred gelding’s record.
The Spring Series closed out four weeks of competitions that featured three weeks of FEI jumper competition, weekly hunter derbies, including the International Hunter Derby Regional Championships, in addition to the USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships and the Markel/USHJA Platinum & Zone Jumper Team Championships.
Makhloghi was one of ten to advance to Mauricio Garcia’s jump-off and posted the winning time of 37.615 seconds. With nearly two seconds to spare, she edged out Jacob Pope of Columbia, MD, who clocked in at 39.279 seconds aboard Ina. Trapp O’Neal of Magnolia, TX, led off the short course and secured third with a time of 39.877 seconds riding Incredible Loma.
“I’ve had a rough couple of years,” admitted Makhloghi after leading a long-awaited victory gallop. “He had an injury early on in our partnership, and it set us back. Last year in Traverse City was when we did a lot of regrouping and figured out what was missing.”
At the end of the 2025 winter season, Makhloghi began stepping the Etoulon gelding into the two-star international ranks. Jardin, owned by Twin Island LLC, recently proved that he understands the assignment. “He tries so hard, and he will do anything for me as long as he understands it,” continued Makhloghi. “In this particular jump-off, I knew I could use his length of stride because there was a big gallop from one to two. Even though it was a tight turn from two to three, I knew I could use his strength and stride.
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Jardin Breaks Grand Prix Maiden with Kyla Makhloghi in Traverse City – Traverse City Horse Shows
