Thermal Calif.—March 19
Watching Baltimore in the $100,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby brought the beginning of the postal service phrase: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night” to mind.
Last week the gelding powered through a deluge of rain during the $77,700 USHJA International Hunter Derby during the Gulf Coast series (Miss.), and tonight he pressed through the swelling desert heat followed and the following blanket of darkness that enveloped the grand prix ring at HITS Desert Circuit.
Scores of 90+6, 92+8, and 90+6 combined with two bonus points for high options boosted the Jane Gaston owned horse above two of Farmer’s other rides, Publicized and Mindful, winner of the $100,000 derby in Ocala, Fla. three weeks ago.
“He wants to jump bigger jumps,” Farmer said of Baltimore. “I think ideally this is suited for the 3’9” the derbies, he has so much ability. It’s a Balou du Rouet. He’s bred to jump the top of the standards. When I turned around and jumped that six I was far away and he just scoped it out and he got high. He can jump a lot.”
The gelding came to Farmer early in the Florida circuit, and while Jane Gaston has shown him a few times, Baltimore is proving to be a to derby contender above anything else.
After the excitement settled, Farmer got on the phone with Gaston, who’d stayed up until midnight on the east coast to watch her horse win. Gaston, who just took champion in the amateur-owners over at the Winter Equestrian Festival, was reported to be singing, “I’m So Excited” by The Pointer Sisters when she heard the news.
In a repeat of the Ocala derby, Farmer had the luxury of being able eliminate unnecessary risks on course. She and Mindful boosted themselves to the top of the leaderboard after their derby, and there was only one pair sitting between them and her other three rides.
Alexis Taylor-Silvernale was having a strong round with Skyhawk, opting to take the low option at fence 8 so she could make a tidier turn to the trot jump at fence nine. But she ran into trouble when she tired to angle the high option at the final fence and picked up a stop. She represented to the lower option with no difficulty but it knocked her out of contention.
That left Farmer with the knowledge that she was on top, and she began to strategize a little differently. With three left to go, she elected to play it safe with It’s Me and Publicized, two greener members of her string.
With It’s Me, a stallion she co-owns with her mother Bibby Hill and Sue Pinney, shhe chose all low options and went wide to the final oxer with a bold pace. The stallion played some and the judging panels had some disagreement over her final score. With panel one awarding a 70.
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She elected to take a similar track with Publicized and the gelding delivered. In his first time under the lights he scored a 93, 90, 86.
“How about Publicized?,” she said. “How about my baby! Isn’t he amazing. I told you when you see him just wait.”
The Rian Beals designed course received a lot of praise. With options and natural obstacles such as hay bales and a hanging log, the course looked as though it could be a championship course. An option line from two to three included a high-low option out, giving riders an opportunity to show off, if they chose to jump diagonally through the line rather than straight though.
Twice he’s done a brilliant job. Lots of options, big enough, scopey enough, careful enough. You have to have a careful scopey horse to jump the big side but I’ll tell you, it was lovely,” Farmer said. “That ring is big, you can gallop. The jumps sold you. I have to say.”
To see more pictures from the derby, click here.
Want more from HITS Thermal? Pick up a copy of the April 4 issue of the Chronicle.
Read about Jaden Olson’s trip to the top of the R.W. Mutch Equitation Championship. Or check out the gallery from Thursday’s professional hunters.
RESULTS
1. Baltimore/Kelley Farmer 578
2. Publicized/Kelley Farmer 566
3. Mindful/Kelley Farmer 560.5
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4. Spot On/Nick Haness 557.5
5. Bunistar/Burt Mutch 549
6. Small Gesture/John Fench 534
7. It’s Me/Kelley Farmer 533
8. Full Circle/Hope Glynn 515.75
9. Center Court/John French 434
10. Tip Top/Jenny Karazissis 429.5
11. Maldini/Katie Gardner 420
12. Skyhawk/Alexis Taylor-Silvernale
