Ocala, FL – The first Hunter Derby Friday of the 2025 Winter Spectacular Show Series showcased nearly 70 horse-and-rider combinations in three highly competitive classes: the $20,000 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby, the $15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3′ Open Hunter Derby and the $15,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby.
Canadian course designer Meghan Rawlins crafted elegant, flowing tracks that set the stage for top scores reaching into the mid-90s.
The $20,000 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby headlined Friday’s action, drawing an impressive field of competitors. Ultimately, it was Hunter Holloway aboard Double E, LLC’s Story Hour (Casalico x Antonia) who claimed the top prize.
Holloway and the coming nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding earned an initial score of 89 with a seamless first round. Reflecting on the partnership, she remarked, “I get to ride him periodically. He makes my life easy. It’s nice when you get the call to ride a horse like that. I am lucky enough to be working closely with Don Stewart.”
Holloway praised both the course and the venue, saying, “It is always great to jump here. It always looks pretty, and the courses are amazing, but that’s just expected at a venue like this.”
Determined to secure the win in the handy round, Holloway delivered a flawless performance, earning a top score of 91 for a combined total of 180. “When I show the hunters, I like to be able to win,” she joked. “Story Hour is definitely a winner. As long as I ride well, I know he’ll pull it off for me. In the handy, I focused on staying smooth and letting him shine. He’s such a nice horse that the less you do, the better he looks.”
$20,000 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby Results
Timothy Maddrix and Olimpink Melloni Do the Impossible in the $15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby
Early this morning, 24 talented hunter combinations gathered in the beautifully decorated Hunter 1 arena to compete in the $15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby. In an exhilarating turn of events, Timothy Maddrix and his promising young partner, Olimpink Melloni (Carrera VDL x Ireina II), owned by Kristina Groselle, hunted from 12th place to first.
In the first round, Maddrix piloted the coming six-year-old KWPN gelding to a solid score of 84. “I loved the whole course. I loved the first round. I thought there were options everywhere—it flowed great, and the handy had some tougher options that you could do,” Maddrix shared. “I told the owners before we went today, ‘No expectations. This is his first derby, and he’s never been in this ring before.’ He was amazing.”
Returning for the handy round in 12th place, Maddrix decided to aim high. “Remember the time I said no expectations? Forget that,” he joked. “We were 12th coming back, so I said, ‘Let’s try to win and see what happens.’ He just went and did all the turns and jumped better and better as it went on. I think he is going to be a super derby horse.”
The pair delivered a flawless handy round, earning an impressive score of 89 for a two-round total of 173 for the win.
$15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby Results
Gigi Phillps and Me Too Are Victorious in the $15,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby
Twenty-four skilled junior and amateur riders competed for top honors in the $15,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby, but it was Gigi Phillips and Me Too (Providence x Babette), owned by Caren Morassutti, who captured the judges’ attention to claim the blue ribbon.
Phillips expertly guided the flashy 12-year-old Hanoverian mare through a beautiful first round, seamlessly navigating all four high options to earn an impressive score of 89. Reflecting on her performance, Phillips shared, “I thought it was fun. It was a nice course—just long and loose—and she really liked it.”
The pair returned for the handy round in third place, aiming for a smooth, enjoyable ride. “I just wanted to have a nice round, nothing too crazy since I don’t know her that well. I just wanted to have a good time on her,” Phillips explained.
Their efforts paid off, earning another score of 89 and an overall total of 178, securing their spot at the top of the leaderboard and leading the victory gallop.
Phillips was thrilled with the mare’s performance, “I think she did a really good job staying smooth in all of the turns, and she stayed with me the whole time. She was a really good girl.”
$15,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am 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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