Jason Berry & Overruled Are Near Perfect to Win the $15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby
24 JAN 26 Wilmington, OH
Wilmington, Ohio – World Equestrian Center – Wilmington (WEC) played host to yet another Hunter Derby Friday in the R+L Arena, where riders tackled Robert Barton’s flowing track in style. The judges awarded high scores into the 90s, but no one came close to Jason Berry and Willow Wind LLC’s Overruled (Cascavelle NT x Hello Shirly) in the $15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby.
When asked about the thoughtful course crafted by Barton, Berry noted, “I am always thrilled to see Robert’s name on the prize list. His courses are always great, and it was great again today.”
Their first-round score of 91 led the field heading into the handy phase, where Berry impressed once again. The eight-year-old Westphalian gelding demonstrated near-perfect style, and his quality was rewarded with a high score of 95.
“A 95. That’s always good, right?” Berry laughed. “He’s a great horse. He’s a second-year horse now. We’ve had him since he was five years old, and he is eight this year. He is super scopey and did some jumpers in the beginning, but I think he’s going to be a great international derby horse.”
Having shown Overruled at WEC – Wilmington numerous times throughout his development, Berry said, “It has been awesome for him here. I mean, there is nowhere else you can go where the weather is always the same! The jumps are great. Everything here is great for the horses.”
The duo ended the day with an overall score of 186 to take the win.
Partnership Paid Off – Carli Ann Kooi & Light Dance Win the $12,500 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby
A group of 23 juniors and amateurs gathered for the $12,500 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby of Winter Classic 7. The field proved competitive, as scores consistently soared into the high 80s. Carli Ann Kooi ultimately proved unbeatable, piloting Light Dance (Party Dance x Sun Dance) to win their first derby together.
Kooi was celebrated by her team at Judgement Farms LLC after her well-deserved win and shared more about her special, long-time partnership with Light Dance.
“We got him when he was 10 and I was 11, and now we’re turning 15 and 16 this year! So it is super exciting to see all our work pay off, in and out of the show ring. Getting to work with him has been one of the best things ever. He’s been a godsend of an animal to me throughout the years, and I couldn’t be more blessed to have him,” she smiled.
Kooi favored Barton’s track, noting, “It was a very fun course. I loved the track. I loved the long bending lines. I thought it was nice to be able to ride off your eye. In the handy, it gave you the option to make tidy turns and show off, but also left options to go around if your horse needed it.”
“It gave a lot of flexibility for the class and made it very competitive,” she shared. “I mean, it came down to the last thing — it didn’t matter what you did in the first round. It came right down to the end, so that was really exciting.”
The coming 15-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding claimed an early high score of 90 in the first round, a score that remained unbeaten. The duo returned as the final to go in the handy round and earned another 90 for a winning two-round total of 180, marking a milestone in their partnership.
Additionally, Kooi spoke about her time developing Light Dance through the years at WEC – Wilmington.
“This facility is lovely. He’s shown here his entire life. He grew up doing the greens here, and it’s cool to see his experience over the years in this ring. It taught us a lot. We’ve learned a lot of lessons here, good and bad,” she laughed.
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