The Verdict Is In: Berry & Overruled Win $15,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby at WEC – Wilmington Winter Classic 15
13 MAR 26 Wilmington, OH
Wilmington, Ohio – World Equestrian Center – Wilmington (WEC) set the stage for Hunter Derby Friday during Winter Classic 14, where a field of 40 riders vied for top honors in their respective classes. The $15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby featured 18 of those partnerships, but Jason Berry and his remarkable mount, Overruled, earned the two highest scores of the day to secure their second derby victory of the season.
Robert Barton designed the R+L Arena with a flowing track, featuring two long bending lines along the rail, a natural two-stride across the middle, and a long run to an oxer to finish, granting riders the opportunity to showcase their horses’ stride and scope.
Berry favors Barton’s tracks in particular. He noted, “Robert Barton is one of my favorite course designers, so I am always happy to see him in this ring.”
Berry set the bar high with Willow Wind LLC’s eight-year-old Westphalian gelding with an impressive first-round score of 91.
Returning for the handy, the most technical part of the course worked in their favor: “My horse lands left, and that option for the left turn seemed harder than going right, but I had the advantage on my horse, so I took that. The rest of it was pretty straightforward.”
Overruled once again impressed the judges and the crowd with his picture-perfect style for a 92 and an overall score of 183.
Berry has spent the winter debuting his young mount around the R+L Arena and shared his experience at the venue.
“This facility has been great for developing this horse. Every week the ring looks like a whole new venue. The jumps are always new and impressive. It can be like a new experience for these horses, and that’s great to have.”
Stacey Friend Pilots Cornus Alba D’or to $12,500 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby Win
It was a rewarding day for Stacey Friend in the R+L Arena at WEC – Wilmington as she piloted her very own Cornus Alba D’or to victory in the $12,500 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby out of a competitive 22-horse field.
Friend spoke about the special partnership she has developed with the gelding over the years since importing him as a four-year-old.
“I’ve had him since he was four. I imported him after buying him through a European online auction off a video, a photograph, and a referral,” she shared. “We’ve come a long way since then, so this win is really special. It’s been fun to develop him and grow with him. He’s a special horse,” she smiled.
Friend and her nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding mastered the first-round track and set an early leading score of 90 as the third to go in the posted order.
Friend also appreciated Robert Barton’s track, which offered riders the chance to show off their horses.
“I thought the first round really gave horse and rider an opportunity to show a consistent, fluid stride with the long bending lines,” she explained. “There were nice long runs to the oxers, and it rode really well.”
The handy round required some quick adjustments to her plan: “The handy actually threw me off a little because I’m a planner,” she laughed. “They consolidated one of the oxers, so I wondered if that would change my approach. I watched a lot of the trips before me, and with the option, a lot of people turned right after fence three. I had always planned to turn left, so it had me questioning my plan, but I’m glad I stuck with it. He was a trooper, and it was a lot of fun.”
Returning for the second round while sitting on top of the leaderboard added a bit of pressure. “It’s always tough to go back in when you’re already sitting on top,” she noted.
“I was really grateful for my score because there were some really nice trips. The rider right before me had a lovely round and definitely had me sweating a little bit. There was a lot of good competition, so I just tried to stay calm and show off my wonderful horse.”
Friend secured a second-round score of 86, resulting in a two-round total of 176, winning the class by an eight-point margin.
Friend also discussed how the venue has played a role in her development of Cornus Alba D’or: “It’s been amazing for his development. This venue really exposes the horses to a lot of things,” she said. “There was a time when he noticed everything around him, but now he’s really settled in and is comfortable. It prepares them well for the bigger outdoor venues in the summer. It’s a great place to develop a horse, and we are so lucky to have a venue of this caliber. I love coming here, especially in the winter when it is always warm,” she laughed.
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