Tracy Fenney Unveils Her New Secret in the $40,000 Ethel M Chocolates USHJA International Hunter Derby 

27 JUN 26 Ocala, FL

A rider on a chestnut horse jumps over an orange and green fence in an outdoor equestrian arena with grass and trees in the background.

Ocala, FL – The $40,000 Ethel M Chocolates USHJA International Hunter Derby took center stage on Friday evening in the WEC Stadium during Summer Series III. Twenty of the nation’s top hunter combinations stepped under the lights to contest the class, but in the end, it was Tracy Fenney and her new partner, MTM Secret (Nixon x Kaya), owned by MTM Farm, who wowed both the crowd and the judges to secure victory.

Joe Carnicom designed a stunning track featuring beautifully decorated fences accented by spectacular floral arrangements. The course invited horses to jump in exceptional form, making for an exciting evening of competition. The judging panel consisted of Daniel Geitner and Gary Young on panel one and Cathy Geitner and James Waldman on panel two.

A rider in formal attire guides a gray horse over a show jumping obstacle decorated with flowers during an equestrian competition.
Maria Rasmussen and SVF Charles jumped to third place. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Things became especially interesting when Maria Rasmussen entered the ring aboard Sunset View Farm LLC’s SVF Charles (Charleston x Rindelle). After earning a first-round score of 179, the pair sat in fifth place heading into the handy. The rising eight-year-old Holsteiner gelding stayed perfectly in sync with Rasmussen as they produced an impressive handy effort, earning a score of 193 and moving into the lead on a two-round total of 372.

A rider in equestrian gear guides a gray horse over a decorative jump during a show jumping event outdoors.
Timothy Maddrix and Olimpink Melloni secured second place. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Their score held until last week’s winner of the $10,000 Golden Ocala 3’6″-3’9″ Hunter Derby, Timothy Maddrix, entered the ring aboard Kristina Groselle’s seven-year-old KWPN gelding Olimpink Melloni (Carrera VDL x Ireina II). The pair returned with a first-round score of 184 before impressing the judges once again in the handy with tidy turns to earn a 198 and a two-round total of 382.

Victory seemed all but sealed, but Tracy Fenney entered the ring with a different mindset. “Just win it or lose it,” she smiled.

A rider in a helmet and jacket guides a brown horse over a decorative jump during an outdoor equestrian competition.
Tracy Fenney and MTM Secret. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Fenney piloted the flashy eight-year-old Warmblood gelding to an effortless first-round score of 185. The class marked several milestones for the young horse.

“We got Secret toward the end of the winter circuit,” explained Fenney. “They had one class that was supposed to go on Friday night but got rescheduled to the next day and we couldn’t make that work, so this is actually his first night class and first International Derby.”

The newness of the atmosphere did little to deter Fenney’s approach in the handy round. “I thought the high options were really high. A few people chose not to do them, and I am always the kind to just win it or lose it. Go for all the high options, get all the points and do what you can.”

A rider on a chestnut horse jumps over an ornate fence with flowers and greenery during an equestrian competition at night.
Tracy Fenney and MTM Secret. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Fenney did exactly that, producing a standout handy round that earned a score of 202 and propelled the pair to a winning two-round total of 387.

Speaking about the talented young gelding, Fenney couldn’t hide her excitement for his future. “He just handles it all so well. He has so much power, and the more he went, the better he even jumped. He could jump higher and higher, and he uses his rear end so well. That’s what’s so fun about him. He is just so scopey and gives it his everything all the time.”

A group of people pose around a horseback rider holding a ribbon, behind an Ethel M. Chocolates sign at an equestrian event.
Tracy Fenney and MTM Secret accept their first-place awards. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

The victory serves as an important stepping stone for the pair, who have their sights set on USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals in August. “I am hoping to do Derby Finals. That’s my goal and that’s why we have him. I know he can do it, he has all the talent in the world.”

Two women stand smiling inside a decorative house-shaped frame, one in equestrian attire and the other holding a prize bag, surrounded by flowers and greenery at night.
Callan Solem accepted the Style of Riding Award presented by Annie Connolly, owner of ACE Equestrian. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

The Style of Riding Award, sponsored by ACE Equestrian, was presented to Callan Solem in recognition of exemplary horsemanship. The recipients received an embroidered backpack, an ACE gift certificate, and select ACE PRO4MANCE products.

$40,000 Ethel M Chocolates USHJA International 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

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