Hunter Holloway rode VDL Bravo into second place in the $216,000 Horseware Ireland Grand Prix at the Tryon International Equestrian Center (N.C.) on June 10, but her night wasn’t without drama. She very nearly didn’t get a chance to contest the jump-off when she had a hairy moment in Round 1.

“I almost fell off; my horse is amazing,” Holloway laughed. Holloway was briefly unseated and riding in front of her saddle in the middle of the line with a particularly careful vertical on the way out.

“He’s amazing. That horse I have such a good partnership and I really trust him. This is one of the bigger classes I’ve ever jumped on him so I walked it and was like, ‘Oh my, this is a little bigger than we’re used to,’ ” Holloway said. “He jumped the liverpool and got a bit of a rub and then he came to the Rolex oxer and I mean he really fired, and I wasn’t ready for it.”

VDL Bravo’s amazing effort over the oxer. Photos by Ann Glavan

It looked at first like Holloway was going to bounce right out the front door on the landing side.

And even if she managed to stay on, the next fence was coming up in a very tight seven strides for most riders who, you know, could sit down in their tack and whoa.

But Holloway stayed the course, and VDL Bravo kept her in the tack.

Holloway was able to right herself about three strides out from the vertical…

And voila, up and over the vertical on the way out no problem.

“I don’t know how I stayed on. He kind of lifted me back up like, ‘Stay on mom!’ ” Holloway continued. “I climbed back on and managed to keep going and he was just like, ‘What are you doing lady?!’”

Holloway gave VDL Bravo big pats for his efforts.

And she was all smiles on the way out of the ring.

Holloway had just the final fence down in the jump-off to slot into second.

Watch the video: