Amanda Steege & Lafitte De Muze Rise to $75,000 MARS Equestrian USHJA International Hunter Derby Victory

01 MAR 26 Ocala, FL

A person on horseback jumps over a yellow and green fence in an outdoor equestrian arena, with plants and decorative structures in the background.

Ocala, FL – World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC) came alive Saturday evening as the $75,000 MARS Equestrian USHJA International Hunter Derby of World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) week unfolded under the lights in the WEC Stadium. The class called a field of some of the most esteemed hunter riders to vie for top honors in the highly anticipated class, but it was one of the venue’s winningest duos that took the top prize, Amanda Steege and Cheryl Olsten’s Lafitte De Muze (Darco x Everlychin De La Pomme).

A person on horseback jumps over a yellow and green fence in an outdoor equestrian arena, with plants and decorative structures in the background.
Amanda Steege & Lafitte De Muze jumping to victory in the $75,000 MARS Equestrian USHJA International Hunter Derby. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Kevin Holowack (CAN) laid the track that encouraged riders to show off their brilliance and catch each fence on an open gallop. Holowack designed the stadium with towering lattice standards, lush floral accents, and greenery that captivated the crowd. 

Equestrian rider in a helmet and gear jumps a horse over a yellow and green obstacle during a nighttime competition.
Amanda Steege & Lafitte De Muze. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Steege shared her thoughts on the lively track: “I thought Kevin [Holowack] set a really nice course for tonight. Every jump here is so original, full, and just allows us to gallop and jump, which is really what we as riders are looking for in the hunter derbies.”

A horse and rider jump over a brick-patterned obstacle during an equestrian competition in an arena with empty purple seats.
Amanda Steege & Lafitte De Muze. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

“I felt good when I walked round one because I knew I could ride forward. There were not a ton of related distances, which I think is always very nice,” she said. “The handy was handy. The high options were big, and I was happy about that. It is great for us to get to go out there, jump some big jumps, and show off for the crowd.”

Equestrian rider and horse jumping over a green hedge fence at a competition, with a MARS logo sign and decorative flowers in the foreground.
Amanda Steege & Lafitte De Muze. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Steege and the 15-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding took an early command, setting the bar high as the second pair to go. The judging panel, made up of Amanda Flint and Linda Hake in panel one, and Gregory Franklin and Bobbie Reber in panel two, rewarded the duo with scores of 96 and 99, respectively, for a first-round total of 195.

A group of people and a horse pose for a photo at an equestrian event award ceremony, with trophies, ribbons, a large check, and an event sponsor sign visible.
Amanda Steege & Lafitte De Muze in the winner’s circle presented by MARS Equestrian. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Returning for the handy, Steege followed Josh Dolan aboard ESI Show Jumpers’ Commander Bond (Corrado I x Valencia XI). In just his third hunter derby and following a recent switch from the Grand Prix ring, the 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding impressed with first-round scores of 92.5 and 98, coming back in second place.

A rider in equestrian gear jumps a white horse over an obstacle during a competition in an arena with empty purple seats.
Josh Dolan & Commander Bond. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Dolan piloted Commander Bond to another brilliant round for a 98, 94, and nine handy bonus points, culminating in a total of 201. 

“I didn’t change my plan at all for the handy. I didn’t watch Josh’s round because I was still getting Lafitte prepared,” Steege noted. “I knew that Josh got some really nice scores, and I needed to go in there and give it my all.”

A rider on a brown horse jumps over a hay-covered obstacle in an equestrian arena with empty purple seats in the background.
Amanda Steege & Lafitte De Muze. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Doing just that, Steege added another incredible victory to her partnership with Lafitte De Muze on near-perfect scores of 97, 99, plus eight handy points for a 204 to take the lead over Dolan.

“I have never known a horse that enjoys doing this as much as Lafitte. Multiple people said to me tonight that he just gets brighter out there,” Steege smiled. “The moment he gets down to the ring, he has a good expression on his face the whole time. He loves the atmosphere, the lights, and the crowd. He is a showman!” 

Equestrian rider in a helmet and jacket guides a brown horse over a log jump during a show jumping competition.
Amanda Steege & Lafitte De Muze. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Steege reflected on the opportunities and atmosphere at WEC – Ocala: “We are so thrilled to have not only this WCHR week at WEC – Ocala, but a second one as well. And the addition of the International Derbies just makes it feel even more special. I can’t think of too many venues that we go to that have a nicer ring, with better footing, and higher quality jumps to go out there and do these special classes.” 

A rider in equestrian gear jumps a white horse over a yellow and black show jumping obstacle decorated with flowers.
Eleanor Kunsman & Corzico Melloni Z. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Eleanor Kunsman and Brody Sporthorses’ nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, Corzico Melloni Z (Cornet Obolensky x Zicora H), rounded out the top three. Kunsman secured scores of 95 and 89 in the first round for a 184 total. Handy round scores of 91.5, 98, and six handy bonus points earned a 195.5 second round total. 

$75,000 MARS Equestrian USHJA International Hunter Derby Results

Explore the daily class schedule, orders of go, class counts, and final results on HorseShowing.com. For real-time scoring, check out Ryegate.Live.

Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.
Videos available at ClipMyHorse.TV

Make sure to visit the WEC Blog and follow us on social media @worldequestriancenter for full coverage on all feature classes! 

This event is made possible through the support of our generous sponsors and marketing partners, the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, and Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau.