Mill Spring, N.C.—May 15

 Kelley Farmer is really at Tryon Spring 5 for this Sunday’s $50,000 WCHR Open Hunter Classic. But if there’s a $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby held a few days before? Farmer figured she might as well show up for that one too—and win it.

Her partner for victory in the George H. Morris Stadium at the Tryon International Equestrian Center was Kensel LLC’s Mindful, who’s now extended his derby-winning streak to four in a row, and this class marked his ninth total derby victory. His final score of 380.5 boosted him to first over Pony Lane Farm’s Sterling (377), ridden by Liza Boyd.

“He tries as hard as we do,” said Larry Glefke, trainer at Lane Change Farm. “He wants to win a blue ribbon as much as any horse I’ve ever had. He wants to win as much as Larry Glefke and Kelley Farmer. He’s a class act.”

But it wasn’t just Mindful putting in a good class for Lane Change Farm. Farmer also tacked up Derby Hill’s Point Being for third, Avatar Real Estate LLC’s Dalliance for fifth and In Private for seventh. 

“I had [Point Being] last year as a first year horse, and I just got him back, and he’s such a careful jumper. Sometimes you can’t be as tidy with him because he’s so careful and wants to jump so high,” said Farmer. “Dalliance is still a little new to me. He’s not a green horse, but he’s a little new to the derbies. He’s a really nice horse; he’s a really, really good horse. In the first round, I made a mistake with him. He did not. Then I thought he was great in the handy.”

Though Farmer and Mindful led after the first round (with scores of 86 and 87 from the judging teams plus 8 total height bonus points), in the second round, Sterling laid down beautiful trips for scores of 91 and 88, plus 9 handy bonus points from one judging team and 8 from the other and then 8 more height bonus points. Then Farmer knew she’d have to go for it.

Mindful’s handy scores (90 and 84.5 with 8 and 9 handy points and 8 height points) put him in second for the second round but ensured he kept the overall blue ribbon.

But Sterling (pictured) is another horse with a Lane Change Farm connection, as Farmer rode the gelding for a time after he was imported, and Lane Change Farm sold the horse to Pony Lane Farm.

Twenty horses started in the classic round of tonight’s derby, with Farmer riding four of them, and then the usual 12 returned for the handy. 

“I was so proud of all of our babies tonight,” said Farmer. “I was proud of Sterling too.”

After Sunday’s class, the Lane Change Farm horses will head to Devon (Pa.). “I think we’re sort of on track for Devon hopefully!” said Farmer, of Keswick, Va.

This week’s Tryon Spring 5 is the biggest competition yet for the venue, which is hosting a $50,000 grand prix tomorrow night, as well as the $50,000 hunter class on Sunday.

“We believe that when people give that kind of money in the hunters, you’re supposed to support it,” said Farmer. “We’re big believers in, whether you have to travel or not, if someone puts up that kind of money—if it’s a derby or hunter classic—that’s good for our sport.”