Ocala, FL – In preparation for the upcoming Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships and the Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship, World Equestrian Center – Ocala hosted the three derbies in the WEC Stadium. The derbies included 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. The world-class atmosphere of the WEC Stadium provided hunter riders with an exceptional experience. The derby tracks, crafted by Tucker Williams (USA), allowed horses to perform at their best, achieving near-perfect scores.
The $12,500 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby saw 18 top notch horse-and-rider combinations vie for victory, but it was Maria Rasmussen who prevailed once again aboard Sunset View Farm LLC’s Worthy with two impressive rounds.
Rasmussen piloted the 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding to a stunning first round for a high score of 96.
Coming back for the handy sitting on top, Rasmussen wanted to stay consistent, “I wanted to just make good jumps because there weren’t really a whole lot of places to be really handy. So, it was a bit more of a jumping competition. I didn’t want to rush my way around, I wanted to let him finish his jump, and be as smooth as possible.”
The pair floated around the handy course for another top score of 92 for a two-round total of 188 for the win.
“I think it’s amazing that they put us out in the Stadium. It’s a lot like riding in the Rolex [at the Kentucky Horse Park]. It has a similar feel. So, I think it’s great that we got to come out here and do this with our young horses and our Derby Final horses before we go to Kentucky. It was a great experience!”
Results: $12,500 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby
Another Double Victory for Tracy Fenney in the $10,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby
Twenty-three talented hunter professionals competed in the $10,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby at the WEC Stadium. Tracy Fenney claimed victory, achieving her second double victory of the 2024 Summer Series aboard MTM Holding Court and MTM Knock Out, both owned by MTM Farm.
Fenney, based in Ocala, Florida, guided all three of her mounts to the handy round. She delivered a solid performance on MTM Chic Flick, earning a combined score of 176.5.
Fenney continued to impress with MTM Holding Court (A Golden Boy Hero x Baranka), a seven-year-old Warmblood gelding. She achieved the highest first round score of 92 and secured another top score of 94 in the handy round, totaling 186 points to clinch the win.
Her success extended to MTM Knock Out (Star Power x Galina), where she earned scores of 91 in the first round and 92 in the second round, securing second place.
Reflecting on her mounts, Fenney shared, “MTM Knock Out was a stallion in Europe and did the six-year-old jumpers. It took him a minute to get the stallion out of him and get fat,” she laughed. “We did a couple of the weeks in the winter, but we really started to show him this summer. He’s such a cool horse, so talented, huge scope and a big stride.”
“MTM Knock Out did the amateur jumpers in Europe. So, we had to teach him that flower boxes and greenery were his new life, and he didn’t have to jump huge anymore. He has so much scope he will for sure be able to do the international derbies. Both horses are just so talented.”
Fenney expressed her gratitude for the experience in the WEC Stadium before heading to the Incentive Finals with her group of horses, “It was so great that they put the classes out here. We jumped a bunch of ours on Wednesday, and today, so it’s great for the horses to get them out in this environment, and it was good practice for us riders.”
Results: $10,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby
Hayley Waters Wear and Genuine Are Superior in the $10,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby
A field of talented junior and amateur athletes put forth their best efforts in hopes of securing the winning title in the $10,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby, but it was Hayley Waters Wear and Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Waters’ Genuine (Diarado x Kampari W) who proved superior with a near-perfect handy score.
Waters Wear piloted the nine-year-old Oldenburg gelding, Genuine, to a stunning first-round score of 95.
Returning for the handy round, Waters Wear aimed to maintain the same momentum. “I knew there were some high scores in the handy round. There was only one inside option, so I just tried to be as handy and tidy as I could to show him off,” she said.
A textbook round from start to finish earned the pair an astonishing score of 99 in the handy, the highest score of the circuit, for an overall total of 194, securing their victory.
Thrilled with Genuine, Waters Wear shared, “He’s such a great horse. I was so excited to get a 99. He actually got a 98 a few weeks ago at WEC, but 99 is his highest yet. He will get a much-deserved break after the circuit; he’s been incredible.”
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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