Tracy Fenney & MTM Holding Court Rule in the $7,500 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby

Ocala, FL – The WEC Stadium set the stage for the second Hunter Derby Friday of the 2025 November & December Show Series, where nearly 50 horse-and-rider combinations vied for top honors across three competitive classes: the $7,500 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby, the $5,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby, and the $5,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby. Dean Rheinheimer crafted open, flowing tracks for the hunt-and-go format, featuring natural elements like a hedge wall and log trot fence.

A picture-perfect Florida afternoon welcomed the final class of the day, the $7,500 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby, where Tracy Fenney ultimately galloped away with the win aboard MTM Farm’s MTM Holding Court (A Golden Boy Hero x Baranka).

Fenney enjoyed the open nature of the course and appreciated the unrelated lines. “It’s always so fun to get on a canter and not count strides. You can just go for it. I get myself into a lot of trouble when I start to worry about numbers in very long lines,” she laughed.

In the first phase of the hunt-and-go, Fenney and the eight-year-old Warmblood gelding made light work of the track, earning an 87.5. After fence six-a-b, the ‘go’ portion began, and Fenney executed a tight turn to the trot fence followed by another tidy turn to slice the hedge. The rest of the track came up beautifully, earning the pair an 89 for a two-round total of 176.5 to secure the victory.

Fenney knew she could rely on the agile gelding in the handy. “He did the six-year-old jumpers in Europe, so he has the inside turns down. My favorite thing to do on him are the handies and inside turns. That’s his forte, the handies, and he loves it.”

$7,500 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby Results

Megan Wexler & Gof Grey Goose Score Second Consecutive Win in $5,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby 

The $5,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby kicked off the day in the WEC Stadium, where 15 top hunter combinations competed for the blue ribbon. Ultimately, it was Megan Wexler who impressed for the second week in a row, piloting the up-and-coming derby superstar Gof Grey Goose (Crack x D’or), owned by Golden Oaks Farm, LLC, to yet another victory.

According to Wexler, Gof Grey Goose simply “loves the derbies.” The five-year-old Holsteiner gelding thrived once again in the hunt-and-go format, earning an 89 in the first phase and a 90 in the handy round for a two-round total of 179.

Despite his age, Wexler knows she can rely on the young gelding to be both brave and handy. “I just wanted to make tight turns and gallop. He has this gallop where you can just chuck the reins and he’ll carry you. He just glides, he’s so smooth. He lands so slow you can just open the rein and he turns.”

Wexler shared that she knew early on the horse was destined for the hunter ring. “My friend in Europe found him. His topline and movement really stood out to us. We saw him show once in Europe in a meter class, and he naturally had this slow speed. Myself, being a mom, and my friend, being older, I knew he was safe, which made me want him even more. I imported him in September and he’s just loved the derbies ever since.” 

$5,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby Results 

Lacey Powers Makes Her Mark in Her First National Derby, Winning with Thank You Robert in the $5,000 USHJA 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby

Twenty-one horse-and-rider combinations contested the $5,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby. In the end, it was newcomer to the derby ring, 12-year-old Lacey Powers, who rose to the occasion aboard Thank You Robert (Marius Claudius x We Love You), owned by Japonica Cruise.

“This was my first 3’ National Hunter Derby!” remarked Powers, who admitted the experience came with some natural nerves. “I was a little bit nervous going in, but ‘Robert’ helped me around the course.”

Thank You Robert, an 11-year-old KWPN gelding, had only recently been introduced to Powers, making her catch-riding skills all the more notable. “I just met Robert last week, and we did the 3’3” Junior Hunters. He’s very sweet,” she expressed. 

Despite their brief partnership, Powers and Thank You Robert delivered a polished performance. The duo earned an 84 in the first phase and followed with an 85 in the handy round, finishing on a two-round total of 169 that ultimately proved unbeatable. 

Speaking about her approach to the hunt-and-go format, Powers explained her plan, “In the first phase, I wanted to ride off my eye and not worry about the numbers in the bending lines. Then, in the handy I wanted to be tidy and keep my canter.”

Powers’ plan paid off, earning her the lion’s share of the prize. She gave Thank You Robert a big hug as they walked out of the awards presentation, marking a memorable finish to Powers National Derby debut.

$5,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am 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

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