Jennifer Jones Guides Chivalrous to First Major Derby Win in $20,000 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby 

Ocala, FL – The second Hunter Derby Friday of the 2026 Winter Spectacular Show Series at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC) unfolded in the WEC Stadium, which was beautifully transformed with elegant décor to create a garden-like atmosphere. Meghan Rawlins once again set the tracks for nearly 90 horse-and-rider combinations across three competitive derbies: the $20,000 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby, the $15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby, and the $15,000 USHJA National 3’ Junior/Amateur Hunter Derby, with top-quality performances on display throughout the day.

The $20,000 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby closed out Friday’s competition, welcoming 28 elite hunters into the ring. Jennifer Jones claimed her second victory of the day, this time aboard Firstlee Farm’s Chivalrous (Casall Ask x Pikachu), marking a milestone moment for the talented gelding with his first-ever win at the 3’6”–3’9” Hunter Derby level.

Jones and the flashy nine-year-old Holsteiner gelding delivered a polished and confident first round, earning an impressive score of 93.

Jones spoke about the development of the gelding, saying, “‘Callum’ came to me right before Florida two years ago. His owner, Karen Yampolsky, was looking for a place to send him in Ocala instead of Wellington, and Snow Brook turned out to be a really good fit. He was only seven, and we decided to just skip the First Years and go right into the 3’9 Greens because he needs bigger jumps and he jumps everything so easily.”

Despite his young age, Chivalrous already boasts an accomplished résumé. “Last year with him, we focused on the junior hunters and did a few derbies. Him and JJ Torano had a lot of success. He was reserve at Devon, he won a class at Harrisburg, and then he was champion at the National Horse Show. Then, after the National, he went back to his owners in Aiken. He lives at home with them, and Karen loves Callum more than anything in the world. And it’s hard not to. He’s the sweetest horse.”

Returning for the handy round, Jones sat second behind Amanda Steege and Lafitte De Muze and knew another strong effort was required. The pair rose to the occasion, impressing the judges with their precision and handiness to earn a score of 96. Their two-round total of 189 secured the victory.

Jones emphasized the importance of the team behind the scenes, adding, “I want to thank Kitty Griswold for all of her hard work and for keeping things in line. Snow Brook wouldn’t be Snow Brook without her.”

$20,000 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby Results

Third Time’s the Charm for Jennifer Jones and Endgame in the $15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby

The $15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby opened competition in the WEC Stadium, drawing 20 horse-and-rider combinations. Ultimately, it was Jennifer Jones who claimed top honors aboard Cece Williamson’s Endgame (Cellestial x Clara).

“He was great all week,” Jones said. “He won a 3’6” Green class earlier this week, and he just gets better and better. This was his third derby ever, so I was really happy with him. Every derby I’ve done since getting down here, the jumps get more and more built, and it looks really beautiful out there.”

Despite it only being the coming 10-year-old’s third hunter derby, Endgame earned a score of 91 in the classic round to sit second heading into the handy.

“The handy was pretty straightforward,” Jones shared. “It had the little hay options, which I liked a lot, and it worked out smoothly. I just cantered straight on the left one, then rolled back right, and the last jump was big and inviting, and I thought that he jumped that one really well.”

Endgame earned a second score of 91 for a two-round total of 182, securing the top spot on the leaderboard.

Looking ahead, Jones outlined plans for Endgame during the coming weeks of winter circuit. “Our goal for Endgame is the [WCHR] Hunter Spectacular class in a few weeks. I’m super excited that class is coming to Ocala. We might do one bigger derby before that, and his owner, Cece, is going to start showing him in the 3’6” amateurs. So he has a couple of jobs lined up for him,” Jones said. 

Jones also expressed appreciation for the team behind Endgame.“I’m super grateful to Cece and Bobby Braswell for the ride on him; he is so special.”

$15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby Results

Small Love and Augusta Iwasaki Take the Top Call in $15,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby 

A beautiful Friday afternoon set the scene for the $15,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby, where 40 junior and amateur athletes vied for the top prize. Augusta Iwasaki emerged victorious aboard Iwasaki and Reilly’s Small Love (Chacco Blue x Wisilvia) after producing two standout rounds.

Iwasaki and the 13-year-old Warmblood mare are seasoned competitors in the derby ring and delivered a polished classic round to earn a score of 92 to take over lead. “I love riding her in this ring,” Iwasaki said. “She jumps so well in here. I tried to keep everything smooth and consistent, and she was great.”

Heading into the handy round, Iwasaki opted for a conservative approach designed to suit her mare. “I chose the route that most people were doing in this round because it felt the smoothest to me without being too handy because I think there’s a fine line with my horse, Honey, and being too handy and getting her too careful.”

The strategy paid off, as the pair earned a 94 in the handy round for a two-round total of 186 to secure the win.

Iwasaki also spoke about spending the winter season in Ocala with her family’s, Makoto Farm. “My parents moved to Ocala when I went to college,” Iwasaki shared. “I really love the atmosphere here at WEC. It’s clean, the horses love it, and it’s a great place to horse show all circuit long. Having a farm so close to the showgrounds allows the horses to get turned out between showing weeks, and the [WEC Stadium] is a beautiful place to ride.”

$15,000 USHJA National 3′ Jr/Am Hunter Derby Results

The Style of Riding Award, sponsored by ACE Equestrian, was presented to Brittany Schutt in recognition of exemplary horsemanship. The recipient received an embroidered backpack, an ACE gift certificate, and select ACE PRO4MANCE products.

This event is made possible through the support of our generous sponsors and marketing partner, Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau.

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

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