Ocala, FL – The first Hunter Derby Friday of the 2025 Summer Series at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC) kicked off inside the cool, air-conditioned comfort of Indoor Arena 1, where competitors vied for top honors in the $5,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Hunter Derby. Course designer Dean Rheinheimer set the tone for the season with a fresh, nature-inspired track featuring deep woods, forest greens, and delicate bursts of bright florals.
Twenty-two horse-and-rider combinations competed for the blue ribbon, but it was Jenny Miller of Sierra Run Farm who took the first derby win of the circuit aboard Nelle Dressler’s 14-year-old KWPN mare, Finn’s Pride (Querly-Elvis x Beasanette).
Miller and Finn’s Pride have been partnered for some time now. “This is our third year having her in the barn, so I know her well. She’s so handy and incredibly brave over the jumps.” That being said, it had been a while since the duo last stepped into the show ring together. “The mare hasn’t even been off property in almost three months,” Miller remarked. “So on Tuesday, I moved her down and just did the 2’9” to let her get her feet back underneath her—and obviously, it worked!” The pair navigated a clean classic round for a score of 86.5, sitting second on the leaderboard moving into round two.
Returning for the handy—and with a bit of friendly rivalry in the air—Miller weighed her options. “I really liked the handy. Every inside turn had three options: super slick, medium, or a safe route.” Erica Prockow, a student of Miller’s, also showed in the derby. “Standing at the gate, talking it up to each other was a really fun way to kick things off,” Miller expressed.
An outstanding score of 90 in the handy round clinched the victory, resulting in a two-round total of 176.5. With their early success, Miller joked, “I don’t know how we’re going to get better than this! Maybe we should just go to the pool for the rest of the summer.”
Erica Prockow and MTM Good Times (Acadius x Montania W) finished close behind with a first-round score of 86 and a handy score of 88 to finish second with an overall score of 174. “I’m so proud of her,” remarked Miller. “She stepped up.”
$5,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ 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.
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