Five-star competition during the Winter Spectacular Show Series kicked off on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC). The week culminates with the $300,000 1.60m CSI5*-W FEI Jumping World Cup™ Ocalaon. Wednesday Olympian Erynn Ballard topped the $32,000 1.45m Speed CSI5*-W with Her Game Ball BG (Carambole x Burggraaf) owned by Mary Frances Looke.
Ballard and “Game Ball” rode out of the 32nd spot in the order of 38 entries over a course designed by Bernardo Costa Cobral (POR). They finished clear in 62.69 seconds for the win. They were chasing a leading time of 63.63 seconds held by Hunter Holloway (USA) and Pepita Con Spita, a 15-year-old Westphalian mare (CSP Con Spirit x Come On) owned by Hays Investment Group. The pair would finish in second place. Third place went to last year’s winners, Nina Mallevaey (FRA) and My Clementine, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare by O.B.O.S. Quality x Kashmir van Schuttershof owned by Rein Family LLC and Tara Dow-Rein. The duo posted a time of 65.58 seconds.
Ballard and Game Ball have been competing together since July of 2025 and have now recorded their sixth FEI victory. Ballard took over the ride from student Mary Frances Looke, and she is grateful that she continues to have the mare as part of her string.
“She’s an incredible partner,” said Ballard of the 14-year-old KWPN mare by Carambole x Burggraaf NV. “It’s pretty special to have an ownership group stand behind me like that and give me an opportunity to have a horse like Game Ball.”
Ballard has been riding for Ilan Ferder Stables for nine years. With most horses coming through their program for sale, turnover is high, and Ballard doesn’t always get the chance to have a long-term partnership.
“It’s proving to be a strong year so far,” remarked the Canadian Olympian. “My core group of horses have stuck around, and you can see in the results that the consistency is really paying off.”
Ballard also believes that piloting so many high-quality horses has improved her ability to go faster at the highest levels. “It’s an exceptional partnership that I have with Ilan,” she said. “Last year, I rode 66 different horses at least one time in the ring. That’s insane. Some people don’t ride 66 horses in a lifetime. This year, I’m already close to 30 horses, so that just shows you the number of horses that we have and the opportunity that I have had.
“For a while, I thought I was only good for 1.40m because I could win all the 1.40m classes, but I think I’m getting faster,” she continued. “Now, I’m more competitive at the highest level. It’s a strange sport. You do get better with age; you get stronger, more secure, more confident. Our horses in nine years have gotten better too. If you look at what we were jumping in these classes nine years ago to what we’re jumping now, it’s a completely different league of horses, and that also makes jumping bigger a little bit easier.”
