Hollyander HG: From a Quirky Four-Year-Old to 5*

Hollyander HG, who has been longlisted for the Olympics, has been paired with her rider Olivia Barton since the age of four. Their journey recently hit a new high with an incredible debut at the 5-Star level, achieving the only clear and undertime cross-country score. Ahead of the Melbourne 3DE, Horse Deals caught up with Olivia to uncover more about this incredibly talented mare.

SYNOPSIS:

Stable name: Holly
Height: 16hh
Age: 10 years old
Breeding: Higgins x Brindabella
Owner: Bob and Ela Weight
Rider: Olivia Barton

Top 3 Results: 
1st Melbourne 4-Star-L 2023
2nd Adelaide 5-Star-L 2024
2nd Horse of the Year NZ 4-Star-S 2024

How did Holly come into your life? Holly came into my life as a four-year-old. Her owners, Bob and Ela Weight, wanted to get involved in the eventing scene and had a connection with my mum and so they asked if I would like to take her on and start her eventing career. I am forever grateful to Bob and Ela for the opportunity, and I have loved every minute of training this wonderful horse.

What was she like as a young horse? She was not the most straightforward young horse, and we have had many ups and downs along the road, but she has always been an incredible jumper.

What was your first competition together, and how did it go? Goodness, I think our first competition was at Sydney ODE in the 80cm. I’m not exactly sure how the dressage and showjumping went but I have a lasting memory of her having a refusal at the Olympic water. I thought I would wait for the rider following me to go through and I would follow them through the water. To my great disappointment, they also had a stop! Luckily she trotted through the second time around, and to this day it is her only ever cross country jump fault!

So you’ve taken Holly from a quirky four-year-old to 5-Star. How has she changed and developed over these past six years? Holly has developed so much over these past six years, and so have I! Holly has always had a natural talent in the jumping phases and gives you the most incredible feeling on cross country; I would say she is a once-in-a-lifetime sort of cross country horse. It definitely hasn’t always been smooth sailing. She has always struggled in the dressage phase, but she is now really starting to change her shape and the way she carries herself. I think the dressage phase is one that we will always be building on and developing.

Most treasured moment together? There are a few treasured moments with this horse. It’s hard to choose between winning her first 4L at Melbourne last year and completing our first ever 5L cross country course clear and under time!

Earlier this year, you competed Holly in New Zealand at the Land Rover Horse of the Year event. What was this international experience like? It was an amazing experience and a really good stepping stone into gaining International experience. She was amazing throughout the whole event and ended up second, which was a great way to end the event.

At Adelaide, yourself and Holly completed your first 5-Star event with the only clear and under-time cross-country round. How did you prepare her for such a challenging course? It was both Holly’s and my first 5-Star, so to say I was nervous in the lead-up to the event would be an understatement. I’m lucky enough to be based with Prue and Craig Barrett, who have both been around many 5-Star’s, so they were a huge support in the lead-up. I think our biggest thing was to just keep her confident and practise the tough lines at a smaller height.

What did you learn from competing with Holly at Adelaide that you are now taking into your ride at Melbourne? Holly has taught me so much over so many different events, but I think if Adelaide has taught me anything, it’s that horses aren’t machines. She is a great jumper, but we just need to fine-tune our showjump warm-up for next time!

How are you managing Holly’s focus and enthusiasm while also ensuring she is in peak condition during the Olympic selection process? Holly had a couple of weeks off after Adelaide to give her a bit of time to just be a horse and have a bit of a breath after having such a big prep. She is a work horse, but her enthusiasm can always be kept high by putting the jump saddle on at least two times a week. She is feeling as good as she ever has, and I think a lot of that has to do with her being as strong as she ever has been.

What is it like working with Holly’s owners to strive for these big goals? Holly’s owners are the most amazing people and I couldn’t have asked for better people to work with. My dreams are their dreams and they support Holly and I every step of the way. They are such a big asset to my team and really are part of our family!

If you were selected for Paris, how do you think Holly would cope with the travel and pressures of the world stage? Holly isn’t typically the best traveller, but she has been to enough big events now that we have started to really figure out what works for her and how to get her to compete at her best. So hopefully we would have the travel component under control! I think the pressures of the world stage would be something I would have to deal with, for Holly atmosphere doesn’t really affect her… unless there are flapping flags in close proximity!

Eventing takes a lot of skill, time and precision. How do you balance Holly’s workload to ensure she is working to the best of her abilities in each phase? Holly has a very big work ethic and it is a very rare day that you can find the tired button. She typically gets worked on the flat three times a week and jumps two times a week. One session is usually just jumping through a grid or doing cavaletti exercises and then she will have a gallop once a week if she is prepping for an ODE. Her schedule looks a little different if I’m prepping for a 3DE as she would gallop every fourth day.

Which phase is Holly’s favourite? Holly’s favourite phase is definitely cross country.

And her least? Definitely dressage.

Most annoying habit or quirk? She has a few. Mum would say her windsucking and her head butting abilities, but to me they are her endearing qualities!

How does she handle the big occasions? She loves a big occasion, especially going cross country at a big 3DE. She always knows when it
really matters.

What is the first thing on your shopping list for her? Liquorice.

When was the last time she made you laugh or cry? She makes me laugh daily because she is always so cranky when I put the dressage saddle on but instantly pricks her ears when I put the jump saddle on.

What celebrity does she remind you of? Serena Williams.

What has she taught you as a rider? To be resilient and to never give up!

What are your long-term goals with Holly? My long-term goals with Holly are to hopefully get on an Australian team with her and to also compete at different 5-Star’s around the world.

3 things we don’t know about Hollyander HG

We call her the pony because she is not very big, especially next to some of my other horses. 

She’s always cranky unless she has the jump saddle on or has just finished work.

She loves liquorice.

Olivia is proudly sponsored by Beta Vet, Bates Saddles, Penelope Australia.

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