This year’s tournament will offer much more than exceptional sport. Attendees can look forward to returning loyal sponsors, the return of the celebrated Babington Benefit Class, special programming surrounding the newly released book Babington: Triumph, Tragedy, Inspiration, a live musical appearance by a local Traverse City guitarist and additional surprises throughout the week.

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Featured Silver Oak Jumper Tournament Classes

Agero CSI3* Grand Prix

Muny Sunk Stables 1.45m CSI 3* Open Speed Classic

Rood & Riddle 1.25m KBF Benefit Classic 

Stud Tree A/O Classic

GGT-Footing CSI 3* Welcome Stakes Qualifier

The Babington Benefit Class Returns

A highlight of this year’s tournament will be the return of the Babington Benefit Class, supporting the Kevin Babington Foundation and its mission to provide critical financial assistance to show jumping athletes who have suffered spinal cord injuries.

The class represents the strength and compassion of the equestrian community while demonstrating how one competition can create a lasting impact for athletes facing life-changing circumstances.

Through the message “Turn One Class Into a Lasting Impact,” the Kevin Babington Foundation continues to encourage horse shows across the country to dedicate a class—or a portion of its entry fees—to supporting injured riders and advancing safety awareness within the sport. This class will also feature a special guest (digital) appearance from Kevin Babington himself!! Lastly, every year we try to do something special to highlight this event. This year we will be featuring the Official Ride For Kevin Horse Bonnet! Every horse will be given this special bonnet prior to the class in order to illustrate their commitment to Kevin’s Foundation.

Find a horse for this meaningful and fun 1.25m Saturday class, center stage in the International ring – Ride for Kevin and be celebrated for it!

Celebrating the Story Behind Babington

The tournament will also celebrate the release of Babington: Triumph, Tragedy, Inspiration, the powerful new book chronicling Kevin Babington’s extraordinary life, career, accident and continuing influence on the equestrian world.

Click Here to Purchase Babington: Triumph, Tragedy, Inspiration

Click here to Download the Kindle Version

Click Here to Listen to the Audiobook

Written by Jeff Papows, PhD, and Michael Cruciotti, with a foreword by Tom Sullivan, the book explores Kevin’s remarkable journey through triumph, adversity, friendship and resilience. Every copy purchased also helps support the Kevin Babington Foundation and its work on behalf of injured show jumping athletes.

Special book-related moments and opportunities will take place during the tournament, giving members of the community an opportunity to experience the story that is inspiring readers throughout the sport.

Live Music and a Celebration of Traverse City

Adding to the atmosphere, the 2026 Silver Oak Jumper Tournament will feature a special musical appearance by a local Traverse City guitarist, Jesse Jefferson.

The performance will bring the energy and character of Northern Michigan into the tournament experience, creating a memorable celebration of sport, community and the destination that has become one of equestrian competition’s most beloved summer settings.

Continuing a Commitment to Giving Back

The Silver Oak Jumper Tournament proudly continues its support of both the Kevin Babington Foundation and Canine Support Teams, two organizations whose missions reflect the values at the heart of the event: compassion, independence, resilience and community.

Canine Support Teams provides highly trained service dogs to veterans and individuals with disabilities at no cost to the recipients. These extraordinary dogs are trained in more than 70 specialized commands and help their partners experience greater independence, confidence and stability.

The Kevin Babington Foundation provides essential support to show jumping athletes who have suffered spinal cord injuries while promoting rider safety, education and awareness throughout the sport.

Together, these charitable partnerships ensure that the impact of the Silver Oak Jumper Tournament reaches far beyond the competition arena.