Tammy Provost & Apparently Seize the Win in the $15,000 Shoo-Fly USHJA National Open Hunter Derby at WEC Ohio Summer III

*_{Tammy Provost & Apparently. Photo by Winslow Photography.}*

Wilmington, Ohio – The sun set over the main hunter arena at World Equestrian Center – Ohio for the final hunter derby of the 2023 Spring/Summer Series. Twenty-one decorated hunter riders met for the $15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby sponsored by Shoo-Fly, but it was Tammy Provost (USA) that perfected Joe Carnicom’s (USA) flowing tracks to gallop away with the win aboard Apparently.

Provost, of Meadow View Farm in Sheridan, Indiana, happily took the ride on her winningest horse in the barn and impressed the judges to climb the leaderboard.

“He is just the best boy ever. He is a little newer to derbies than some of my horses and that is my first derby win on him! He has always been close and gotten nice ribbons. He has been champion with all of my adults in the barn in the adult divisions. He is literally the horse that everybody shows because his owner can’t always show, so everyone shares him! Nobody was going to show him here this week, so I decided to do him in the derby and have fun on the horse that is always good!”

The seasoned professional displayed a classic hunter trip in the first round, opting for each high option to earn a high score of 92.

Provost executed her handy plan to perfection aboard the willing 14-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding, the pair earned a score of 90.5, awarded for exceptional handiness and consistency.

Provost used her experience to her advantage in the handy phase, “My plan was to be pretty aggressive with my turns. I have to be a little careful with him because he can be spooky when he goes by jumps. He almost fell off his lead to the first jump when I went in between the gap. I made the inside turn there that a lot didn’t make. I planned to take the low option there with the plan to turn in. I judge a lot, so for me I would have given more points to someone that was handy, so that was why I choose the turn instead of the high option.”

An overall score of 182.5 ultimately put the duo on top.

Havens Schatt (USA), of Milestone Farm, had a banner evening claiming second place honors with her own Chance (Connect x Paloma S), just shy of the lead with an overall score of 182. Schatt also claimed third place honors aboard Caroline Moran’s Designated (Action Breaker x Landliebe) with a two-round total of 181.

$15,000 Shoo-Fly USHJA National Open Hunter Derby Results:

Anona Svenkesen & Express De B’Neville Earn First Derby Win in the $15,000 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby at WEC Ohio Summer III

*_{Anona Svenkesen & Express De B’Neville. Photo by Winslow Photography.}*

A field of 32 horse-and-athlete combinations met late in the afternoon for the final hunter derby Friday of the summer at WEC – Ohio. The $15,000 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby of Summer III saw an elegant group of junior and amateur athletes compete over Carnicom’s tracks, though it was Anona Svenkesen (USA) and Express De B’Neville (Cap De B’Neville x Joie De B’Neville) that proved their skills to ultimately earn their first ever derby win together.

The dedicated junior athlete of Clarkston, Michigan, has taken her young, stunning mount all the way through the ranks since his five-year-old year and was thrilled to earn their first derby win.

“Theo is a nine-year-old Selle Francias. We bought him a couple of months after he was imported, and I have had him since he was five. We started in the 2’6 and now he is doing the 3’6 with my trainer Sarah Roberston. I do the 3’3” juniors with him now, and we just got home from Junior Hunter Finals where we were 18^th overall. This is our first derby win, and it feels so awesome!”

Svenkesen was the 14^th rider to go in the order and jumped a textbook first round to secure her place in the handy phase with a score of 87.

“I was feeling nervous going in today. When I get nervous, I just try to go over my plan with my trainer one time and then focus. I just wanted to go in and have a solid consistent round. He has been so good the last three weeks, so we just wanted to have a good round before HJAM Medal Finals tomorrow. So we just kept is easy and wanted to get it done smoothly.”

Returning for the handy with few riders to return after her, Svenkesen impressed the judges with her consistency and handy efforts to earn a score of 88. Aboard the striking nine-year-old Selle Francias gelding, Svenkesen scored a two-round total of 175 to take the win.

“I never plan to sell him ever,” laughed Svenksen. “I want to do the international derbies with him someday. We plan for him to step into those next year at GLEF with Sarah [Robertson].”

$15,000 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby Results: