Ocala, FL – Derby Friday got here early this week as World Equestrian Heart – Ocala adjusted the schedule to accommodate Friday’s much-anticipated Standlee/USHJA Nationwide Hunter Derby Regional South Championships. Course designer Tommy Brawley set elegant, flowing tracks within the WEC – Stadium for greater than 70 prime hunters competing throughout three thrilling courses: the $12,500 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby, the $10,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA Nationwide 3’ Open Hunter Derby, and the $10,000 USHJA Nationwide 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby.
A aggressive discipline of execs gathered for the $12,500 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby, the place Maria Rasmussen scored her second consecutive win aboard SVF Changeup (Il Est Balou x Fabiola), owned by Sundown View Farm LLC.
Rasmussen has developed a powerful partnership with the 10-year-old Warmblood gelding over the previous two years. “He’s tremendous enjoyable—he makes you’re feeling actually assured. He’s scopey, athletic, and courageous, so it’s a whole lot of enjoyable to go on the market and do the derbies with him,” Rasmussen shared.
After piloting two horses earlier within the class, Rasmussen returned to the ring with a transparent technique for SVF Changeup. “The course was enjoyable and open, which I actually appreciated,” she mentioned. “I didn’t have the most effective begin on my first two horses, however I received it collectively by the point I went in on him, and all of it got here collectively in the long run.” Their first-round rating of 89 put them on prime of the leaderboard heading into the useful.
Rasmussen capitalized on the useful spherical to safe the win. “Coming again for the useful, I knew this was a horse I might actually be useful on. There weren’t a ton of locations to indicate that, however there have been one or two key turns I knew I needed to take, and he was nice about it.” The duo impressed with a useful rating of 91, bringing their complete to 180 for the win.
$12,500 Golden Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby Outcomes
Tracy Fenney and MTM Higher Half Impress within the $10,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA Nationwide 3’ Open Hunter Derby
A gifted discipline of 34 horse-and-rider combos took to the WEC Grand Area to attempt their hand within the $10,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA Nationwide 3’ Open Hunter Derby. Competitors was fierce, nevertheless it was Tracy Fenney who captured the win aboard MTM Higher Half (Cornet Obolensky x Clarata), owned by MTM Farm.
The category marked the eight-year-old gelding’s present debut, and he stepped as much as show his expertise. “He was lately imported, that is his first horse present,” shared Fenney. “He’s superior, very simple on the jumps and also you don’t have to fret about setting him up an excessive amount of.”
The pair got here collectively superbly, incomes the very best first-round rating of 93.5. “I assumed the course was a bit difficult to start out—opening over the hedge soar, then proper into that line to the direct 5, and after that, the massive log. This horse did jumpers in Europe, so he’s by no means actually seen something like that, I used to be actually pleased with him.”
Heading into the useful on prime of the leaderboard, Fenney rolled the cube. “I figured he’s most likely fairly courageous—he’s jumped as much as 1.40m or 1.45m in Europe, so I assumed this could be nothing for him. I figured I might go for it, and he was so good. All of the angles and turns, he actually nailed them.”
The gifted duo topped their first-round rating with a 94 within the useful, securing the win with a complete of 187.5.
$10,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA Nationwide 3’ Open Hunter Derby Outcomes
Katalena Prusso and Viscolano Rating Second Consecutive Win in $10,000 USHJA Nationwide 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby
Twenty-two junior and beginner rivals took to the WEC Stadium to vie for the blue ribbon within the $10,000 USHJA Nationwide 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby. Katalena Prusso and Viscolano, the 10-year-old Warmblood gelding owned by Falcon Ridge Stables, rose to the highest as soon as once more, claiming one other derby victory.
Within the traditional spherical, Prusso stored the brand new surroundings in thoughts. “I used to be positively nervous within the first spherical. The Stadium might be an intimidating ring, however he actually stepped up,” she shared. “The course was a bit of difficult, particularly beginning on the hedge and going proper into the traces, however he answered each query completely.” The pair earned a strong first-round rating of 86, inserting them second on the leaderboard.
Returning for the useful, Prusso caught with a plan that performed to their strengths. “I watched the open derby this morning and noticed all the professionals taking that inside flip, which we determined to not, and it labored out nice,” she defined. “We additionally did one much less stride within the bending line, our plan flowed properly and felt actually clean”.
The pair earned a second spherical rating of 92, securing the win with an total complete of 178.
$10,000 USHJA Nationwide 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby Outcomes
Discover the each day class schedule, orders of go, class counts, and ultimate outcomes on HorseShowing.com. For real-time scoring, take a look at Ryegate.Reside.
Images courtesy of Andrew Ryback Images.Movies obtainable at ClipMyHorse.TV
