Highlands Recap: A Landmark MLSJ Debut in the Hudson Valley

The Highlands Cup delivered standout performances and marked its first appearance on the Major League Show Jumping calendar in Season 5.

Published

16 MAR 2026

Est. reading time

3 min

Leg 4 of Major League Show Jumping introduced a new destination to The League’s calendar with its first visit to the Highlands Cup in New York’s Hudson Valley.

Highlands stands out as a milestone event. The venue combined world-class sport with a passionate fanbase, while the championship battle continued to evolve with another round of key results.

Leg 4 | Hudson Valley, New York

Now you can revisit and claim the Highlands event ribbon in the MLSJ app if you didn’t before. It will be available for this week only!

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The 2025 Hudson Valley Show Ribbon is ready to collect!

Major League Show Jumping arrived in Amenia, New York, for the fourth leg of Season 5 as part of the Highlands Cup.

The event marked The League’s first appearance in the Hudson Valley, bringing the MLSJ team format to a brand-new audience in the Northeast. Across three days of 5* competition, elite riders and teams competed for crucial championship points while fans experienced a unique blend of sport, entertainment, and lifestyle programming.

Friday: Skylar Wireman Opened the Weekend on Top

The opening class of the weekend produced a breakthrough moment for one of the youngest riders in the field.

Skylar Wireman claimed victory in the $62,480 BrainJuice 5* Qualifier riding Barclino B, stopping the clock at 37.23 seconds in a competitive jump-off designed by Gregory Bodo.

At just 20 years old, Wireman faced a field packed with Olympic medalists, world champions, and seasoned MLSJ competitors. Her winning round edged out Nayel Nassar and Mark Bluman, who finished tied for second.

The result added valuable points for the Rainmakers, while also placing Wireman among the top individual performers of the season.

Skylar Wireman aboard Barclino B.

Saturday: The Archers Hit the Target in Team Competition

Saturday’s $262,500 ClipMyHorse.tv 5* Team Competition delivered another intense battle between the league’s leading teams.

The Archers, represented by Callie Schott, Nicola Philippaerts, and Alex Matz, secured their first team victory of Season 5 with a composed and strategic performance.

After strong rounds from Schott aboard Ironix and Philippaerts riding H&M Que Sera, the team advanced to the gold medal jump-off. Matz took the final ride aboard Cashew CR, delivering the decisive round to secure the win.

The Trelawny Trailblazers finished with silver, while Maccabi United added another podium result with bronze, maintaining their position at the top of the season standings.

Callie Schott & Ironix.

Sunday: Dittmer Captures His First MLSJ Grand Prix

The final day of the Highlands Cup delivered a milestone victory.

Germany’s Rene Dittmer secured his first Major League Show Jumping grand prix title by winning the $340,000 Highlands Cup 5* Grand Prix riding Corsica X.

From a competitive jump-off field, Dittmer produced a decisive round that edged out Gregory Wathelet and Ace of Hearts by less than two-tenths of a second. Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz completed the podium in third.

The victory marked a breakthrough moment in Dittmer’s debut MLSJ season and added valuable points for Team Helios, who continued their push in both the team and individual standings.

Rene Dittmer & Corsica X

Looking Back at Leg 4

The debut of the Highlands Cup marked an important expansion for Major League Show Jumping.

With rising talent making headlines, the Archers claiming a key team victory, and Rene Dittmer capturing his first MLSJ Grand Prix, the championship story gained new momentum.

From there, the league moved forward to Leg 5 in Tryon, carrying the energy of the Hudson Valley debut into the next stage of the Season 5 calendar.

Four legs were complete.

The battle for the championship was only intensifying.