Ocala, FL – The second Hunter Derby Friday of the 2025 Summer Series at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC) welcomed more than 55 stunning hunters to Indoor Arena 1 to compete in three exciting classes: the $12,500 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby, the $10,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby, and the $10,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby. Tucker Williams designed Friday’s courses, which featured long bending lines and several tidy options for the handy round.
Competition was fierce in the $12,500 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby, with just 0.25 points separating the top two placings. Ultimately, Maria Rasmussen topped the class aboard Sunset View Farm LLC’s SVF Changeup (Il Est Balou x Fabiola). She also claimed third with Goodfella and fifth with SVF Richie.
In the first round, Rasmussen earned solid scores across the board—an 87 with SVF Richie, an 89 with Goodfella, and a 90 with SVF Changeup.
Rasmussen enjoyed the first-round course. “It was a fun course,” she said. “It was a lot of bending lines, and I am not a fan of bending lines. So, it pushed me out of my comfort zone, so it actually got really fun because I had to count, rather than just riding long lines with no number.”
Heading into the handy, she had a similar strategy for all three of her mounts. “They are all pretty handy, so I had the same plan with all of them,” she shared. “On [SVF Changeup], I was tempted to go inside the grey oxer after the trot jump because he is so handy. But I told myself to calm down,” she laughed.
Rasmussen returned first with Goodfella and earned a 91, then followed with SVF Richie, scoring a 90. She returned last on SVF Changeup. The eight-year-old KWPN gelding delivered from start to finish, earning a stellar second-round score of 93 with a two-round total of 183 to secure the win.
A longtime supporter of WEC – Ocala, Rasmussen praised the venue. “We love everything about it. We love the air-conditioning, the footing, the arenas. The food is great. The stalls are so comfortable for all of the horses. You walk in the barn aisle at the end of the day, and all of my horses are laying down. They love it and they are sleeping, comfortable and happy. It’s super great for not only the horses but the riders too.”
$12,500 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby Results
Jake Evans and Effortlessly Cool Prove the Name Fits in $10,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3′ Open Hunter Derby
In the $10,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby, 23 talented horse-and-rider combinations competed for the blue ribbon, but it was Jake Evans who took the win aboard Effortlessly Cool (Action Blue x Jasmine Clover), owned by Isltime LLC.
This marked Effortlessly Cool’s first week in the show ring, and Evans knew that she would excel. “She was bred in Ireland and originally trained as a fox hunter when she was three years old. When she first came over to the States, she was owned by another client as an investment opportunity. I looked at Jerry, [another client of Evans’], and said, ‘This is your horse,’ and he said, ‘I’m never actively looking for a horse, but if you find the right one, I am in.’ She was perfect for him, and they work so well together.”
The confidence showed and the pair delivered an impressive classic round, earning the highest first round score of a 92. “I wasn’t surprised she scored that well. To me, that’s how a hunter should go—ears perked, looking through the bridle from start to finish.”
Heading into the handy sitting in the lead, Evans’ goal was to stay consistent with the seven-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare. “I saw [Timothy Maddrix’s] handy and thought, ‘Oh boy, we’ve gone back and forth in so many derbies.’ He made some turns I thought were impossible, so I chose not to do one of them. But I felt my horse jumped really well, and that was enough to keep us on top. The pair finished the handy with a score of 89.5, securing the win with a total of 181.5.
$10,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby Results
Katalena Prusso and Viscolano Steal the Spotlight in $10,000 USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby
Twenty-two horse-and-rider combinations took to the comfort of Indoor Arena 1 to compete for victory in the $10,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby. In the end, it was Katalena Prusso and Falcon Ridge Stables’ Viscolano who stole the spotlight and led the way in the victory gallop.
In the classic round, Prusso’s goal was to keep it simple with the 10-year-old Warmblood gelding, “Everyone was like, ‘Ride your lines, make sure you’re on it.’ And I was thinking, all I have to do is ride my horse and he’ll be on it.” The pair was locked in as they navigated an impressive first round for a high score of 92.
Prusso sat at the top of the leaderboard heading into the handy, “When I saw the course I thought, ‘Oh, this is really handy, maybe I’ll watch a few people go first’”. Prusso was the last to return with the talented gelding, and they made light work of the track, earning another top score of 91 for an overall total of 183 for the win. “We had a really solid handy. It was beautiful. He jumped perfectly and it was just great overall.”
$10,000 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