Small Love Continues to Dominate the Derby Ring as Iwasaki Claims Victory in the $15,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby

Ocala, FL – Over 80 stunning hunters took to the GGT Footing Hunter 1 Arena to contest for top honors across the three competitive derbies: $15,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby, $15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby, and $20,000 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby. Lynn Mullins’ flowing, winding tracks pushed competitors to deliver their best, producing scores that reached well into the high 90s.

The $15,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby saw 45 top Junior and Amateur combinations navigate the winding track, but it was Augusta Iwasaki and Iwasaki and Reilly’s Small Love (Chacco Blue x Wisilvia) who claimed the winning title once again.

Iwasaki, who has been sharing the ride on Small Love with Kate Conover while away at school, returned home Thursday evening. “I just got to Ocala from school yesterday, so it’s been a little bit of a rough week,” she laughed. “I just wanted to go out there and have some fun and just try to be as smooth as possible with her.”

An exceptionally smooth first round earned the pair an impressive score of 97, placing them at the top of the leaderboard heading into the handy round. “My thought on her for the handy is to just keep it smooth. She jumps so well, but sometimes I can get a little bit too handy and pull her off a lead, so I tried not to do anything too crazy on her and just keep it as smooth as possible,” Iwasaki shared.

Another polished performance earned the 13-year-old Hanoverian mare a score of 94 in the handy round, securing a two-round total of 191 and overall winning honors.

Iwasaki praised Small Love and explained why she believes the mare thrives in the derby ring. “She’s an amazing jumper, she’s very competitive, and she always wants to do the right thing and always wants to win, which is one of my favorite things about her. She’s such a strong competitor, and she always puts her best foot forward. She is honestly the sweetest horse I’ve ever met in my life. She is the nicest and kindest animal in the barn, but is also such a good show horse.”

$15,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby Results

Inside Turn Pays Off for Tosh & Captain in the $15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby

The $15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby kicked off early Friday morning in Hunter 1, where a competitive field of 19 professionals vied for the top spot. Maddie Tosh ultimately piloted Ceil Wheeler’s Captain to a well-earned victory.

Tosh and the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Verdi delivered a seamless first round, earning the top score of 93.

“I thought the first round actually worked out really nice for my horse. We started out with the two singles, which was nice to show off a loose gallop. The lines were long, bending lines, and he has a huge stride, so I was able to walk down those lines nicely. I thought he was really great in the first round, especially in the colder weather that we had this morning,” Tosh explained.

The second round consisted of numerous options for riders to show off their handiness, specifically a tight rollback from three to four. “He’s really good about all the turns; he’s seen all of this stuff at this point in his career. So I knew if I did it properly, he would be right there with me. So pretty much since we walked this morning, our plan didn’t change, and we stuck to it, and I couldn’t have asked him to be any better,” Tosh reflected.

Tosh guided Captain to another strong round, earning a handy score of 89.75 for a two-round total of 182.75 to take home the blue ribbon.

When speaking about their partnership, Tosh credited Captain’s owners for the opportunity. “I started riding him this past summer in Michigan. Ceil and Kenny Wheeler own him, and I’m lucky enough that they let me take over the reins this summer. He’s just a really fun horse that always tries his heart out, and it’s been a blast to ride him.”

$15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby Results

Graffiti Makes a Lasting First Impression in the $20,000 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby

The $20,000 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby wrapped up competition in the GGT Footing Hunter 1 Arena with 17 horse-and-rider combinations vying for top honors. In the end, Evan Coluccio piloted Graffiti (Untouchable x Gardene du Plessis) to the win, earning the talented 13-year-old Selle Français gelding his first victory in the United States.

Graffiti made light work of the first round, earning an impressive score of 92 to take the lead heading into the handy. Coluccio spoke about the gelding’s unique background and how their partnership came together.
“We stumbled across him in a random situation,” he explained. “We actually went to try another horse, and they told us about him. He had been jumping four-star Grand Prix classes in the Middle East. I rode him and fell in love with him. One of my best clients, Mary Antanini, had told me to keep an eye out for a new horse, and I said, ‘I think I found one for you.’ She loves art, so we named him Graffiti.”

Returning for the handy round, Coluccio once again impressed the judges, earning an even higher score of 94 to secure the victory with a two-round total of 186.

“In the handy round, he was perfect, he was just following me, and I was able to guide him, and he stayed with me,” Coluccio shared. “I haven’t had him long, but I wasn’t going to hold back. I knew I had a shot. He’s very mature and has experience that some of my younger horses don’t have. I play it a little safer with the younger ones. I had planned to go very short on an inside turn, but with such a big lead from the first round, I didn’t think it was necessary. I just tried to stay efficient, smooth, and consistent so he can learn about his new job.”

$20,000 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby 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

Make sure to visit the WEC Blog and follow us on social media @worldequestriancenter for full coverage on all feature classes! 

This event is made possible through the support of our generous sponsors and marketing partners, the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, and Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau.