Wilmington, Ohio – The R+L Arena set the stage for the $15,000 Shoo-fly USHJA National Open Hunter Derby at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington (WEC) Friday evening. Meagan Murray-Tenuta returned to Fall Classic IV looking for victory with Leap of Faith Sport Horses LLC’s Dessert First (Cador x Cassina).
Murray-Tenuta earned second place in the same class during the 2023 fall season with the 11-year-old Oldernburg mare and returned to Fall Classic IV searching for the win.
“She is one of my favorites to ride,” Murray-Tenuta shared about the mare. “She is so athletic and careful and always jumps in great form. She is sensitive so you have to make sure she is in the right headspace. She was super relaxed and was really great.”
The duo came back for the handy phase sitting on top with a first-round score of 92. Following a score of 91, Murray-Tenuta utilized all handy options over Bobby Murphy’s track to secure the lead.
“Sometimes I am a little nervous to make super hard inside turns on her because she tends to look at things on the way, but she was so relaxed in the first round, so I was able to make the inside turn from one-to-two. It worked out great and she gave me a really good jump at the oxer,” she noted.
Securing another 92 for a two-round total of 184, the pair went home with the blue ribbon.
$15,000 Shoo-fly USHJA National Open Hunter Derby Results:
1 Dessert First, Megan Murray-Tenuta, Leap of Faith Sport Horses LLC | 92 | 92 | 184
2 Cruise, Havens Schatt, Caroline Moran | 91.5 | 91 | 182.5
3 Called Up, Havens Schatt, Havens Schatt | 88 | 86 | 174
4 Lytton Park, Denis Sweeney, Joanna Estey | 85 | 88 | 173
5 Nitecap, Courtney Bacso, Knightwood Stables | 83 | 89 | 172
6 Afelix Dell’a, Tina Judge-Boyle, Amy Martin | 80 | 88 | 168
7 Giviera, Tina Judge-Boyle, Judy Power | 84 | 81 | 165
8 Mais Oui Munny, Molly Kindness, Little Acorn LLC | 76 | 77 | 153
9 Lordy, Whitney Gibson, Victoria Sawrantschuk | 84 | 68 | 152
10 Alejandro Z, Megan Murray-Tenuta, Castlecove Farms LLC | 65 | 86 | 151
Natalie Jayne & Starstruck Impress in the $15,000 USHJA National/WEC Non-Pro Hunter Derby
The $15,000 USHJA National/WEC Non-Pro Hunter Derby was the first featured class of the afternoon Friday at WEC – Wilmington. Out of a field of 24 horse-and-rider pairs, Natalie Jayne left the judges ‘Starstruck’ to take the win.
Aboard Ashleen Lee’s seven-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Starstruck (Heart Touch x Voyage), Jayne impressed the judges instantly for a first-round score of 94.
Jayne shared about her mount, “Ashleen Lee owns him and I started riding him in April. He has come really far. We have been taking him all over and getting him some experience. He was really awesome today. I don’t think he has had a lot of indoor experience, so he was a little bit more impressed than usual, but he was a really good boy.”
The duo returned for the handy with a significant lead and mastered Bobby Murphy’s second round for a score of 89. Despite the technicality, Jayne enjoyed the track, “I loved the course today. I think they always set beautifully here, it is one of my favorite things about this show. I thought it was difficult compared to some of the derbies that I jumped over the summer, but it was a really fun course.”
Jayne was unable to be matched and shined with a winning two-round total of 183.
The young rider of Elgin, Illinois, commented on her experiences at WEC – Wilmington, “We came to this show for the first time last year. We have been to Ocala a couple times but we hadn’t been and we really liked it. It isn’t a super far drive for us and it is always so nicely run. It is beautifully set up with all the decorations and we really love it here.”
$15,000 USHJA National/WEC Non-Pro Hunter Derby Results:
1 Starstruck, Natalie Jayne, Ashleen Lee | 94 | 89 | 183
2 Golden Ticket, Addison McQauker, Addison McQuaker | 91 | 88 | 179
3 Erios De Caryan, Campbell Brown, Mmk Equestrian LLC | 86 | 90 | 176
4 Ragazzo Carino, Rosemary Rail, Adeline Pavlin | 89 | 86 | 175
5 Cheers, Sarah Barker, Sarah Barker | 86 | 84 | 170
6 Invictus, Ella Reinauer, Ella Reinauer |88 | 80 | 168
7 Cristiano, Leighton Goldberg, Leighton Goldberg | 82 | 85 | 167
8 Amour, Iris Perlioni, Iris Perlioni | 83 | 83 | 166
9 Red Roc, Kiera Phlipot, Kiera Phlipot | 81 | 82 | 163
10 The Boy Friend, Paige Beisel, David Beisel | 77 | 55 | 132
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.