Wilmington, Ohio – Hunter competition for Winter Classic #16 reached a pinnacle Friday in the R+L Arena at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington. The $15,000 USHJA National Open 3’ Hunter Derby saw 15 challengers, but none perfected course designer Michael Pegg’s (CAN) tracks like Samantha Cooper (USA) and Nandino.
Cooper, of Streetsboro, Ohio, piloted Ellen Malson’s 15-year-old Bradenberg Warmblood to a seamless performance over the first-round track to earn a high score of 94, securing their leading position moving into the handy phase.
Cooper spoke on her special partnership with Nandino, “we have been together for 11 years now. It is really cool because I feel like a lot of professionals do not always have the opportunity to have a partnership for that long. To have him as my project and to get to know him and form that partnership is just so special.”
Returning as the final pair to contest the handy round, the duo needed to top Melissa Donnelly’s overall score of 185. Cooper and her longtime partner Nandino made a brilliant handy effort taking all available options to earn a 98, the highest score of the 2023 Winter in the Midwest Series.
“The courses had a really nice flow to them. Personally, I love handy rounds that have a lot of options so that you can really go for it and it can set you apart from everyone else. I knew that Melissa was going to go for it, and she did so I knew I needed to. I do better under pressure, and it is good for me to have to rise to the occasion. Turtle really covered me, I felt like where I was lacking in my courses today he really made up for it.”
Impressing the judges and earning an overall score of 192, the duo landed on top of the leaderboard in the $15,000 USHJA National Open 3’ Hunter Derby.
$15,000 USHJA National Open 3’ Hunter Derby Results
1 Nandino, Samantha Cooper, Ellen Malson | 94 | 98 | 192
2 Corlando 49, Melissa Donnelly, Elizabeth Becker | 91 | 94 | 185
3 Finnello, Jaime Bates, Elizabeth Jacobs | 87 | 88 | 175
4 SWS Claudius, Jaime Bates, Steve Weder | 85 | 87 | 172
5 Levidinus, Jonathon Fischetti, Jonathon Fischetti | 89 | 82.5 | 171.5
6 Star Attraction, Courtney Morton, Courtney Morton | 79 | 82 | 161
7 King’s Vision, Jaime Bates, Lucinda Finley | 70 | 81 | 151
8 Trapani, Katie Pelzel, Myrna Folsom | 73 | 74 | 147
9 Kiss Me More, Kayla Schenk, Kayla Schenk | 66 | 75 | 141
10 Here And Now, Katie Pelzel, Drumnacross LLC | 68 | 72 | 140
Isabella Griffin Dominates the $15,000 USHJA National Non-Pro 3’ Hunter Derby
Early in the afternoon, 25 elegant hunter athletes met in the R+L Arena for the $15,000 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby. Isabella Griffin (USA) ultimately mastered Pegg’s tracks and earned a double victory with her top mounts.
Griffin, of Hunstville, Alabama, piloted Trefoil Farm LLC’s Diacasir (Diarado x Ucarola) to two exemplary rounds.
The picturesque ten-year-old Holsteiner gelding carried the talented junior rider to a pair of 89s and an overall score of 178, marking their third $15,000 USHJA National Non-Pro 3’ Hunter Derby win of the 2023 Winter in the Midwest Series.
“I had Balou [Diacasir] first. I thought the course was really nice. I liked the end jump because you were able to do it both ways and stay out in the corner to get straight. My other one, Dreamy [Heaven’s Dream], was a bit more cautious of things and he wasn’t as forward and fluid as Balou. For the handy, I came back just trying to be smooth on Dreamy and help him level out for the rest of the week. Balou is very good at the handy rounds. I wanted to go inside of the plant up top and slice across the last jump,” Griffin commented on her rounds.
Aboard her second mount, Heaven’s Dream (Arko III x Onze Dame), Griffin secured a first round score of 84. Returning the handy phase, the duo earned the highest score of the class of a 90 for a two round total of 174, good enough to move up to second place.
Griffin commented on her future plans with her talented mounts, “I will take them both to indoors! Balou will do the equitation, the USEF Dover Medal and Maclay Finals. Dreamy will hopefully be doing the Junior Hunters for the rest of indoors.”
$15,000 USHJA National Non-Pro 3’ Hunter Derby Results
1 Diacasir, Isabella Griffin, Trefoil Farm LLC | 89 | 89 | 178
2 Heaven’s Dream, Isabella Griffin, Isabella Griffin | 84 | 90 | 174
3 Co-Pilot, Katie Finley Katie Finley | 85 | 88.5 | 173.5
4 Spotlight, Elizabeth Rinehart, The Hagerty Family | 81.5 | 88 | 169.5
5 RND Larrico, Elizabeth Rinehart, Donald Stewart | 83 | 83 | 166
6 Guinness, Sofia Priller, Sofia Priller | 77 | 76 | 153
7 Skyfall, Nicole Davis, Nicole Davis | 75.5 | 77 | 152.5
8 Vaillero, Nicole Lyvere, Nicole Lyvere | 81 | 65 | 146
9 Hilton II, Keely McIntosh, Booth Show Jumpers | 75 | 69 | 144
10 No Salt All Sugar, Madelyn Kuhn, Madelyn Kuhn | 80 | 34 | 114