Helios brought new faces and fresh talent to their roster for Season 5 of Major League Show Jumping (MLSJ), and the moves paid off on Friday evening as they stormed to victory in the $312,500 Cabana Coast 5* Team Competition. MLSJ leaves its mark on Traverse City, MI, this week—the first of nine stops on the 2025 tour.
Reimagined by new team manager Helena Stormans, Helios brought a roster of Germany’s Rene Dittmer, Michael Duffy of Ireland, and Colombia’s Roberto Teran Tafur to the starting line for Leg 1.
MLSJ rookies Dittmer and Duffy launch their team appearances with clear efforts in the opening round to stay above the cut line and guarantee an appearance for Helios in round two. Dittmer rode the gelding Cody 139 (Casall Ask x Quidam De Revel) for owner Cerrin Döhle, and Duffy piloted RMF Clinton Son, a Clinton x Heartbreaker stallion owned by Rushy Marsh Farm. Both again jumped fault-free in the second round to send Teran to the gold-medal faceoff.
Riding longtime partner Dez’ Ooktoff—a 17-year-old Dutch-bred Colandro son—Teran went head-to-head against DIHP Roadrunners’ Julien Anquetin on Blood Diamond Du Pont. Teran jumped clear before Anquetin suffered a detrimental stop mid-way through the medal round to settle the Roadrunners and fellow teammates Erynn Ballard and Kristen Vanderveen with silver.
After winning the bronze medal jump-off against Maccabi United, Trelawny Trailblazers—defending series champions—climbed onto the podium with team riders Charlotte Jacobs (USA), Philip McGuane (IRL) and Nayel Nassar (EGY).
“The second round was so important for us to be on the podium and be top two,” said Teran, the only MLSJ veteran suiting up for Helios. “That’s why we sent in the faster guys in the second round. They did a great job, and I just had to do a clear round. [Dez’ Ooktoff] could jump anything and he gave me everything today.”
Stormanns was proud of the team she fielded but also has talent that includes the likes of her son, Tony Stormanns (GER), as well as Richard Vogel (GER) and Genevieve Meyer (USA) waiting in the wings for team appearances soon.
“I like having experienced riders, but it’s good to get a couple young ones on there with solid riders to get the job done,” she said. “I’m so proud that we got to win this week. We have a good mix of experience.”
Of his MLSJ debut, Duffy noted, “When the opportunity came up, it was super to come and see new parts of the world and a new format. The jump-off aspect made it very interesting and competitive. I’ve been watching [MLSJ] from afar for the last few seasons. Getting off to a good start is another feather in our cap as riders.”
Dittmer competed as an individual at MLSJ Greenwich in 2024 but made his team debut in Traverse City with a relatively new mount. “I got Cody last year and since then he’s developed unbelievably. He showed today that he’s ready to do this. It’s a lot of pressure when you come in, and I was thinking about how fast I needed to go in my round because there were a couple teams with one down. I wanted to—for sure—jump clear and getting the win is exciting.”
Full results here.
Helios now leads the season standings by a narrow margin on 24 points with a Bluman-powered Maccabi United a single point behind thanks to Daniel Bluman’s win in the 5* Qualifier earlier in the week. Roadrunners and Trailblazers sit tied on 21 in third.
The next MLSJ Team Competition heads to Toronto for Leg 2 on August 23.
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.
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