Wilmington, Ohio – It was a winning day for Michaella DelGreco and Sophie Carlin’s Cabochon (Cabardino) in the R+L Arena at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington. The duo flowed around Robert Barton’s tracks showing off their style to secure victory in the $15,000 2nd Round Equestrian USHJA National Open Hunter Derby of Winter Spring Forward.
The 10-year-old Warmblood mare is a barn favorite for the True Course team and was greeted by her fan club as she left the ring. “Hazel is the best girl ever. She is one of a kind. She is sassy but always performs well. We have had her for five years now. We got her as a Baby Green hunter,” Carlin shared.
DelGreco jumped a picture-perfect first round for a score of 91, sitting in second place moving onto the handy.
Despite missing the course walk, DelGreco rode a perfect winning track for a second-round score of 87.75.
“I loved the first round. I have jumped a couple like this that are straightforward and you can gallop around. I knew I would like it when I saw it on paper,” DelGreco commented on the track. “The handy was a lot different, so I had to come up with a plan for her. I wasn’t able to walk because we were schooling another horse! I watched a few and it worked out well.”
A two-round total of 178.75 was enough to clinch the win.
“I make sure she doesn’t see me before she goes into the ring because she will be looking for a treat,” Carlin laughed. “It is so exciting to watch her. I knew these girls could do it. I love having Michaella do her because I know they are a great team. It is so fun to watch.”
$15,000 2nd Round Equestrian USHJA National Hunter Derby Results:
1 Cabochon, Sophie Carlin, Michaella DelGreco | 91 | 87.75 | 178.75
2 Mtm Cool Fun, Abigail Dvorak-Peat, Stacy Wilcox | 90 | 87.5 | 177.5
3 Jailhouse Jumper Omhg, Erin Hughes, Erin Hughes | 87.5 | 88 | 175.5
4 Cristiano, Megan Bash, Leighton Goldberg | 87 | 87 | 174
5 Crass B, Megan Hubbard, Cindy Bohn | 83 | 90 | 173
6 West Lake, Melissa Donnelly, Fawn Lake Farm LLC | 80 | 92 | 172
7 Neptune R, Shannon Meehan, Shannon Meehan | 84 | 84 | 168
8 Priory Grove, Lisa Perri, Lillian Boulos | 84 | 77 | 161
9 Fineas, Jessica Jurkowitz, Clover Hill Farm | 82 | 74.5 | 156.5
10 Roosevelt Flt, Kelsey Mogel, Linda Ostberg | 77 | 79 | 156
Lizzie Rinehart Lands One-Two Finish in the $15,000 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby
Lizzie Rinehart and her brand-new partner, Talk (Thunder Vd Zuuthoeve x Belina V Het Slogenhof), set the tone for a bright season ahead as they rose to the top of the $15,000 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby at their first show together.
“Talk is an equitation horse. This is just my first show with him. I have watched him for about the last year or two. My plan is to do him in the 3’6” equitation this year and we just did the derby today for fun,” Rinehart shared. “I can’t thank Don Stewart and the team enough. Don owns Talk and I feel really lucky to have the ride on him!’
Rinehart returned for the second round with a first-round score of 90, sitting in second to her own score of 96 with Bond.
The junior rider piloted the ten-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, Talk, to the handiest effort of the top twelve, earning a score of 89 from the judges to ultimately win the class with a 179 total.
“Since I did an eq class before the derby and I have been watching him for a while, I know he is really handy. I wanted to show that off in the second round as much as possible. Since he usually does the 3’6”, I knew the inside turns and the options wouldn’t be a problem, and he was really good!”
Returning as the final entry with Bond, Rinehart earned a 79.5 and a two-round total of 175.5 to also secure second place.
$15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby Results:
1 Talk, Lizzie Rinehart, Donald Stewart | 90 | 89 | 179
2 Bond, Lizzie Rinehart, Lizzie Rinehart | 96 | 79.5 | 175.5
3 Belamour, Gabrielle Sharlow, Bays And Grays LLC | 86 | 86 | 172
4 Romano, Catie Karpwoich, Catie Karpwoich | 87 | 81 | 168
5 Stay Tuned, Ainsleigh Glenn, Ainsleigh Glenn | 85 | 80 | 165
6 Invictus, Ella Reinauer, Ella Reinauer | 85 | 79 | 164
7 All’s Well, Ainsley Wade, Ainsley Wade | 77 | 84 | 161
8 On Pointe, Anna Frear, First Blue LLC | 73 | 85 | 158
9 Bejeweled, Addy Bross, Addy Bross | 78 | 75 | 153
10 Calisinni Ssh, Brooke Gregory, Brooke Gregory | 74 | 76 | 150
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.