Photos: Avalon Photography
Holly Connaker finds “pure joy” in and out of the arena.
Whether showing houses or showing horses, Holly Connaker knows how to showcase her passions. She has been in real estate for more than two decades and loves helping people find their dream homes—wherever that might be. But when the Wayzata-based agent isn’t selling real estate, Connaker can be found at the stables or in riding arenas, nurturing her other love—horses. “It’s been a lifelong obsession,” she says.
Raised at a Brainerd Lakes Area resort, owned by her parents, Connaker grew up around horses. “I had a beautiful childhood,” she says. “My mom and dad played a pivotal role in my enjoyment.” Connaker took her first ride with her horse-loving mother when she was just barely 3 weeks old. By the time she was 6, Connaker was taking riding lessons and competing, trying her hand at various riding styles, including English, dressage, jumping and reining. “It’s such a calming thing to be around horses,” she says. “Horses are the best therapy.”
The Plymouth resident turned that early passion for horses into competitive ribbons and even earned a national champion title and plenty of other accolades. “It’s fun to have a sport you can compete in as an adult,” Connaker says.
Today, Connaker travels across the country and Canada to compete with her half-Arabian horse, Gin J. Arabians have long been Connaker’s preferred breed, and she is a member of the Arabian Horse Association, the Minnesota Arabian Horse Breeders Inc. and the United States Equestrian Federation.
“Arabians are very smart, kind and affectionate,” she says. “They have these big, popping eyes and such a beautiful face. I love the way they carry themselves.” Connaker has owned Gin J for the last seven years. She describes the 9-year-old gelding, bred by Jerland Farms, as joyful. “He’s so happy all the time,” she says. “He doesn’t understand he is a horse.”
Connaker boards Gin J at Bridlewood Farms in Montrose, Minnesota. There, Gin J is trained by Elizabeth Seward, and Connaker takes weekly lessons to work on her own skill set. That puts both horse and rider in the best position come show season, which generally runs from February through October. Connaker loves traveling with her horse and competing. “It’s pure joy, first and foremost,” she says. “There have been so many great moments.”
Connaker’s preferred event is the Western Pleasure Class. The competition involves traveling the perimeter of an arena while judges evaluate the horses’ quality of movement. “They’re looking for the picture to never change,” she says. “They’re judging the gait as a breed standard.” Connaker describes Western Pleasure in another, more illustrative way. “You wear a sparkly outfit and ride in a circle,” she says. “The prettiest horse and rider wins. It’s very subjective.”
That means that clothing plays an important role in the competition. “Each outfit is custom designed for me and my horse by Show Season in Scottsdale, Arizona,” Connaker says. “It’s the most expensive clothing I own.” She works with Show Season designer Melissa Holmes to create each outfit. “The fabric is only used for me,” Connaker says.
Sequins and rhinestones play pivotal roles in making both the horse and its rider shine during competitions. “It has to catch the light in a certain way,” Connaker says. And with a price tag for each outfit running in the thousands, the sparkle factor is off the charts. “They’re beautiful,” she says. “Let’s put it this way, Liberace would be jealous of these outfits … It’s ridiculous, but it’s so fun.”
Holly Connaker’s competition clothing is custom designed by Show Season in Scottsdale, Arizona. Designer Melissa Holmes’ attention to creative detail is evident in the stunning outfits Connaker wears while competing … and winning!
Connaker and Gin J have an impressive show record, including Canadian National Champion Half-Arabian Western Pleasure Amateur Owner to Ride; Canadian National Champion Half-Arabian Western Pleasure Junior Horse; U.S. National Champion Half Arabian Gelding Performance Halter; U.S. National Reserve Champion Western Pleasure Amateur Owner to Ride; Scottsdale Champion Half-Arabian Western Pleasure Amateur Owner and Amateur to Ride and numerous U.S. and Canadian National Top 10 awards.
“Do I like to win? Yes, I do,” Connaker says. “That is my nature.” That winning spirit continues to chart a course for Connaker and her beloved Gin J. “I have so many goals,” she says. Among them is competing at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida, which is the largest equestrian complex in the U.S. “It’s the most spectacular facility,” she says
While Connaker has experienced the thrill of winning, she says the best part of competing is the connections she’s made with people in the horse world, and she speaks with so much respect and appreciation for her fellow competitors, riders and horse enthusiasts. “It’s friendships built over a lifetime,” she says. “So many people know me through horses.” And when those friends are in the market for a house with land for their own horses, they know just the real estate agent to call to find them the perfect place. “We speak the same language,” she says.
Instagram: @hollyconnakerrealtor
Photo Shoot Direction: Carla Anderson
Instagram: @thecarlaanderson
Stables: Bridlewood Farms
Instagram: @teambridlewood
Trainers: Elizabeth Seward and Anna Conway
Hair Pin: BeDazzled by Dixie
Facebook: BeDazzled Dixie Dunn
Street Style: Clubhouse366
Instagram: @clubhouse_366
Western Fashion: Show Season
Instagram: @showseasonaz
Boots: Ariat
Instagram: @ariatequestrian
Hat: Greeley Hatworks
Instagram: @greeleyhatworks
Saddle and Headstall: Harris Leather and Silverworks
Instagram: @harrisleatherandsilverworks
