Hunter Derby

The talented chestnut logs his third consecutive derby win at Chagrin.

Before he even set foot in the ring, Jersey Boy might have been the best-known horse at the Chagrin Valley Hunter Jumper Classic. After winning last year’s ASG Software Solutions/USHJA International Hunter Derby, the chestnut’s photo was plastered on posters, show programs and the ubiquitous T-shirts worn by volunteers and staff during the horse show, held July 7-12.

Junior rider Abby O’Mara wins it all at the State College Classic.
 
As if the junior hunter ring isn’t competitive enough, the O’Mara sisters have to add a bit of sibling rivalry to the mix.

Usually Abby, 16, and Meg, 15, compete in separate age divisions of junior hunters, but in the $15,000 The Chronicle of the Horse USHJA International Hunter Derby, they went head-to-head. Older sister Abby prevailed for the win in the class, held during the State College Classic on June 24-28 in Pennsylvania Furnace, Pa.

Jennifer Waxman and her equitation horse accelerate to the top of the$15,000 The Chronicle of the Horse USHJA International Hunter Derby.

 Jennifer Waxman knew what she had to do to win the $15,000 The Chronicle of the Horse USHJA International Hunter Derby, and she knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

Hunt Tosh had laid down a phenomenal handy trip on Lone Star, scoring a 202 in the second round. Even though Waxman had the edge with the lead after Round 1, she realized it was going to be a showdown in Lexington, Ky., on June 13.

Maggie Jayne rides the elegant bay to the top of the $15,000 The Chronicle of the Horse USHJA International Hunter Derby.

Maggie Jayne hasn’t had much time to get to know Early Applause. She’d just shown him once before they took the green conformation hunter tricolor at the Devon Horse Show (Pa.) at the end of May.

Jenny Karazissis took Forbes to the Memorial Day Classic, May 21-25, with the sole intention of winning the $10,000 ASG Software Solutions USHJA Inter-national Hunter Derby, and she wasn’t going to let anything stop her on the way to the top check.

So when the pair was called back fifth heading into the handy round, she knew she’d have to pull out all the stops to find the way to blue.

They make careful jumping work for them over a challenging derby course.

Just when the Bluegrass state thought Derby mania was over, Croquet and Caroline Weeden put in a sensational performance to win the $15,000 ASG Software Solutions USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show in Lexington, on May 9.

Plank verticals and natural fences with no groundlines plagued horses and riders all evening. The sun was setting and the rails were falling.

She rides Castello to a repeat derby win with a last-minute plan.

Liza Towell Boyd didn’t quite know what to do for the second round of the $10,000 ASG Software Solutions USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Aiken Spring Classic Masters in Aiken, S.C., on April 18.

She was leading after the first round on Castello, but Gary Young and Chase Boggio had upped the ante with brilliant handy rounds and she wasn’t going to win by being careful. As she prepared for her round, she conferred with her father, Jack Towell, and her brother, Hardin Towell.

Will Roberts rides the elegant mare over an unusual course to win in Texas.

Dubari did double duty—and won—at the Spring Gathering Horse Show, March 31-April 5 in Katy, Texas.

Will Roberts rode the elegant chestnut mare to win the $15,000 ASG Software Solutions USHJA International Hunter Derby, while her owner, Gayle Cox, picked up the amateur-owner, 36 and over, tri-color with Dubari.

When Ken Berkley broke his foot a week before the end of circuit, he reluctantly planned to scratch his seasoned grand prix partner Carlos Boy from the $50,000 ASG Software Solutions USHJA International Hunter Derby, March 28-29.

But Berkley’s partner Scott Stewart decided to take a turn aboard the gray gelding for owner Krista Weisman, and the last-minute decision paid off with Carlos Boy finishing third, the best of Stewart’s five rides.

When Rock Star underwent colic surgery last fall, Jennifer Alfano knew it would be a challenge to find a mount ready to fill his formidable shoes while he eased back into the show routine. After all, the pair led the ASG Software Solutions USHJA International Hunter Derby standings almost all season after recording win after win in the series.