Ocala, FL – Ninety impressive hunters convened at Hunter 1 for the seventh Hunter Derby Friday of the 2024 Winter Spectacular Show Series. Keith Bollotte crafted the tracks for three competitive derbies: the $20,000 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby, the $15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital 3’ USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby, and the $15,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby, providing athletes with a platform to showcase their horses’ brilliance and rideability.
Following her victory in the previous week’s $20,000 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby, Schaefer maintained her winning streak aboard In The Know (Arkansas x Cavelle). Piloting the skilled 15-year-old Warmblood gelding, Schaefer delivered a nearly flawless first round, earning an impressive score of 96.
“The first round was actually one of the harder courses for him. There were a lot of turns off the right lead and he’s a lefty, so I had to call on him where to land left, but he was great and got a big score.”
Heading into the handy round with a substantial lead, Schaefer shared her plan, “In the second round, we had quite a lead, but Lauren Schweppe had a great handy round and received a pretty high score, so I decided to do the same track she did. I knew he could do it, and he loves the handy, so I wasn’t too worried about doing any of the crazy turns.”
The pair floated around the track to receive another top score of 95 from the judges for a two-round total of 191 for the win.
$20,000 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby Results:
1 In The Know, Samantha Schaefer, Madeline Schaefer: 96 | 95 | 191
2 Cataumet, Lauren Schweppe, Cynthia Boudreau: 88 | 94 | 182
3 Colmans Blue, Abigail Russo, Maurah Burkholder: 87 | 90 | 177
4 Cruseon, Sophia Segesman, Georgy Maskrey-Segesman: 85 | 80 | 165
5 Bugatti, Austin Cumming, Liddy Strickland: 79 | 79 | 158
6 MTM Coco, Steven Saumell, Steven Saumell: 85 | 69 | 154
7 Hollywood, Erika Moore, Moore Acres, LLC: 83 | 70 | 153
8 Golden Eye, Brianna Cooper, First Joy Holdings, LLC: 64 | 76 | 140
9 Daily News, Spencer Turnblacer, Taylor Orlowski: 84 | 54 | 138
10 Denonair, Jennifer Tate, Barbara Kravetz: 78 | 45 | 123
Hillary Johnson and Suede Land the $15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby
Early this morning, Hillary Johnson made a lasting impression aboard Suede (Los Angeles x Petite Fleur), owned by Copper Fox, in the $15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby.
Johnson skillfully guided the 10-year-old Westphalian gelding through the first round, effortlessly maneuvering the course to earn a solid score of 91.
Johnson spoke about the first round, “In the first round, I think the very first line shocked many horses,” she shared. “Starting with an oxer, both of my horses really gave a great effort, but didn’t think about stepping down the bending eight which rode pretty long. The rest of the course I really didn’t count the bending lines. I try not to get too stuck on a number when you’re talking about nine or ten strides.”
Returning for the handy round with ground to cover, Johnson showcased Suede’s versatility, earning another impressive score of 92 for a total of 183.
Johnson spoke about her partnership with the stylish gelding, “We have had Suede in the barn for maybe four years now. He’s one of my absolute favorites to ride. The feeling he gives in the air is amazing even just over 3’. I really think the derby classes is where he shines. He walks right in straight from his stall after a little warm up and you know he’s never going to spook or care about anything exotic that might be set that day.”
$15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby Results:
1 Suede, Hillary Johnson, Copper Fox LLC: 91 | 92 | 183
2 Stakko Air Zwei, Megan Wexler, Fiona Sutton: 89.5 | 91 | 180.5
3 Elliot, Hillary Johnson, Copper Fox LLC: 89 | 89 | 178
4 Cellestino, Lauren Patterson, Lauren Patterson: 87 | 88 | 175
5 Evita, Kelsey Campbell, Gabriela Martinez-Salas: 87 | 87 | 174
6 Cupido ZG Z, Megan Wexler, Catherine Merrill: 90.5 | 82 | 172.5
7 Inspiration, Clair Kellner, Mindy Carreja: 90 | 79 | 169
8 On Your Mark, Kasey Evans, Abby Cole: 83 | 84 | 167
9 Casino Beau, Stacey Reser, Claudia Sarnoff: 86.5 | 74 | 160.5
10 Lambada, Mickie Sage, Laina Grenyer: 85.5 | 74 | 160.5
Elizabeth Rinehart Secures First and Second in $15,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby
Forty-seven talented junior and amateur athletes vied for the top prize in the $15,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby. Elizabeth Rinehart dominated the class, securing first place aboard her own Bond and second place aboard Claire Rockacy’s Kingston Blue.
With Bond, a 12-year-old Warmblood gelding by Clarimo, Rinehart delivered two stellar performances, earning impressive scores of 94 in both rounds, totaling 188 points and securing the victory. On the nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Kingston Blue (Farfan M x G-Blue), she achieved a first-round score of 91 and a handy score of 92, accumulating a two-round total of 183 for second place.
Rinehart spoke about her two talented mounts, “Bond we’ve had for a few months, and he’s the best. He’s so sweet and really experienced. He knows what he’s doing,” she added. “‘Olivier’, Kingstone Blue, is a little more green and hasn’t done as many derbies, but he was amazing today too.”
Rinehart really enjoyed today’s courses, “I really liked the course for the first round. There were a lot of different places for the horses to show off. In the handy round, I liked the amount of options we had to be tidy or stay out.”
$15,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby Results:
1 Bond, Elizabeth Rinehart, Elizabeth Rinehart: 94 | 94 | 188
2 Kingstone Blue, Elizabeth Rinehart, Claire Rockacy: 91 | 92 | 183
3 Carano, Jamie Planck, McRee: 87 | 86 | 173
4 Everton K’Dor, Natalie Orlowski, KS Sporthorses, LLC: 82 | 88 | 170
5 Hazelwood, Gigi Phillips, Andrea Guzinski: 85 | 81 | 166
6 Eurokom, Catherine Moorhead, PLC Farm: 80.5 | 85 | 165.5
7 Darko C, Emma Albertini, Emma Albertini: 86 | 79 | 165
8 Watermark, Kiley Prime, Kiley Prime: 84.25 | 75 | 159.25
9 Hashtag, Debbie Smith, Debbie Smith: 83 | 76 | 159
10 Ohana, Madison Pape, Madison Pape: 86.5 | 71 | 157.5
‘THE STYLE OF RIDING AWARD’
Before the start of the handy round in the $15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3′ Open Hunter Derby, Bill Rube presented the prestigious Style of Riding Award to Megan Wexler for her classic style and her sportsmanship. The recipient serves as a role model for preserving the integrity and tradition of equestrian sport. “This award is very special to me because the recipient of this award pays it forward both in and out of the show ring,” says Rube. Wexler received an elegant duffel bag and wore a white rose corsage on her lapel throughout the handy round to signify her achievement.
Visit HorseShowing.com for final results.
Spectators are welcome! From now until March 24, 2024, experience the thrill of the 2024 Winter Spectacular Show Series at World Equestrian Center – Ocala. Explore the daily class schedule, orders of go, class counts, and final results on HorseShowing.com. For real-time scoring, check out Ryegate.Live.
A limited number of weekly stalls remain for the 2024 Winter Spectacular Show Series, book your stall today!
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.
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