Ocala, FL – Over 70 jaw-dropping hunters took to the beautifully designed Hunter 1 arena this morning for the first Hunter Derby Friday of the 2024 Winter Spectacular Show Series at World Equestrian Center – Ocala. Crafted by course designer Tom Hern, the magnificent tracks garnered praise from competitors across the three 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 $10,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby.
Samantha Schaefer continued her impressive winning streak with the famous 15-year-old Warmblood gelding, In The Know (Arkansas x Cavelle), as they clinched their fourth consecutive derby victory. They kicked off the winter circuit by earning a pair of scores in the mid 90s in the $20,000 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby.
Hunter 1 boasted a course adorned with breathtaking obstacles and exquisite décor, leaving Schaefer thoroughly impressed. “I made the mistake of watching a few 3’ derby rounds, and I was afraid I was going to go off course,” she joked. “I loved the track. It was a lot of singles, and open space so you could gallop. I was able to just float around without getting too caught up in the numbers.”
In The Know, guided by Schaefer, garnered the highest score of the day in the first round, an impressive 96.
Heading into the handy round with a comfortable five-point lead, Schaefer strategically executed her plan to secure the top position. “I took the tightest inside turn to jump one and landed right. I was as neat as I could be in the first half. I opted to go around the bench because the one turn was pretty tight to the high option vertical, and I didn’t want to risk it with the position I was in. So, I eased off the pressure at the end, and galloped down to the final fence.”
The judges rewarded the stylish duo with another remarkable score of 95, resulting in an overall score of 191 and an 11-point lead over second place.
“’Spyder’ was on his game today. He felt really good. This is his one job, derbies on Fridays at WEC. He loves it and I am looking forward to the rest of the circuit,” shared Schaefer.
$20,000 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby Results:
1 In The Know, Samantha Schaefer, Madeline Schaefer: 96 | 95 | 191
2 Story Hour, Daniel Geitner, Double E, LLC: 86 | 94 | 180
3 Cataumet, Lauren Schweppe, Cynthia Boudreau: 87 | 91 | 178
4 Small Safari, Kate Conover, Iwasaki & Reilly: 90 | 86 | 176
5 Gangster, Grace McReynolds, Beth Lebeau: 91 | 84 | 175
6 Julington, Jenny Miller, Jenny Miller: 78 | 85 | 163
7 MTM Aztek, Jenny Miller, Kelly Desaye: 76 | 74 | 150
8 Fhrontier, Amanda Enwright, Amanda Enwright: 76 | 72 | 148
9 Paperboy, Julia Greenspan, Brighton Farms: 83 | 54 | 137
10 Visconti, Olivia Pharr, Olivia Pharr: 61 | 67 | 128
Kate Conover Secures First and Second in the $15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby
Twenty-four stunning combinations vied for the top prize in the $15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby, but it was Kate Conover that impressed the judges with not only one horse, but two, claiming to two top spots on the leaderboard.
Conover piloted Prado (Perpignon x Romantica), a 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Falcon Ridge Stables, to victory with a first round score of 88 and a handy score of 91 for an overall total of 179. “Don Stewart talked to me about Prado yesterday. He just leased the horse recently for a client, and asked if I could hop on today for the derby. I’ve seen him go in the junior hunters with his previous rider, and I knew he was a really lovely horse.”
After seeing Prado compete with his old rider, Conover knew the horse excelled in the handies, “He’s very game, and I knew I could really take the shots in the handy. I was able to show off his big step and be as tidy as possible.”
Conover earned second place with Chris Iwasaki and Liz Reilly’s Small Story (Self Control x Eurogirl). The pair earned an 89 in the first round and a 88 in the second for a two-round total of 177.
“I stuck with the same plan with both horses, but it didn’t work out as well from one to two with Small Story. I really needed her to land right smoothly, and she landed left, so I had to do a fast change and she was a little exuberant about it,” laughed Conover.
“I couldn’t be happier with both horses. The course designer did an amazing job. The ring looks beautiful, and all of the new jumps are stunning,” shared Conover about the tracks.
$15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby Results:
1 Prado, Kate Conover, Falcon Ridge Stables: 88 | 91 | 179
2 Small Story, Kate Conover, Iwasaki and Reilly: 89 | 88 | 177
3 Shameless, Josh Dolan, Kim Domenicone: 86 | 89.5 | 175.5
4 Blue Monday, Hillary Johnson, Stephanie Battershall: 84 | 90 | 174
5 Mr. Untouchable, Hunter Holloway, Cane Creek LLC: 83.5 | 89 | 172.5
6 Icytonic, Amanda Steege, Jacquelyn Maggiore: 83 | 87 | 170
7 Aladdin, Jenny Miller, Jenny Miller: 85 | 83 | 168
8 CMS Lambrusco, Riley A. Babb, Jai Smith Rezac: 84.5 | 82 | 166.5
9 Bodhi, Helen Goddard, Ellen Deckoff: 82 | 79 | 161
10 Reddington, Cooper Dean, Tracy Treace: 80 | 54 | 134
Isabelle Ehman and Jagerbomb Claim Top Honors in $15,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby
The $15,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby welcomed 36 talented junior and amateur athletes to compete over natural tracks built by Tom Hern. Isabelle Ehman and her longtime partner, Jargerbomb, owned by Double E, LLC left a lasting impression on the judges and secured the victory with two impressive scores in the 90s.
In the first-round, Ehman piloted the 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Diarado x Chaccalou to a seamless track, earning a score of 92. “I loved the course. The signs, the bench, and the hedges were just so beautiful. It was really such a great way to kick off the circuit,” she shared.
Heading into the handy round sitting in second place, Ehman highlighted Jagerbomb’s versatility, “He’s such a flexible horse, so he doesn’t really have a weakness. He’s very ambidextrous and can land on either lead, so I was able to be as handy as possible. We took all the hard turns to try and win it.”
The pair did just that, impressing the judges with a high score of 94 for an overall score of 186. Ehman spoke highly about her eye-catching gelding, saying, “He’s my special guy, and I love him so much. This is our third year together, so I know him pretty well. I can always trust him to do well for me.”
$15,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby Results:
1 Jagerbomb, Isabelle Ehman, Double E, LLC: 92 | 94 | 186
2 Golden Ticket, Addison McQuaker, Addison McQuaker: 93 | 92 | 185
3 Small Love, Augusta Iwasaki, Iwasaki & Reilly: 89 | 93 | 182
4 Banks Mill, Lillian Geitner, Daniel Geitner: 83.5 | 87 | 170.5
5 Consanto, Adelaide Toensing, Lily Toensing: 83 | 84 | 167
6 Double Fantasy, Riley Hogan, Riley Hogan: 79.5 | 86 | 165.5
7 Herkules, Lucy Rabb, Lucy Rabb: 84 | 81 | 165
8 MTM Grateful, Adello Alletto, Adello Alletto: 84 | 80 | 164
9 Condor, Isabelle Song, Robin Felton: 88 | 74.5 | 162.5
10 No Secret, Isabelle Ehman, Donald Stewart: 80 | 82 | 162
‘The Style of Riding Award’
Before the start of the handy round in the $15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3′ Open Hunter Derby, Bill Rube presented the prestigious Style of Riding Award to Helen Goddard for her classic style and her sportsmanship. The recipient serves as a role model for preserving the integrity and tradition of equestrian sport. “This award is very special to me because the recipient of this award pays it forward both in and out of the show ring,” says Rube. Goddard received an elegant duffel bag and wore a white rose corsage on her lapel throughout the handy round to signify her achievement.
Spectators are welcome! From now until March 24, 2024, experience the thrill of the 2024 Winter Spectacular Show Series at World Equestrian Center – Ocala. 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.
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