Wilmington, Ohio – Bobby Murphy (USA) decorated the R+L Arena as a winter wonderland on Friday evening for the $15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby, where Melissa Donnelly and Corlando 49 ultimately bested a field of 18 horse-and-athlete combinations.
The longtime duo jumped a respectable first round to score an 88, moving onto the second round sitting in third place.
Though Donnelly and Elizabeth Becker’s 17-year-old Holsteiner gelding were the winningest partnership in the field, she was hesitant about the first technical question in the handy track.
“’Corey’ [Corlando 49] had me a bit worried about the halt after the trot jump. He doesn’t like to halt. Once he stops, he doesn’t believe in going again,” Donnelly laughed. “I made the turn snug and tidy from the end jump to the in-and-out and he was really good about following me. He was great about the gallop down to last jump and it was nice to have a little bit of space to show off.”
Donnelly perfected the second round for a score of 91 and worked her way to the top of the leaderboard with a two-round total of 179.
When asked about ‘Corey’s’ preparation, Donnelly was insistent that he is never interrupted when it comes time to hit snooze.
“We allow him to nap all morning. You do not interrupt his morning nap time and then he goes out for a 10–15-minute walk, trot and canter to stretch, and that is his simple prep.”
$15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby Results:
1 Corlando 49, Melissa Donnelly, Elizabeth Becker | 88 | 91 | 179
2 Kingston Blue, Richard Rinehart, Claire Rockacy | 90 | 87 | 177
3 Ohana, Holly Kalso, Maidson Pape | 91 | 80.5 | 171.5
4 Party Time, Lisa Bac, Lisa Bac | 83 | 83.25 | 166.25
5 Just Imagine, Caroline Weeden, Stephanie Harris | 82.5 | 83.5 | 166
6 Mister Wright, Diana Conlon, Jennifer Day | 83 | 81 | 164
7 Happy Boy, Richard Rinehart, Sara Omohundro | 89 | 74 | 163
8 Casandra, Dan Urban, Emellar Stables LLC | 82 | 80.5 | 162.5
9 Cabaret LS, Joshua Graves, Samantha Gruen | 81 | 81 | 162
10 Roosevelt FLT, Kelsey Mogel, Linda Ostberg | 83.5 | 74 | 157.5
Vanessa McCaughley & Captiol Hill Capture $15,000 USHJA National Non-Pro Derby Win at Winter Classic 3
The $15,000 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby welcomed 23 horse-and-athlete combinations to contest Murphy’s tracks. Vanessa McCaughley ultimately captured the blue with her own Capitol Hill.
McCaughley set the standard with a first round score of 89 aboard her own 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding and was strategic with her handy plan as she came back on top.
“I thought the handy was nice because it wasn’t overly technical, and you could flow around. There were a few places that weren’t in Henry’s [Capitol Hill] favor. He doesn’t land right very often, so after the trot jump and the halt, I wanted to go inside to the oxer, but I couldn’t quite do that. But the end jump to the one-stride worked out really nicely for me.”
McCaughley knew what to expect from her longtime partner around the handy track and effortlessly jumped to a second-round score of 87 for a winning total of 176.
The young amateur rider is set to make her first grand prix debut in Saturday’s $30,000 Grand Prix with her jumper, Eldorado’s Edition, and is feeling confident after starting the weekend with a featured win.
“I am really excited about tomorrow. It is something that I have wanted for a long time, and I feel really lucky that I have a horse that I am able to do it on. Henry kicked off the weekend strong!”
$15,000 USHJA National Non-Pro Derby Results:
1 Capitol Hill, Vanessa McCaughley, Vanessa McCaughley | 89 | 87 | 176
2 Bond, Elizabeth Rinehart, Elizabeth Rinehart | 88 | 85 | 173
3 Quality Street, Katie Finley, Katie Finley | 82 | 84 | 166
4 Xzplendor, Annie Marvin, Annie Marvin | 84 | 81.5 | 165.5
5 Topper, Hailey Salita, Ruby Ransco | 80 | 82 | 162
6 On Point, Alisa Berry, Alisa Berry | 87 | 74 | 161
7 Peaceful, Vanessa Mazzoli, Vanessa Mazzoli | 71 | 89 | 160
8 Campari, Marie Lafond, Marie Lafond | 75 | 81 | 156
9 Nickel Ride, Breanna Moore, Brooke Moore | 77 | 78 | 155
10 A La Grino, Katelyn Ziggas, Katelyn Ziggas | 78 | 74.5 | 152.5