Ocala, FL – The Standlee/USHJA National Hunter Derby Regional South Championships took center stage in the WEC Stadium at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC), showcasing three highly competitive hunter derbies: the $12,500 Standlee/USHJA National Hunter Derby Regional South Championship – Open, Junior, and Amateur. Riders aimed to impress a distinguished panel of judges, with Panel One comprising Irving Evans and Don Sheehan, and Panel Two including Scott Hofstetter and Carole O’Brien. Tommy Brawley designed the stunning, flowing tracks that featured lush natural greenery and beautifully decorated plants, with 60 skilled horse-and-rider combinations rising to the challenge.
Hunter Derby Friday kicked off with the $12,500 Standlee/USHJA National Hunter Derby Regional South Championship – Open. Twenty-eight combinations competed for top honors, with the top 20 scores advancing to the handy round.
Thursday’s winner of the $10,000 USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby, Tracy Fenney returned to the Stadium on Friday and continued to impress with MTM Better Half (Cornet Obolensky x Clarata) during the gelding’s first week of showing as a hunter. Fenney and the nine-year-old Warmblood gelding made light work of the first round for an overall combined score of 180.
Coming back for the handy round, Fenney was sitting in second—behind herself on another horse—but she was confident the talented gelding could handle all of the inside turns thanks to his jumper career in Europe. “Honestly, I feel like I could do anything with him. I was a little unsure about the trot jump because they never do that as jumpers. The first jump was tough for some horses, with the Hansel and Gretel house standards, and it caught quite a few horses off guard, but he was totally unphased,” she shared.
“We tested the scope at the trot fence, and he said, ‘Yep, I got this.’ He just lands the same every single time—not quick or slow, just steady. He is perfect.”
The pair took every inside turn available and were awarded an outstanding score of 183 from the panel of judges, bringing their two-round total to 363 for the championship title.
MTM Better Half has had quite the week to kick off his hunter career. “He’s amazing. From the very first day I rode him at home, I knew I’d never ridden a horse like him in my life. He’s so straightforward and brave at the jumps, does everything perfectly, and just poses over the fences no matter the height. I’ve had a blast this week, and I am just so impressed by him.”
Fenney says the gelding’s name is a perfect fit. “I keep a whole list of names on my phone. I think I had Better Half on there, but one day I saw it on a Coke can and thought, that’s such a great name, and it fits him perfectly. Everyone keeps asking, ‘Who is the better half?’ And I say definitely him. He can do no wrong.”
Having the national derbies on Thursday and the Regional Championships on Friday was an experience Fenney was very grateful for. “Every day they threw something new in the ring, which was great. My other three are younger and greener, so it’s really good miles for them. This was perfect preparation for the Green Incentive Finals this August in Kentucky.”
Brady Mitchell piloted the Rein Family LLC’s six-year-old Warmblood gelding Sicario to second place with a first round score of 179 and a second round score of 183.5 for an overall total of 362.5 to take home Reserve Champion.
Clair Kellner rounded out the top three with Caligua (Casall x La Corofina), a 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Suzanne Cayatte. The pair earned two consistent scores of 175 in the first and second round for a two-round total of 350.
$12,500 Standlee/USHJA National Hunter Derby Regional South Championship – Open Results
Clean Sweep for Katalena Prusso in $12,500 South Standlee/USHJA National Hunter Derby Regional Championship – Junior
In the $12,500 South Standlee/USHJA National Hunter Derby Regional Championship – Junior, 12 talented young athletes took to the WEC Stadium, but it was Katalena Prusso who dominated the class. Aboard her trusted partners Viscolano and Ferragamo—both owned by Falcon Ridge Stables—Prusso secured the Championship title with an impressive 27-point lead and also claimed the Reserve title.
Prusso was first to go with Ferragamo, an eight-year-old Hanoverian mare, delivering a solid round that earned a score of 164. Later in the order, she returned with Viscolano and raised the bar, earning an impressive 183.
With top scores heading into the handy round, Prusso held the top two spots and kept her strategy straightforward. “I just wanted to be consistent and tidy,” she shared. Ferragamo impressed again with a second-round score of 177, bringing their overall total to 341, a score that remained unbeaten until Prusso returned on Viscolano.
The experienced pair made light work of the handy track. “We did both inside turns. The first turn from one to two rode beautifully. I couldn’t have asked for more of him. He’s one in a million, truly stunning. Anyone would be lucky to have a horse like him.”
A handy score of 185 brought Viscolano’s total to 368, securing the Championship title for the duo and the Reserve honors for Ferragamo.
“It feels really good to leave with these wins. I’m so thankful for the entire team at Falcon Ridge Stables—it really does take a village,” Prusso said.
Rounding out the top three was Charlotte Mack aboard Deborah Ball’s 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding Mithras ADB, earning a combined score of 329 with a first-round score of 153 and a handy score of 176.
$12,500 South Standlee/USHJA National Hunter Derby Regional Championship – Junior Results
Audrey Muscari and Emerson Van De Meulenberg Z Top $12,500 South Standlee/USHJA National Hunter Derby Regional Championship – Amateur
The final class on Friday, the $12,500 South Standlee/USHJA National Hunter Derby Regional Championship – Amateur, welcomed 17 horse-and-rider combinations vying for the championship title. Ultimately, it was Audrey Muscari and her own Emerson Van De Meulenberg Z (Emerald Van’t Ruytershof x Cheng Lee Van Berkenbroeck) who galloped away with the lion’s share of the prize money.
Muscari and the eight-year-old Zangersheide gelding delivered a smooth first round, earning a combined score of 172.
Entering the handy round with a 3.5-point lead, Muscari was eager to showcase the gelding’s brilliance. “He really shines in the handy. He’s so much fun in that phase—thanks to his jumper background, he’s always looking for the next jump. I can roll back confidently knowing nothing will catch him off guard,” she shared.
With an impressive handy score of 176.5 and a two-round total of 348.5, Muscari and Emerson Van De Meulenberg Z secured the tricolor ribbon.
Reflecting on their partnership, Muscari said, “I’ve had ‘Emerson’ since he was five. We started in the jumpers, and he competed in the young jumper divisions through his six-year-old year before transitioning into a derby horse.”
Muscari also noted her fondness for the venue. “I absolutely love the derbies in the Stadium. I can pick up a big gallop and just go find the jumps. It’s such a great feeling, and Emerson loves it out there too.”
Madison Berger Reed finished just behind with Berger Equine, LLC’s 11-year-old KWPN gelding Javador T. The duo earned a first-round score of 168.5 and a handy score of 178.5, finishing on a total of 347 for the Reserve Championship.
Eva Alcorn completed the podium aboard her own 13-year-old German Sport Horse gelding Casino Royal (Casdorff x Ramiro’s Feuerwerk) with a final score of 342.
$12,500 South Standlee/USHJA National Hunter Derby Regional Championship – Amateur 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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