Maria Yzerman Pilots Jojo JK SR to Victory in $25,000 Saratoga Grand Prix

On Saturday, June 13, 2026, at the Saratoga Classic I Horse Show, Maria Yzerman (CAN) and Jojo JK SR, owned by XIX Horses LLC, sped to victory in the $25,000 Saratoga Grand Prix. The Grand Amateur-Owner Hunter Championships were awarded to Grace Shipman riding Calamanzo and Caitlin Buckley with Mr. Wonderful.

Maria Yzerman took home the top prize in the $25,000 Saratoga Grand Prix for the second year in a row when she and Jojo JK SR topped a jump-off of six combinations. They recorded a jump-off time of 31.539 seconds, just two one-hundredths of a second faster than Tori Corts (USA) and her own Semi Automatic, who had been leading with 31.553 seconds. It was an international podium, as Pieter de Brabandere of Belgium slotted into third place on Jumper d’Oase, owned by 5 Roosters, with a time of 32.648 seconds.

This was the third grand prix together for Yzerman and “Jojo,” who have been paired together for six months. They moved up from 1.30m to 1.45m through the winter season while Yzerman has learned to use the mare’s giant stride for speed.

“I am genuinely kind of a slow rider, and she's really easy to get lost in the track on because she has a lovely, lofty canter,” described Yzerman of the 12-year-old KWPN mare by Etoulon VDL x San Patrignano Cassini. “I always have to remember to get to the next jump quicker. I can leave out strides anywhere, now that I know her better, so that was the plan. She can cover ground very quickly, so my goal today was just to let her gallop and see what she could do for me.”

Yzerman is based in Wellington, FL, from November to April and then in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the rest of the year. She works for trainer Melissandre Lincourt which gives her the opportunity to grow closer with her horses.

“I get to see JoJo every day, which has been really helpful getting to know each other,” she acknowledged. “I spend every day with her. We have a lot of snacks, a lot of walks, and I'm kind of her toy. I go in and play with her all the time.”

“It was unexpected,” said Yzerman of her win. “Tori is a really fast rider, and I knew I would have to not touch the reins once. I was a little slow rolling back to the Saratoga jump, so I knew I had to kick it after that if we wanted a chance. It was really exciting.”

Maria and Jojo’s Favorite Things:

Jojo: Napping – “We catch her falling asleep in her stall all the time, head on the ground, so I take her for a lot of walks. We play with her a lot to keep her engaged. She's very intelligent; she's always aware of her surroundings, but she's very sleepy. She broke to the trot in the victory gallop, which just sums her up.”

Maria: Bocage Champagne Bar in Saratoga Springs – “It’s adorable. The drinks and snacks are really good.”

Jojo’s Imaginary Starbucks Order: latte with an extra shot of espresso (because, sleepy)

Maria’s Real Starbucks Order: the same order, but only one coffee a day per her trainer’s rules!

Mr. Wonderful Swaggers to Grand Championship

For the past six years, Caitlin Buckley of Mahopac, NY, has worked with Mr. Wonderful to bring him up to the 3’6” level. They now compete in international hunter derbies and in their first time competing at Saratoga Horse Shows, came away with the championship in the Amateur-Owner 3’6” Hunter division.

Their ribbons of first, second, and third over fences, second in the handy, and second under saddle also gave them the Grand Championship award and the Software Memorial Amateur Owner High Point Perpetual Award, donated by the Braswell family. Close behind in points for the reserve championship in the division were Clementina Brown and her own Well Played.

“I have been at this for a long time making small, incremental improvements over the years,” related Buckley. “It's nice to really feel like we've been hitting our stride and have it memorialized in this division today. I've been wanting to come to the Saratoga Horse Show for some time, and this is my first opportunity being here. I've loved the venue, and clearly ‘Lord’ loved it as well. It's really exciting to have such great outcomes.”

Known as “Lord” in the barn, Buckley describes him as an “in your pocket horse,” who is the ham of the barn and universally loved. “He loves cameras, he loves kids, and he loves being pet,” she described of the 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Los Angeles. “He'd rather be with humans down at the ring than standing in his stall. He is a barn favorite and everybody's puppy.”

More About Mr. Wonderful:

Home Routine: “We work on making sure he's relaxed in the air. I think with some horses, the extra adrenaline and the extra excitement make them jump better. For him, I think it can sometimes make him jump a little bit out of form. We try to keep him underwhelmed.”

Favorite Snacks: Watermelon, bananas, and apples – “He does not like human baked goods. He's on an organic diet.”

Celebrity Twin: Matthew McConaughey – “I think he's fun and seems to like people. As far as I can tell, he likes the spotlight and is generally a relaxed, good guy, like Lord.”

Mungin Sweeps Older A/O 3’3” Hunters

With two firsts and a second over fences on Wyatt and first, second, third, and fourth over fences on Reunion, Dominique Mungin of Peekskill, NY, swept the champion and reserve champion in the Amateur-Owner 3’3” 36 & Over Hunter division.
Mungin only started riding Wyatt two months ago, and while he “doesn’t care for practicing so much,” he is laser-focused in the show ring. “He's always looking for the next jump and excited to take you to it,” she said of the 11-year-old Warmblood gelding. “He's always very keen.”

Her relationship with Reunion, however, is going on its eighth year as Mungin purchased the 12-year-old KWPN gelding by Gaillard de la Pomme as a four-year-old. While Mungin was an avid pony and junior competitor, she took a break after college and started back riding and showing after 10 years off.

“When I started back up, Saratoga was the first show that Reunion and I went to together,” she recalled. “It was a nice place to start and a nice way to ride today. Reunion is really my love and is an opposite ride from Wyatt. He's much more of a push where Wyatt is a light and carry ride. It’s so exciting to win, and I’m really proud of both of them.”

With three firsts and a fifth over fences, Grace Shipman and Calamanzo – Friday’s USHJA National Hunter Derby winners – took their second walk into the winner’s circle as they captured the Amateur-Owner Hunter 3’3” 18-35 division championship and the Grand Amateur-Owner 3’3” Hunter Championship. The reserve champion in the 18-35 division was Lucky Luuk, ridden and owned by Anna Klee.

Juan de Dios Alvarez: Developing a Career in Course Design

Juan de Dios Alvarez grew up around horses on his grandfather’s Paso Fino breeding farm in the mountains of Costa Rica but did not start riding until a summer camp at age six. Two years later, he was competing in show jumping classes and has turned a passion for horses and riding into a thriving career. Based in Santana, outside of San Jose, Juan still competes and helped his team win the silver medal at the 2013 Central American Games. Currently a Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) Level 2 Course Designer, Juan has some of the world’s best as mentors, including Leopoldo Palacios, Anthony d’Ambrosio, and Guilherme Jorge. In the past six years, course designing has become a major part of his life, and he spends an average of 22 weeks a year traveling to set tracks across the U.S. and throughout North, Central, and South America.

What do you enjoy about course designing?

When I set up a course, I like it to be friendly, and I like it to be rideable from my point of view of as a horse trainer and as a rider. I think that background that I have as a rider really helps me put courses that are straightforward, but with the right questions for the level. I enjoy starting from small classes, where courses are just very easy and not challenging, and having the right feeling for each level where I can go stronger in higher classes. I like to build a lot of young horse classes because it's what I've ridden a lot. Building courses that are suitable for the level of the horses is what I like, so they're not over-faced and that the questions are according to the level of training.

What goals do you have for your course designing career?

I’m working on my Level 3 certification. It’s quite a challenge because it has a lot of requirements to move up. I’m working on it so that I can be a Level 3 designer for my country; we don’t have any in Costa Rica. I think that will be good for the level of sport in our country, and I have the chance to be at very good shows and enjoy the sport.

What have you liked about your time in Saratoga?

I love the show. I love how the people here treat you. The footing and the ring are very good. The jumps are good, and the level of competition is quite nice. I have never been here, and it's a beautiful town.

The Saratoga Classic I Horse Show wraps up on Sunday, June 14, with grand championships for junior, adult, children, and pony hunters, along with the President’s Cup Equitation class.