January 23, 2017 
Lillie Keenan’s time in Europe is paying off.
The 20-year-old rider captured the first two of ten events in Hollow Creek Farm’s Under 25 Grand Prix Series at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida on the weekend.
On Friday, she and Be Gentle bested 62 entries in the $10,000 Hollow Creek Farm Under 25 Welcome speed class by over one second faster than second place finisher Richard Neal (USA) and Ida Gold. (Keenan completed the course in 60.84 seconds to Neal’s, 62.00).
“I have a lot of confidence in my horse,” said Keenan.
“I have had her for over a year now and I have jumped her in some bigger classes, so we have experience together. She is lightning fast against the clock. I would say out of all my horses, she is the most straightforward and trustworthy. The feeling that she gives you is that you could really point her to the eye of a needle. Some of the angles that you can point her at for a jump are really remarkable.”
Also remarkable, this photo of the picturesque pair in action. Sigh.
Bernie Traurig approves this automatic release.
Come Sunday, Keenan and the 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare were in the winner’s circle again, taking the victory in Sunday’s $25,000 Grand Prix.
“I think really where I made up time was on the turns,” she said. “I have experience going very fast on my horse. That was something that I tried to fine tune throughout the year, and I feel like now it’s really coming together.”
Keenan has been competing and training in Europe since June under Irish Olympian Cian O’Connor. WEF marks her first return to the show ring in the USA.
“It is a big confidence boost to start the circuit with two events like this,” said the 2013 North American Young Riders double gold medalist.
“I am very fortunate to have had the experience of competing in America throughout my junior divisions, going to Young Riders and making the transition to competing in Europe and showing against the pros. Having the experience of myself jumping on a Nations’ Cup team, you need to learn how to deal with pressure and how to work in different environments, so I think we are very lucky that Hollow Creek Farm offers that for us here.”
