Wellington, Fla.—Apr. 3  

“This was kind of a final exam, compared to the pop quiz that it was yesterday.”

After topping the first round of the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby Saturday afternoon in the Grand Hunter Ring at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, Russell Frey and Kodachrome professionally marched across the street Sunday and topped the class’s second round on the PBIEC Stadium’s derby field, extending their lead and achieving victory in the class, the final of the 2016 Winter Equestrian Festival circuit.

Receiving second-round scores of 86 and 88, plus two handy scores of 9 each and 8 bonus points for jumping the four high option fences, the duo finished on a total score of 385. Samantha Schaefer and Classified, behind Frey and Kodachrome by just 1 point after the first round, maintained their second-place position with a 374-point score. Amanda Steege and Zidane rose from 14th to claim the third-place ribbon (363).

“This was a different type of class, to show over at the horse show in the Grand Hunter Ring and then walk over here just to do the handy part, just a completely different type of venue for all the horses,” Frey said. “It was a pretty good test for every horse and rider that was out there. He was a little nervous at different places on the course, but he seemed to handle everything okay.

“The jumps weren’t the issue,” he continued. “It was just a little bit of his anxiety and settling in. I thought he finished up the last half of the course really confident and well, and that’s always a nice way to end. I’m very happy with him.”

Russell Frey and Kodachrome led from start to finish in the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby.

It was the first USHJA International Hunter Derby win for both Kodachrome, an 8-year-old Warmblood gelding, and Frey himself.

“It means a lot,” Frey said. “I’m relieved that we finally won one. I’ve gotten good ribbons consistently, but I’d never won one, much let alone won the first round. I’d come back second or third.”

Frey entered the second round leading by just 1 point, after Schaefer received scores of 84 and 85 for her second round, Frey knew he could not let up.

“There’s pressure on both sides, just a different kind,” he said. “One is to try to protect your lead, but Sam went in and had a great round, and Amanda went in and had a great round. You have to be a little bit careful to not do anything too crazy, but at the same token, it’s never free.”

Movers And Shakers

Although the top two places remained unchanged through the two rounds, there was plenty of movement throughout the rest of the leaderboard.

After performing within the confines of the Grand Hunter Ring Saturday, many horses were taken aback by the expansive derby field they encountered 24 hours later. Numerous experienced mounts balked at the natural fences, and there were a number of refusals at the bank fence. During one stretch, three consecutive riders were either eliminated or elected to retire on course. Jane Gaston, who came into the round in fifth place with Because, took a tumble when her mount balked and refused at a fence, and even Victoria Colvin, who won last year’s class, had a refusal with her mount, the first-year green hunter Style.

Knowing his horse was inexperienced, having just stepped up to the USHA International Derby level this year, Frey did experience some concern as he watched many of his competitors struggle.

“For sure! I just tried to stay really positive with him,” he said. “I was concerned about the bank and more concerned about the topiary behind it, that he would step around on the backside and be concerned with that. Even when they were hand walking, a lot of the horses didn’t really like that area. But once he got going, he really just seemed to be on the job. There were parts where he started to get a little nervous, but he handled everything pretty well.

“We don’t get to jump around in a big field like this very often,” he added. “A lot of horses go out, and they’re a little bit lost. With the European horses, from the time they’re small, they’re ridden in rings. They’re not really ridden in a big field until you get to an international show when they get to be doing big jumpers. The majority of them are started in smaller rings, and if they don’t get to that higher level, they don’t get that kind of exposure. [For Kodachrome], it’s all just been development and him kind of telling me what he needed.”

Frey and Kodachrome stylishly mastered the bank, which caused problems for many competitors.

With mistakes piling up for the first-round leaders, it left the door open for Steege and Zidane, who came into the round in 14th place. Their two 87 scores from the judging panels moved them up 11 positions.

“I came in with a lot of confidence with my horse, knowing that I could do all the high options and make as many turns that I could find to make out there,” she said. “Unlike Russell, I didn’t have anything to lose.

“I just felt like the whole thing was really a lot of fun,” she continued, “and I felt like my horse felt that way, too. It was as fun as I’d hoped it would be.”

Samantha Schaefer and Classified

Amanda Steege and Zidane

For complete results from the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at WEF 12, click here. 

For more in depth-coverage from WEF’s finale week and to learn more about how Kodachrome has quickly developed into a top derby horse, check out the April 28 issue of the Chronicle.