Mill Spring, N.C.—Oct. 21

 Earlier this year, rumors circulated that Brunello—three-time winner of the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship—was retired, or at least retiring. There was a ceremony to unveil a Breyer model horse in his honor at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in June, and the next weekend his rider Liza Boyd entered another competition and heard a surprising announcement over the loudspeaker. 

“As I was going on course, they said, ‘And her famous horse Brunello retired last weekend.’ And I was like, ’No!’ ” said Boyd. 

Liza Boyd and Brunello. Photo by Lisa Slade.

But Boyd admitted she did consider retirement for Brunello, now 18, and she even started organizing a ceremony for him at this year’s USHJA International Hunter Derby (Ky.). 

“We actually had it all planned out, and the girls from USHJA called me, and I said, ‘I can’t do it.’ I selfishly can’t do it,” she said. “The horse is sound, and he’s happy. The only reason I would do it is because he’s won so much, but why don’t I just enjoy him?”

Enjoyment, for both horse and rider, was on the top of Boyd’s to-do list in today’s $50,000 International Hunter Derby at TIEC, and she said she might not have brought the horse out for the class if not for its setting—on the new derby field at the facility—and for its location—near co-owner Janet Peterson’s home in Landrum, S.C. 

“This class is really, really great for our sport and our industry,” she said. “For that particular horse, this class called to me; it was on the grass field on a cool, windy day. It couldn’t have been better. I sort of woke up this morning and felt like it was going to be his class.” 

Liza Boyd and Brunello. Photo by Lisa Slade.

Brunello was one of 18 starters in the class, and after his two rounds, he finished with a score of 376 over Kelley Farmer on Nina Moore’s Kodachrome (374), and Erica Quinn on CF Partners, Douglas Wheeler, ESP Farm and Paula Hallman’s Celtic Fire (362). 

“I thought [the handy round] was tough,” said Boyd. “I was really pleased with how the footing held up. Neither one of my horses slipped with the footing being new. I thought we did the right caulks. I called a lot of my jumper friends and said, ‘Help me out here.’ I was probably maybe not as gallopy as normal just because it’s new footing, but I thought the handy rode quite nice. Kelley was beautiful. She was lower [before the second round], so she really went all out and was amazing on that horse.”

Boyd also piloted Finally Farm’s Shamrock into 10th. 

“He’s a very scopey, nice 7-year-old,” she said. “He’s a bit immature still, but I have to say he got me back in there first, which I think helped me learn those inside turns. I have to thank him a little bit for the win. It’s not just Brunello. Shamrock helped out today, so I’ll give him a little extra carrot for that.”

Kelley Farmer and Kodachrome. Photo by Lisa Slade.

For both of her derby horses, Boyd did her usual preparation of competing in a couple of jumper classes earlier in the week. Brunello did the 1.15-meter jumpers. 

“I do it for the horses, but I also do it for myself as a rider,” said Boyd. “It just gets me a little bit in the groove of bending lines, turning. I think sometimes inside, outside, inside, outside, I’m not quite as on top of my game. Doing the jumpers and having more advanced, technical courses sharpens me up as well as sharpens up the horses.” 

She’s not exactly sure what’s next for Brunello, but Boyd said he won’t go to Florida this season as he doesn’t appreciate the more confined spaces there. But she’s not ruling out bringing him for another hunter derby on the TIEC grass field. 

“I can’t thank Brunello enough,” she said. “He makes me look like a really, really good rider. He makes it so easy. There’s no drama, no stress, wondering is he quiet enough? He just has a little flat in the morning. Without him at Derby Finals this year, I kind of walked the course, and I looked at everybody and said, ‘Now I see why you guys always say these jumps look really big, and this looks really hard.’ Nothing ever looks big or hard with that horse.” 

Erica Quinn and Celtic Fire. Photo by Lisa Slade.

Kelley Farmer was also fourth on Point Being. Photo by Lisa Slade.

Taylor Ann Adams and Whiskey Tango were fifth. Photo by Lisa Slade.

Donald Sheehan and Kenan finished sixth. Photo by Lisa Slade.

See full results from the hunter derby.