Ocala, FL – The Standlee/USHJA Nationwide Hunter Derby Regional South Championships took middle stage within the WEC Stadium at World Equestrian Heart – Ocala (WEC), showcasing three extremely aggressive hunter derbies: the $12,500 Standlee/USHJA Nationwide Hunter Derby Regional South Championship – Open, Junior, and Beginner. Riders aimed to impress a distinguished panel of judges, with Panel One comprising Irving Evans and Don Sheehan, and Panel Two together with Scott Hofstetter and Carole O’Brien. Tommy Brawley designed the gorgeous, flowing tracks that featured lush pure greenery and fantastically adorned vegetation, with 60 expert horse-and-rider combos rising to the problem.
Hunter Derby Friday kicked off with the $12,500 Standlee/USHJA Nationwide Hunter Derby Regional South Championship – Open. Twenty-eight combos competed for high honors, with the highest 20 scores advancing to the useful spherical.
Thursday’s winner of the $10,000 USHJA Nationwide 3’ Open Hunter Derby, Tracy Fenney returned to the Stadium on Friday and continued to impress with MTM Higher Half (Cornet Obolensky x Clarata) through the gelding’s first week of exhibiting as a hunter. Fenney and the nine-year-old Warmblood gelding made gentle work of the primary spherical for an total mixed rating of 180.
Coming again for the useful spherical, Fenney was sitting in second—behind herself on one other horse—however she was assured the proficient gelding may deal with all the inside turns due to his jumper profession in Europe. “Actually, I really feel like I may do something with him. I used to be a little bit not sure in regards to the trot bounce as a result of they by no means do this as jumpers. The primary bounce was robust for some horses, with the Hansel and Gretel home requirements, and it caught fairly a number of horses off guard, however he was completely unphased,” she shared.
“We examined the scope on the trot fence, and he mentioned, ‘Yep, I acquired this.’ He simply lands the identical each single time—not fast or sluggish, simply regular. He’s good.”
The pair took each inside flip out there and have been awarded an excellent rating of 183 from the panel of judges, bringing their two-round complete to 363 for the championship title.
MTM Higher Half has had fairly the week to kick off his hunter profession. “He’s wonderful. From the very first day I rode him at residence, I knew I’d by no means ridden a horse like him in my life. He’s so easy and courageous on the jumps, does all the things completely, and simply poses over the fences regardless of the peak. I’ve had a blast this week, and I’m simply so impressed by him.”
Fenney says the gelding’s title is an ideal match. “I hold a complete record of names on my telephone. I believe I had Higher Half on there, however sooner or later I noticed it on a Coke can and thought, that’s such an amazing title, and it suits him completely. Everybody retains asking, ‘Who’s the higher half?’ And I say positively him. He can do no fallacious.”
Having the nationwide derbies on Thursday and the Regional Championships on Friday was an expertise Fenney was very grateful for. “Day by day they threw one thing new within the ring, which was nice. My different three are youthful and greener, so it’s actually good miles for them. This was good preparation for the Inexperienced Incentive Finals this August in Kentucky.”
Brady Mitchell piloted the Rein Household LLC’s six-year-old Warmblood gelding Sicario to second place with a primary spherical rating of 179 and a second spherical rating of 183.5 for an total complete of 362.5 to take residence Reserve Champion.
Clair Kellner rounded out the highest three with Caligua (Casall x La Corofina), a 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Suzanne Cayatte. The pair earned two constant scores of 175 within the first and second spherical for a two-round complete of 350.
$12,500 Standlee/USHJA Nationwide Hunter Derby Regional South Championship – Open Outcomes
Clear Sweep for Katalena Prusso in $12,500 South Standlee/USHJA Nationwide Hunter Derby Regional Championship – Junior
Within the $12,500 South Standlee/USHJA Nationwide Hunter Derby Regional Championship – Junior, 12 proficient younger athletes took to the WEC Stadium, nevertheless it was Katalena Prusso who dominated the category. Aboard her trusted companions Viscolano and Ferragamo—each owned by Falcon Ridge Stables—Prusso secured the Championship title with a formidable 27-point lead and in addition claimed the Reserve title.
Prusso was first to go along with Ferragamo, an eight-year-old Hanoverian mare, delivering a strong spherical that earned a rating of 164. Later within the order, she returned with Viscolano and raised the bar, incomes a formidable 183.
With high scores heading into the useful spherical, Prusso held the highest two spots and saved her technique easy. “I simply needed to be constant and tidy,” she shared. Ferragamo impressed once more with a second-round rating of 177, bringing their total complete to 341, a rating that remained unbeaten till Prusso returned on Viscolano.
The skilled pair made gentle work of the useful observe. “We did each inside turns. The primary flip from one to 2 rode fantastically. I couldn’t have requested for extra of him. He’s one in 1,000,000, actually gorgeous. Anybody can be fortunate to have a horse like him.”
A useful rating of 185 introduced Viscolano’s complete to 368, securing the Championship title for the duo and the Reserve honors for Ferragamo.
“It feels actually good to go away with these wins. I’m so grateful for your complete group at Falcon Ridge Stables—it actually does take a village,” Prusso mentioned.
Rounding out the highest three was Charlotte Mack aboard Deborah Ball’s 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding Mithras ADB, incomes a mixed rating of 329 with a first-round rating of 153 and a useful rating of 176.
$12,500 South Standlee/USHJA Nationwide Hunter Derby Regional Championship – Junior Outcomes
Audrey Muscari and Emerson Van De Meulenberg Z High $12,500 South Standlee/USHJA Nationwide Hunter Derby Regional Championship – Beginner
The ultimate class on Friday, the $12,500 South Standlee/USHJA Nationwide Hunter Derby Regional Championship – Beginner, welcomed 17 horse-and-rider combos vying for the championship title. Finally, it was Audrey Muscari and her personal Emerson Van De Meulenberg Z (Emerald Van’t Ruytershof x Cheng Lee Van Berkenbroeck) who galloped away with the lion’s share of the prize cash.
Muscari and the eight-year-old Zangersheide gelding delivered a easy first spherical, incomes a mixed rating of 172.
Coming into the useful spherical with a 3.5-point lead, Muscari was desperate to showcase the gelding’s brilliance. “He actually shines within the useful. He’s a lot enjoyable in that section—due to his jumper background, he’s at all times on the lookout for the following bounce. I can roll again confidently figuring out nothing will catch him off guard,” she shared.
With a formidable useful rating of 176.5 and a two-round complete of 348.5, Muscari and Emerson Van De Meulenberg Z secured the tricolor ribbon.
Reflecting on their partnership, Muscari mentioned, “I’ve had ‘Emerson’ since he was 5. We began within the jumpers, and he competed within the younger jumper divisions by his six-year-old yr earlier than transitioning right into a derby horse.”
Muscari additionally famous her fondness for the venue. “I completely love the derbies within the Stadium. I can decide up an enormous gallop and simply go discover the jumps. It’s such an amazing feeling, and Emerson loves it on the market too.”
Madison Berger Reed completed simply behind with Berger Equine, LLC’s 11-year-old KWPN gelding Javador T. The duo earned a first-round rating of 168.5 and a useful rating of 178.5, ending on a complete of 347 for the Reserve Championship.
Eva Alcorn accomplished the rostrum aboard her personal 13-year-old German Sport Horse gelding On line casino Royal (Casdorff x Ramiro’s Feuerwerk) with a last rating of 342.
$12,500 South Standlee/USHJA Nationwide Hunter Derby Regional Championship – Beginner Outcomes
Discover the every day class schedule, orders of go, class counts, and last outcomes on HorseShowing.com. For real-time scoring, try Ryegate.Stay.
Pictures courtesy of Andrew Ryback Images.Movies out there at ClipMyHorse.TV
