Kelsey Epperson & Apache 286 Capture $15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby Win at Winter Classic 10
13 FEB 26 Wilmington, OH
Wilmington, Ohio – A competitive field of professional athletes gathered in the R+L Arena at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington (WEC) for the $15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby during Winter Classic 10. No stranger to the winner’s circle, Kelsey Epperson rose to the top of the leaderboard aboard Naytraders LLC’s Apache 286.
Epperson admitted she was “actually really nervous about the course,” she laughed. “My favorite kind of course is a lot of long runs to single oxers, and today there were a lot of related bending lines, so I knew I was really going to have to pay attention. But after I rode the first line and got a feel for how it was going to ride, I thought it went really smoothly,” she shared of Joe Carnicom’s technical track.
The duo returned for the handy sitting in third place with a first-round score of 86. After collecting several second- and third-place ribbons in recent derbies, Epperson was, “getting tired of it,” she laughed.
“I felt like I was making little mistakes the last few derbies I did, and I really wanted to go out and prove to myself that I could do it,” she said.
The nine-year-old Warmblood gelding also shows in the Junior Hunters with owner Maxwell Brown, and Epperson expressed her gratitude for the ride.
“He has wonderful owners. Max shows him in the Junior Hunters and rides him so well. I love watching him, and it has been so much fun to work with him as a team. It’s really fun and an extra bonus that they let me continue to do the derbies with him.”
Epperson entered the handy determined to find her place at the top and did just that, earning a high score of 92 for a winning two-round total of 178.
Kiera Phlipot & Roc Slyde Rock the $12,500 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby
Sixteen horse-and-rider combinations met for the $12,500 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby at WEC – Wilmington Winter Classic 10. In the end, it was Kiera Phlipot who dominated the class aboard her own Roc Slyde, topping the leaderboard by seven points.
At first glance, Joe Carnicom’s track looked challenging for Phlipot. “The track was so much fun. I am normally bad at bending lines, so to have almost the whole course be bending lines made me really nervous,” she laughed.
“I watched a lot of the equitation this morning just to see how it rode. When I walked it, it walked very differently than what I watched,” Phlipot reflected. “Of course, I had to go first, so I just put it out of mind and told myself to ride what I saw. Everything rode beautifully out of the turns. Joe [Carnicom] sets a great course, and the jumps were beautiful.”
After claiming the 3’6” Green Hunter championship earlier in the week, her eight-year-old Oldenburg gelding continued his winning form, opening Friday’s Hunter Derby with a score of 87 as the first to go.
“He has been so good. He just moved up to the 3’6” this year, and it feels like it was just meant for him. It is his favorite height, and he just loves it. He is so easy. I think he took four naps this morning, had a five-minute hand walk, and here he is winning,” Phlipot laughed.
Another 87 in the handy phase earned the duo a winning two-round total of 174.
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