Wilmington, Ohio – Hunter riders gathered at the R+L Arena Friday evening at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington for Hunter Derby Friday of Winter Classic 7. Robert Barton laid the flowing tracks for the day that allowed horses and riders alike to showcase their brilliance.
Emily Corkhill came out on top of the $15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby with Decker Equigroup, LLC’s Cooper (Capistrano x Charisma) with the two highest scores of the day.
“I just wanted to do right by the horse today,” Corkhill mentioned. “He was trying for me tonight and I wanted to make sure that I did my best job getting the most out of him. He won it for me more than I did for him.”
The coming 10-year-old Westphalian gelding stepped into the ring on his A-game, earning a leading first-round score of 90.
“Cooper is owned by a customer. She has had Cooper for three or four years now, and he has been wonderful from the start. He is a trier. He is super fun to ride. It was nice today because we don’t always put it all together, but he was on his A-game today!”
The track proved to suit the duo as they landed a second round of 90.75, just enough to secure the lead with a two-round total of 180.75.
“The courses were wonderful! It was very fun and very inviting. There were a ton of options in the handy so you could be as handy as you wanted to be. It made it nice and interesting for everyone,” said Corkhill.
$15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby Results:
1 Cooper, Emily Corkhill, Decker Equigroup, LLC | 90 | 90.75 | 180.75
2 Game Day, Melanie Wright, Melanie Wright | 89 | 91 | 180
3 Double Dutch, Maria Blankemeyer, Alexis Palmer | 87 | 92 | 179
4 Triskel De Kerliven, Izzy Beisel, Liz Hutchison | 85 | 92.5 | 177.5
5 Carlo El Guapo, Tina Judge-Boyle, Felice Hybert | 88 | 88 | 176
6 Gap Year, Emily Corkhill, Elizabeth Lile | 86.5 | 82 | 168.5
7 Kallisto, Morgan Munz, Caroline Courtney | 82 | 80 | 162
8 Concise, Morgan Munz, Stella Cross | 89.5 | 72 | 161.5
9 West Lake, Melissa Donnelly, Fawn Lake Farm LLC | 81 | 78 | 159
10 Tc Alastair, Caroline Mally, Caroline Mally | 60 | 69 | 129
Sophia Welniak Pilots Romy-K Van’t Kattenheye to $15,000 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby Win
Hunter Derby Friday at WEC – Wilmington Winter Classic 7 kicked off with a field of 21 entries in the $15,000 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby. Sophia Welniak and Ssam Equine LLC’s Romy-K Van’t Kattenheye (Bisquet Balou Van De Mispelaere x Jasmijn Van De Donkhoeve) impressed with two high scores to take the top spot.
Welniak discussed her partnership with her beautiful mare, “We got her about a year ago in Florida. She has been so good. We did indoors together. For how young she is, she ahs been amazing. This is only my second derby with her and my first derby win with her. She is the sweetest girl ever and jumps a 10 every time.”
The coming eight-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare stepped effortlessly around the first-round track earning a leading score of 88.
Returning for the handy sitting on top, Welniak laughed, “I was anxious! I took some deep breaths before walking in. She was amazing. I had a few small mistakes, and she really covered it up. She is honestly the best horse. The track was super fun. It was really smooth, and you could just keep your pace nicely around. I liked that I was able to ride up in the bending lines.”
A second-round score of 88.5 and a two-round total of 176.5 earned the duo their first derby win together.
$15,000 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby Results:
1 Romy-K Van’T Kattenheye, Sophia Welniak, Ssam Equine LLC | 88 | 88.5 | 176.5
2 Lombard 198, Mary George Gipson, Mary George Gipson | 86 | 89 | 175
3 Light Dance, Carli Ann Kooi, Carli Ann Kooi | 78 | 88 | 166
4 Fitzgerald, Emilie Smith, Emilie Smith | 76 | 86 | 162
5 Latoulong Z, Isabelle Kaufman, Isabelle Kaufman | 79 | 81 | 160
6 Top Shelf, Lorien Parry Luehrs, Lorien Parry Luehrs | 76 | 83 | 159
7 Sweet Spot Ctf, Madison Fankhauser, Madison Fankhauser | 75 | 82 | 157
8 Lannister, Zoey Chambers, Suzanne Chambers | 72.75 | 80 | 152.75
9 Cantuerllo, Lauren Theil, Lauren Theil | 77 | 70 | 147
10 Cassiopeia Cellestin, Emerson Nolte, Emerson Nolte | 83 | 51 | 134
Make sure to visit the WEC Blog and follow us on social media @worldequestriancenter for full coverage on all feature classes!
Results can be found at horseshowing.com.
All horse show images are provided by Winslow Photography and can be purchased onsite at WEC – Wilmington or online through their website.