Ocala, FL – The final Hunter Derby Friday of the 2024 Summer Series at World Equestrian Center – Ocala lit up the WEC Stadium, offering hunter riders one last opportunity to fine-tune their skills ahead of the upcoming Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships and the Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship. Scott Alder designed the challenging courses for the three featured derbies: the$12,500 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby, the $10,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby, and the $10,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby.
In the $12,500 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby, Lauren Schweppe delivered two impressive performances aboard Cataumet (Cabochon x Gaya), owned by Cynthia Boudreau.
Schweppe and the 12-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding earned an initial score of 87 after a strong first round, placing them at the top heading into the handy round. “Cataumet is a super handy horse. He loves the handy. If I can get him into the handies, we are good to go. He can turn so well. He’s really stepped up and grown up so much,” Schweppe shared.
Their smooth and precise ride in the handy round earned them a score of 89, bringing their overall score to 176, securing the win.
“Kathy Fletcher got him for her adult rider three or four years ago, so I’ve known him for a while. He’s owned by Cynthia Boudreau, and he has a lot of fun doing the bigger stuff, which is a blast for me. I am very blessed to have amazing owners,” Schweppe added.
As the circuit concludes, Cataumet is set to enjoy a well-deserved break. “He’s been incredible this circuit. He was circuit champion in the Green Hunter 3’9”. Now, he gets to relax in a paddock for a month. Then we’ll start gearing up for the November and December shows here.”
Results: $12,500 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby
Jenny Miller Prevails With Finn’s Pride in the $10,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby
A talented group of hunter professionals gathered at the WEC Stadium early this morning for the $10,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby. Among them, it was Jenny Miller who emerged victorious, claiming the winning title aboard Finn’s Pride (Querly-Elvis x Beasanette), a 14-year-old KWPN mare owned by Nelle Dressler.
Miller and Finn’s Pride delivered a smooth first round, earning an impressive score of 88. Sitting in second place heading into the handy round, Miller was determined to secure the win.
“So, Erica Prockow and I have this running joke about how we’re going to win each time,” Miller shared. “Last week, Erica was all set to win the big derby until she made a mistake in the handy round. She walked out saying she’s never planning her speech again. This morning, I told myself I wouldn’t even think about it—no speech planning!”
The decision to focus solely on the ride paid off. Miller and Finn’s Pride delivered a stunning performance in the handy round, earning a score of 90, bringing their two-round total to 178, and ultimately securing the win.
“She’s such a sweet horse,” Miller said of Finn’s Pride. “She’s been with us for about two years now. Her owner, Nelle Dressler, usually shows her in the older adult divisions but travels a lot during the summer. I actually won one of these derbies on her around this time last year. When my horse had an abscess last week, I asked Nelle if I could take [Finn’s Pride] and she said of course. I knew I could rely on her to deliver. She’s a solid citizen who can do all the tricks—lands on both leads, slices fences beautifully, and her handy round was just excellent.”
Miller also secured third place aboard her own Aladdin with a combined total of 171.
Results: $10,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby
Hayley Waters Wear Scores Third Consecutive Win in the $10,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby
In the $10,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby, Hayley Waters Wear dominated the competition, securing both first and second place aboard Genuine (Diarado x Kampari W) and Malcomme (Comme Il Faut x Daytoria), respectively. Both horses are owned by Mr. & Mrs. Chuck Waters.
Waters Wear has had an impressive run in the Stadium with Genuine, a nine-year-old Oldenburg gelding. The pair claimed victory in the $12,500 Standlee/USHJA National Hunter Derby Regional Championships during Week III and achieved an almost perfect score in Week VII.
Today, they continued their winning streak with a first-round score of 92, followed by a handy score of 88, bringing their total to an impressive 180 points for the win.
Malcomme, last week’s champion in the 3’ Jr/Am Derby with Waters Wear in the irons, delivered another strong performance. They earned a first-round score of 91 and a handy score of 87, totaling 178 to secure second place.
“Both horses love the stadium and it’s always fun to ride happy horses. Malcomme just started showing this winter, so being able to show in the Stadium has given him invaluable experience. WEC having the derbies in the Stadium really helps them prepare for the future!”
Results: $10,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby
Visit HorseShowing.com for final 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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