Molly McAdow Pilots Platinum to Victory in the $15,000 CWD USHJA National Open Hunter Derby
10 JAN 26 Wilmington, OH
Wilmington, Ohio – A talented group of hunter riders met in the Standlee Sanctuary at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington for World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) week during Winter Classic 5.
Nineteen horse-and-rider combinations gathered Friday evening for the $15,000 CWD USHJA National Open Hunter Derby where multiple scores soared into the 90s. Molly McAdow ultimately piloted her own Platinum (Cornet Obolensky x Pretty Woman) to victory, maintaining the lead throughout the class.
Having shown the horse consistently throughout the season, McAdow has developed a solid partnership with the coming 11-year-old gelding.
“I’ve had ‘Cole’ since April and he’s 11 this year. We just started doing the 3’6” greens and he’s pretty special. He knows he does a great job — not in a bad-horse way,” she laughed. “He gets a little proud sometimes and might throw in a small head toss because he knows he did something right. It’s really nice to have such a good reliable partner for these classes. He always tries his hardest, he’s always there for me and he always jumps great. He genuinely loves his job.”
Platinum impressed with his near-perfect jumping style, securing a first-round score of 92 to slide into an early lead.
The move to a new ring this week proved to be a welcome change for the duo, allowing Cole to show off his stride and scope.
“I loved it and Cole loved it,” she said of the switch. “He has such a big step and such a scopey jump that a lot of times we have to put him in a bit of a box and keep things slower. This week, he was really happy that he got to gallop around and be more natural in his step.”
As the final entry to contest the handy round, McAdow earned a score of 89.5 and a two-round total of 181.5 clinched the win.
As a frequent competitor at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington, McAdow also spoke highly of the venue and its impact on her program.
“I love showing here,” she said. “The rings are always beautifully manicured, beautifully set and beautifully decorated. The jumps are always nice, they have great course designers and good judges and the videos are beautiful. It’s always a good experience for the horses and the people.”
Lizzie Rinehart & Bond Go Back on Top in the $12,500 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby
Twenty-nine junior and amateur athletes kicked off the first hunter derby Friday of 2026 during Winter Classic 5 at WEC – Wilmington. After a successful few weeks showing in Florida, Lizzie Rinehart ventured back north to pilot her own Bond (Clarimo) around the Standlee Sanctuary taking victory in the $12,500 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby.
Despite time away from competition together, stepping back into the ring with her longtime partner proved seamless.
“I’ve been in Florida showing for the past couple of weeks,” she explained. “Today was actually my first time jumping Bond since the National Horse Show so it’s been a while. I was super excited because I’ve missed him, he’s just my favorite. We know each other so well so it was pretty easy,” she continued.
The seasoned duo never missed a beat, earning the highest first-round score of 90 before returning in the top spot for the handy.
“I thought the courses were really fun,” she noted. “There were a lot of bending lines. In the handy, there were a lot of chances to be handier or go wider depending on what your horse needed. Doing it in this ring is really fun. It switches things up and you can get a really good gallop and flow around. Bond has a very big, rangy canter, so this ring really suited him.”
The 13-year-old Warmblood gelding jumped to a handy-round score of 87 topping the leaderboard with a two-round total of 178.