Press Release: December 14th
Callie Schott Cleans Up in the Desert
Published
14 DEC 2025
Est. reading time
3 min
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 14, 2025
Contact: media@majorleagueshowjumping.com
Thermal, CA—Callie Schott (USA) left nothing to chance aboard Garant to win the $340,000 5* Grand Prix, presented by Go Rentals, on Saturday evening to close out Leg 7 of Major League Show Jumping (MLSJ) at DIHP in Thermal, California.
The times were quicker with each round over Olaf Petersen, Jr.’s (GER) jump-off. Seven advanced to the tiebreaker, but none could catch Schott and her 14-year-old Dutch-bred gelding (Warrant x Verdi Tn) owned by Southern Arches. They stopped the clock at 38.08 seconds to bump fellow American and Archers team member Aaron Vale to second riding Carissimo 25 owned by The Carissimo Group. Their time stood at 39.48 seconds.
The one-two punch from The Archers kept them within the top 5 in the season standings.
Rounding out the podium placings in 40.14 seconds, U.S. Olympian and Northern Lights rider Jessica Springsteen took third in the irons of her Tokyo Games mount Don Juan van de Donkhoeve, owned by Stone Hill Farm.
Schott was beaming after leading the victory gallop, saying, “Aaron and Jessica set the standard very high, so I knew I had to be fast. I told myself that I was going to try and not touch the reins and see what happened.”
Her plan proved to be the winning formula and was enough to deliver her and Garant their second Major League Grand Prix win.
“This was definitely the fastest I've ever gone,” continued Schott. “I have nothing to lose, so I said, ‘let's just go for it.’”
Of her longtime partner, Garant, Schott said, “He's a lovely animal with great character, but he has a little devilish look in his eye and that gives him the fight. He tries to jump clear for me all the time and he gives it two hundred percent and tries so hard.”
Garant is the former mount of Schott’s coach and four-time U.S. Olympian Beezie Madden.
After finishing the runner up to his teammate, Vale said, “My horse has the ability to go clear every time, but I'm starting to develop more control and communication with him, and it’s paying off. I was early in the jump-off, and in hindsight I'd like to have taken a little more chance at the second to last. But I left the ring as the leader and only one of them beat me, so it was a good night.”
Springsteen led off in the jump-off after being the first to crack the code on Petersen Jr.’s opening track. “When you're in a class like this with these horse and rider combinations who are the best of the best, you have to go for it,” she said. “I was too cautious in my turns, but I was super happy with Don Juan. I could have taken more of a chance because he was jumping out of his skin, but I'm still super happy with the result.”
MLSJ action continues in the new year as The League makes its debut at the Kentucky International in Lexington April 23-25.
For more information on Major League Show Jumping and to view complete schedules, rosters and more, visit majorleagueshowjumping.com. Get in on the action by downloading the MLSJ App and tune in live all season at ClipMyHorse.tv.
Photos © MLSJ / Meraki Creative Group
Callie Schott aboard Garant.
