Tag Archives: USHJA International Hunter Derby Championships

Victoria Colvin Rides to Back-to-Back USHJA International Hunter Derby Championships

Photo: Victoria Colvin and Private Practice.

Lexington, Ky. – Aug. 20, 2018 – Known for her prowess in the hunter ring, Victoria Colvin capped off a winning week in Kentucky at the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show with her exceptional victory in the 2018 USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship, making her one of only two riders in the program’s history to capture the tricolor more than once. The 2017 champion solidified her reign as one of the country’s elite hunter riders by besting more than 80 entries in the most premiere hunter competition of the year. This time, Colvin piloted Brad Wolf’s Private Practice to two days of standout scores in the classic and handy round to finish more than 16 points ahead of the rest of the pack, claiming the championship honors in impressive fashion.

“I am so thrilled to be on the top of the podium again this year! Private Practice is an outstanding horse with so much natural ability, and I have loved riding him this year. He certainly deserves this win, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for him,” commented Colvin. “I couldn’t have gotten here without the support of my sponsors, and I have to also congratulate owner Brad Wolf and trainer Tom Wright for producing such an incredible horse. Hopefully we can do it again next year!”

After the first day of competition, Colvin and Private Practice sat in second position just a handful of points behind the early leaders. During the final handy round of riding, the partners improved upon their performance, riding to a nearly perfect score of 327 comprised of individual marks of 95, 96 and 96 plus 12 bonus points and 28 handy points to jump to the top of the leaderboard with the highest score for the evening and overall.

In the post-event press conference, judge Carlton Brooks shed his insight on what set Colvin and Private Practice ahead of the rest:

“Tori’s horse jumped every jump exactly the same. She never changed her pace. It really separated her and there was no question. Tori never missed a lick. Tori walked in the ring and it was the Tori Colvin that we all know and love,” reflected Brooks.

The 8-year-old Private Practice is a newfound hunter after recently transitioning from the jumper ring, and this is his first year with Colvin in the irons. The solid partnership was led to victories in the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby during the Palm Beach Masters Series’ Deeridge Derby and the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Aiken Charity Horse Show. Additionally, he has carried Colvin to fourth place in the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival and sixth place in the prestigious $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Winter Equestrian Festival, not to mention countless prizes in upper-level hunter divisions at horse shows throughout the year.

With their 2018 win, Private Practice helped Colvin to add her to the history books, as she can now boast her status as the second athlete to champion the event more than once as well as the second athlete to win the rosette back-to-back during the program’s 10-year history. With two championships now under her belt, it is a good bet Colvin will continue to reign in the hunter ring and return to the 2019 finale for another shot at the top honors.

Following a highly successful junior career as one of the winningest young riders in history, Colvin launched her own enterprise in the hunter/jumper industry based just outside of Wellington, Florida. She offers clients the opportunity to train with an acclaimed show rider/trainer and compete in “AA” horse shows across North America during the spring and fall, as well as compete in Wellington at the world-famous Winter Equestrian Festival during the winter season. Outside of training and coaching services, Victoria Colvin, LLC also includes a strong focus on finding, developing, and selling quality young show horses.

For more information, please visit www.victoriacolvin.com.

Contact: Rebecca Walton
phone 561.753.3389 fax 561.753.3386
rjw@phelpsmediagroup.com

Liza Boyd Named 2013 USHJA International Hunter Derby Champion at Bluegrass Festival Horse Show

Liza Boyd and Brunello. Photos by Emily Riden.

Lexington, KY – August 17, 2013 – Liza Boyd and Brunello have consistently been top contenders at the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championships, but they have always come just short of the victory. Tonight at the Kentucky Horse Park Boyd and Brunello made the shot when it really counted, finally securing the win and earning the title of 2013 USHJA International Hunter Derby Tier I Champions. With a huge smile on her face, Boyd led the victory gallop in the Rolex Stadium with reserve champion Kelley Farmer following aboard Mythical.

“I don’t know where to start,” Boyd said following her win. “I’m really happy with the horse. He was third one year and second last year. He really deserves it; he’s amazing.”

Rounding out the top four in this year’s prestigious USHJA International Hunter Derby Championships at the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show were Kelsie Brittan on Argentum and Shawn Casady aboard Ascot. Their finishes also earned them the top two spots in the overall Tier II standings.

The tier system was newly introduced this year with the hope of creating opportunities for riders to vie for more prize money and for different riders to see a share of that prize money. The 20 highest money earning riders from throughout the year were placed into Tier I, while other contenders qualified as Tier II riders for the shot at additional prize money.

Following yesterday’s Classic Hunter Round, the 30 highest scoring riders, no matter what their tier designation, returned to compete in tonight’s Tier I Handy Hunter Round and vie for the overall honors.

Riders returned in reverse order of their rankings from yesterday to compete over tonight’s Steve Stephens designed course, which included four higher option fences. Prior to the start of the class, Stephens took the crowd and exhibitors alike through a narrated course walk, which eventual winner Boyd took to heart.

“I tried to listen when Steve talked about how he wanted the course to ride,” Boyd said. “He said, ‘This is a jumping contest. I don’t want the course to win. I want the riders and the horses to win.’ There were no traps. It was really, really well done. I kind of took that to heart, what Steve said. He designed it so he knew what he wanted and had in mind, and that helped me. You needed scope, and you needed to be careful, which is what these derbies are supposed to be.”

Of the eventual top four finishers, Casady and Ascot, owned by HJ Group LLC of Sewickley, PA, were the first to return. Casady picked up a strong canter out of the in-gate and headed straight to the first fence, positioned down the centerline of the ring. The pair continued seamlessly from there. They came into the day in seventh place, but their Handy Hunter Round scores of 84, 85, and 85.75 plus handy bonus scores of 4, 8 and 5 earned them a round total of 283.75, including all four high option fences. That score, coupled with their score of 266.10 from Friday’s Classic Hunter Round, shot them to the top of the leaderboard with an overall score of 549.85.

Kelley Farmer and Mythical
Kelley Farmer and Mythical

Farmer and Mythical, owned by Larry Glefke and Kenneth Garber of Keswick, VA, finished Friday’s round in sixth place, positioning them to return immediately following Casady.

Farmer is well known for her handiness and daring inside turns in the handy round, and earlier in the night she tried an extremely tight inside turn aboard her first mount, On Q. When that resulted in a rail down, she, and the other riders knew that option was better left alone.

“Liza and I were talking about that turn earlier,” Farmer said. “I said, I’m going to try it with On Q, and we’re all going to know a) whether it’s possible b) whether it’s going to work or c) whether we even need it.”

With Mythical, Farmer proved that the tight inside turn was not needed to still be extremely handy, as they earned handy bonus scores of 10, 8 and 8. Those were added to scores of 89, 88.5 and 89 plus all four high options for a Handy Hunter Round score of 304.50. Casady’s lead was short-lived as Farmer jumped straight to the top of the list with an overall score of 571.75.

“He’s an amazing animal,” Farmer said of Mythical, who is currently competing as a First Year Green Hunter. “He tries to step up on the biggest stages. Every time it gets hard or it gets big, you call on him, and he gives you his all. I can’t ask any more of him. He’s an amazing horse. He does not let you down.”

Returning in the fourth place position were 17-year-old Kelsie Brittan and her mount Argentum. The talented young rider soared over all four of the high options, earning handy bonus points of 6, 7 and 5 and scores of 85, 85.25 and 84.75 for a Handy Hunter Round total of 285. Their grand total of 553.50 earned them the third place finish.

“I’ve just been doing the Juniors Hunters on him this year,” Brittan said of Argentum.  “Every now and then there would be a derby in Texas or in Michigan, and I’d say, ‘Okay, well, I’ll do it.’ I’ve been a little chicken. I’ve been just doing the small options, playing it safe. I’m here, so of course I’m going to try and be like all of the top riders and do all of the big jumps. I just had to really trust him tonight, and yesterday too. I just had to let him show off, and not ride it like a Junior Hunter anymore. I had to ride him more like a derby horse. It’s a big adjustment for me.”

Her trust in Argentum and his trust in her were apparent throughout the class and did not go unnoticed by the judges.

“I saw them in the pouring rain in Florida last winter,” judge Danny Robertshaw said. “I was talking to her mother. I said it then, and I said it yesterday and today – it is so much fun when you see a horse that loves his rider as much as he loves her.”

Following Brittan and Argentum, last year’s defending champions Jennifer Alfano and Jersey Boy entered the ring. They looked like they could win it again until an unfortunate rail hit the ground midway through the course.

While luck sadly was not with Alfano, she did share some luck with the next to enter the ring, Boyd and Brunello, co-owned by Boyd and Janet Peterson.

“Jennifer Alfano called me this morning and said, ‘I have a gift for you,'” Boyd shared.  “She had found a ton of four leaf clovers, and she gave me one. That was so nice. It’s so much fun that the sportsmanship is that good. She was really genuine, and it was special to have.”

Boyd had another special token of good luck for her round: a necklace her mother purchased for her at last year’s USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals. The necklace reads, “Make the shot when it counts,” and that’s exactly what she did. She and Brunello earned scores of 84.25, 93 and 88.5 plus handy bonuses of 8, 9 and 7 for a round total of 301.75 and an overall total of 577.75.

Yesterday’s front runners, Scott Stewart and Garfield, had yet to return, but when their final overall score came in as a 535.50, it was apparent that Boyd and Brunello had earned the victory gallop.

Robertshaw had high praise for Boyd and Brunello’s round following her win. “I liked the gallop right from the beginning,” Robertshaw said. “The horse’s ears pricked looking for the jumps. There wasn’t a jump where his hind end wasn’t a foot and a half higher, finishing the arc and landing with his neck out and galloping away. She never pulled the reins and just went right to the next one. It was all forward movement like it’s supposed to be. She knows him, and she puts her heart right into it. He takes it and believes it, and it worked. It’s just exciting to watch that.”

Earlier in the day, those who did not make the top 30 cut for the Tier I Handy Round had the opportunity to compete in the $10,000 Consolation Round, sponsored by Moyer Farm LLC. Winning the consolation class was Scott Stewart aboard Declaration, owned by Fashion Farm LLC, while Victoria Colvin and Inclusive, owned by Dr. Betsee Parker, finished in second.

The Bluegrass Festival Horse Show concludes tomorrow with highlight events for both hunters and jumpers. In the hunter ring, the $5,000 Hallway Feeds UHSJA National Hunter Derby will wrap up this week’s prestigious hunter competition. At 2 p.m., jumper riders will gather at the Rolex Stadium for the $40,000 Bluegrass Festival Grand Prix, bringing the week to an exciting finish.

For more information on the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show and all of the Kentucky Summer Horse Shows, visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.

To learn more about the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship Finals, visit www.ushja.org.

Emily Riden for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12012 South Shore Blvd #105
Wellington, FL 33414
561-753-3389 (phone)
561-753-3386 (fax)
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
PhelpsMediaGroup.com

Scott Stewart Leads USHJA International Hunter Derby Championships at Bluegrass Festival Horse Show

Scott Stewart and Garfield.

Lexington, KY – August 16, 2013 – The press conference at the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show following today’s Classic Hunter Round of the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship bore a striking resemblance to that of last years. For the second year in a row, Scott Stewart sat in the winning seat at the Kentucky Horse Park with Liza Boyd to his right in second and Jennifer Alfano to his left in third. Stewart’s win today aboard Garfield, owned by Rose Hill Farm, also marked the talented riders third consecutive time winning the Classic Hunter Round of the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship.

The similarities for this year’s top three finishers don’t stop there. While it was Dedication, not Garfield, whom Stewart rode to the top of the leader board in last year’s round, Boyd and Alfano’s top three finishes today came aboard the same mounts as last year – veteran derby competitor Brunello for Boyd and last year’s USHJA International Hunter Derby Champion Jersey Boy for Alfano.

Again for the second year in a row, the point differentials between the three riders were also strikingly similar – Stewart marginally out ahead and Boyd and Alfano neck-and-neck in the second and third positions. Stewart and Garfield jumped to the top of the list with scores from the three judging panels of 90, 92 and 92 plus four high option points added to each score for a 286 total. Boyd and Brunello, owned by Janet Peterson, finished their round with scores of 88, 90 and 86 for a 276 total including all four high options. Alfano was close on her heels with scores of 88.5, 87 and 87.5 plus the four high options for a 275 total.

“We like to really be close; we’re good friends,” Boyd joked about her and Alfano’s scores. “We like to keep it one point apart. Last year was only a quarter. This year we’re stretching it out. And then Scott’s 10 ahead of us. He is in his own league over there!”

Elizabeth Boyd and Brunello
Elizabeth Boyd and Brunello

From a field of 88 contenders, Boyd and Brunello were the first of the three top finishers to compete over the Steve Stephens designed course in the Rolex Stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park. The course featured fences meant to appear similar to what a horse and rider may encounter on a hunt field, including an airy, white plank fence, a large brush jump and another large brush and timber fence. The high option fences were also included throughout the course, presenting riders with the opportunity to earn additional points by jumping any or all of the four slightly higher obstacles.

Boyd elected to take all four of those high options, and she did so seamlessly and with ample room to spare as she and Brunello soared over the final fence in front of the in-gate. Their efforts earned them the 276 first round score and shot them to an early lead in the class.

“Brunello feels great and better than ever,” Boyd said. “You needed some scope out there and a super careful horse. Steve Stephens would do a big oxer and a careful vertical and then another big oxer. He led you into getting a little sloppy, and I think you saw some rails and rubs.”

While that was definitely the case, there were no rails or rubs for Stewart and Garfield as they maneuvered the course midway through the order of go to earn their score of 286.

Scott Stewart and Garfield
Scott Stewart and Garfield

Following last year’s USHJA International Hunter Derby Championships, Stewart had tentatively stated his retirement from the derby ring, but after his success in years past he was persuaded to return again this year.

“They twisted my arm,” Stewart said. “They asked me if I wanted to do it, and I wasn’t sure at that point. But we entered the horses, and I got to stay home and practice for two weeks so I felt comfortable enough to do it. I felt good last week and thought we’d give it a go.”

Stewart continued: “I haven’t ridden Garfield since the Alltech National Horse Show [in October], and he’s been doing the Junior Hunters. He was the best he’s ever been today. He was so relaxed. I didn’t really have to do anything. He likes me to just ride him once in a while. I think he was super.”

A dozen entries after Stewart and Garfield’s round, it was the defending champions Alfano and Jersey Boy’s turn to tackle the 13 obstacle course, and they proved that they are well within in the running for the top title again this year with their overall 275 score.

“I thought Jersey Boy was great,” Alfano said. “He made me a little nervous when I trotted in. He was pretty spooky. He sort of trotted toward the third jump and acted like he might want to spin around and go the other direction, which he can do. So I was maybe not all that confident heading to the first jump, but once he got going, he was really great.”

Jennifer Alfano and Jersey Boy
Jennifer Alfano and Jersey Boy

Alfano continued: “I was thrilled with him. He’s had a lot of time off this year, and I wasn’t really sure he was ready fitness-wise and strength-wise, but I was really happy with him.”

Alfano, Boyd and Stewart will be lead the rankings as the top 30 riders return tomorrow night for the Tier I Handy Hunter Round and the crowning of this year’s USHJA International Hunter Derby Champion.

Another hunter highlight at this week’s Bluegrass Festival Horse Show will be the $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby on Sunday, August 18. In addition to being the week’s premier hunter competition, the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show offers top jumper competition throughout the week, attracting top riders from across the country. This week’s final jumper highlight will be the $40,000 Bluegrass Festival Grand Prix on Sunday, August 18.

For more information on the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show and all of the Kentucky Summer Horse Shows, visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.

To learn more about the USHJA Pre-Green Incentive Program and the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship Finals, visit www.ushja.org.

Emily Riden for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12012 South Shore Blvd #105
Wellington, FL 33414
561-753-3389 (phone)
561-753-3386 (fax)
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
PhelpsMediaGroup.com