Wilmington, Ohio – Wilmington, Ohio – Winter Spring Forward at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington featured top hunter/jumper competition from Wednesday, March 13 to Sunday, March 17. Amy Krebs (USA) returned back on top of the podium in the $30,000 CWD Grand Prix, while Megan Bash scored her second consecutive $10,000 Dechra Futures Prix win. The Berry’s dominated both the $15,000 Hagyard USHJA National Open Hunter Derby and the $15,000 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby. Krebs started her week with a win in the $10,000 Tipperary Equestrian Welcome Stake.
Krebs bested the field in the $30,000 CWD Grand Prix, marking her third grand prix win of the series with her own 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Jabantos (Corsari Van De Helle x Cassima).
Racking up recent grand prix placings, Krebs discussed how WEC – Wilmington has played a role in her development as a rider, “WEC has really helped me get more comfortable at this height. Even offering the futures prix is so helpful. I started there. I was able to bring up a horse that was new to the level in that class. The courses aren’t overfacing, and it has really helped build my confidence. I wouldn’t have been able to gallop down to big jumps without doing so many of these classes.”
Bash and her own 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Jackson VDL (Zirocco Blue VDL x Design O), landed their second win in a row in the $10,000 Dechra Futures Prix.
Bash discussed where she made up time around the course, “To leave the jumps up and go as fast as I went was going to be really difficult. I turned really short and I left steps out everywhere that I could. I didn’t think that I left a lot on the table. Jackson is just so careful. He is such a trier.”
Jason Berry ultimately bested the $15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby sponsored by Hagyard aboard David Beisel’s 17-year-old Oldenburg gelding, The Boy Friend (Gracieux x Vironja), with scores of 94 and 89.
Gathered by the Beisel family after his winnings, Berry was thankful for the special friendship, “It is really important to us to cultivate such special friendships like theirs. We are so happy to help each other when need be. The Beisel’s are lending us a pony next week, I have goosebumps just thinking about it! It is so special to have close relationships at the show and in the industry and we are really thankful for them.”
Alisa Berry rode to a career high score of 98 in round of the $15,000 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby sponsored by Shoo-fly to take the win with her nine-year-old Oldenburg gelding, On Point (Cola Zero x Lolita).
“’Porter’ is much more of a hunter than an equitation horse. Right before I went in, Jason said that I couldn’t show him off. It was more of an equitation course than a hunter course. He told me to shorten my reins, be on track and be ahead of myself three strides. I really had to ride the course. I was a bit apprehensive about whether or not it would work because it isn’t his style at all, and he just molded! He was super,” Berry explained.
Krebs swept the $10,000 Tipperary Equestrian Welcome Stake claiming first and second place with her mounts, Ike (Spartacus x Twister) and Jabantos, respectively.
Krebs spoke on her partnership with the nine-year-old KWPN gelding, “We bought him to do the upper levels so not all the pressure is on Jabantos. I did my first prix with him at Brownland and it didn’t go as we had planned. We bumped him back down and it knocked my confidence a little bit,” Krebs continued. “Doing the welcome’s that are a little smaller where I can open him up and get to know him has really helped me trust him. We have really grown together in the ring and we are starting to learn each other’s buttons.”
Competition at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington continues Wednesday, March 19, with Winter Classic 15.
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Results can be found at horseshowing.com.
All horse show images are provided by Winslow Photography and can be purchased onsite at WEC – Wilmington or online through their website.