Kelley Farmer pilots Mindful to the win in the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby Week II of the Atlanta Summer Classic.
The $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby saw the best in the sport tackle the course in the Olympic Arena designed by none other than Steve Stephens of Palmetto, Florida. Besides a resume that includes his role as the Official Course Designer for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Stephens also designed the 2012 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals.
Thirty-one horse and rider teams had their eyes on the win. The sold out VIP tent and ringside spectators were treated to a first round competition that saw Dalliance, owned by Avatar Real Estate, LLC, Mindful, owned by Kensel, LLC, and Taken, owned by Jessica Stitt, all piloted by Kelley Farmer of Keswick, Virginia in the lead with scores of and 183, 182 and 180 respectively.
Caramo, owned by Caroline Russell Howe, ridden by Harold Chopping of Southern Pines, North Carolina, finished their first round with a score of 179 and David Glefke’s Point Being, also ridden by Farmer, stood in fifth place with a total first round score of 174. Standing in sixth after the first round was North C, owned and ridden by Jaime Steinhaus of Milton, Georgia, with a score of 167. Quinta Bella, owned by Signe Ostby and ridden by Ashton Alexander, followed with a first round score of 166. Lee Cesery’s Comanche, ridden by Megan Young of Jacksonville, Florida, earned a first round score of 160.5 and Fitz, owned by Fairfield Farms, LLC and ridden by Megan Wexler of Reddick, Florida, followed with a first round score of 160. Grace Albritton of Westlake, Texas, piloted her own Inxs to a first round score of 159 and Donald Stewart’s Lilly Wood, piloted by Alexander, turned in a first round score of 156. Cherche, owned by Palm Ponies, LLC and ridden by Hayley Iannotti, wrapped up the top twelve with a first round score of 154.
The Handy round offered options at fences 1, 2, 8 and 9 with a trot option at fence 7. Iannotti and Cherche were the first to go and took the options, receiving a combined total of 8 option bonus points plus a total of 7 handy points and a second round total score of 100. Combined with their first round score of 154, they would finish eleventh overall with 254 points.
Alexander and Lilly Wood were next to go and earned a second round score of 84. Combined with their first round, their total score of 240 would see the pair finish in twelfth place.
Inxs and Acosta received a total of two option bonus points and five handy bonus points and a second round score of 135. Their total overall score of 294 would see them finish in ninth overall.
Wexler and Fix received a total of eight option and eleven handy bonus points and a second round score of 109. Their overall total score of 269 would see the pair finish in tenth overall.
Comanche and Young received a total second score of 166 which included eight bonus option points and eight handy points. Their overall total was 326.5 which would have them finish in eighth place overall.
Alexander and Quinta Bella followed with a second round score of 174 which included two bonus option points and seven handy points. Their overall score of 340 earned them seventh overall.
North C and Steinhaus were next to tackle the course and earned a second round score of 179.5 which included eight bonus option points and five handy points. Their combined overall score of 346.5 placed them in sixth place overall.
Point Being and Farmer followed North C and received a second round score of 178, which included eight bonus option and eight handy bonus points. Their overall score of 352 would see the pair finish in fifth place overall.
Caramo and Chopping followed Farmer and North C and with a second round score of 197 which included eight option bonus points and eighteen handy points. Their overall score of 376 would place them in third place overall.
Farmer was back again, this time in the irons of Taken and earned a second round score of 193 which included eight bonus option points and fifteen handy points. Their overall score of 373 would see them finish in fourth place overall.
Farmer had the final two rides in the Derby. She and Mindful earned a second round score of 206 which included eight bonus option points and seventeen handy points. Their overall score of 388 would take the lead over Chopping and she still had one ride to go.
Dalliance, ridden by Farmer, was the last to go and earned a second round score of 204.5 which included eight option bonus points and sixteen handy points. Their total score of 387.5 would give them the second place finish while Mindful and Farmer took championship honors.
“It was such a great class, beautifully designed course and great horses,” commented Bell. “Steve [Stephens] did a wonderful job designing the derby course. We couldn’t be happier with how it all went,” he said.
Zone 4 USHJA Pony and Junior/Amateur Handy Hunter Classic Results
Friday the Zone 4 USHJA $1,000 Pony and $1,000 Junior/Amateur Handy Hunter Classic saw 15 and 22 entries, respectively, compete for the honors of winning a ribbon and qualifying for the Finals. Ribbon winners have the opportunity to compete in the Finals either at the Atlanta Fall Classic this November or in Tampa.
The $1,000 Pony Handy Hunter Classic awarded Pride Rock, owned by KMW Ponies, LLC and ridden by Devin Seck, the blue ribbon while Flyer Miles, owned and ridden by Hagen Blackwell, received second place. Devin returned for the third place ribbon, this time in the irons of Ashley Vail Aycox’s Peterpotamus. Fourth place was awarded to Just My Style owned and ridden by Whitney McKinley and fifth went to Jet Blue, owned by Amber Hill Farm and ridden by Sydney Monckton. Abigail Dubose piloted her own Northwind Marin to sixth place honors and Margaret Wolfe rode her own Crowd Pleaser to seventh place. For full details on this class, click here.
Bellwether, owned and ridden by Amber Dunn, won the $1,000 USHJA Junior/Amateur Handy Hunter Classic and Patowmack, owned by Stone Lane Farm and ridden by Alyssa Mansfield, was awarded second place. Third was awarded to Rose Gold, owned and ridden by Abigail Dubose, and fourth place went to Lead Story, owned by Fit to Print Farm and ridden by Charley Durgin. Fit to Print Farm’s Page Turner, ridden by Sydney Crenshaw won fifth place. Sixth was awarded to Lyons Creek Ciroc, owned by Maggie Lewis and ridden by Ashley Scott Armstrong, and Simple, owned and ridden by Gianna Cobb, placed seventh.
To participate, the rider and owner of the horse or pony must have the USHJA Zone 4 as their home zone of record and be eligible to compete under Zone 4 Specifications, be in good standing with USEF and USHJA, and horses must be registered with the USHJA.
The USHJA Zone 4 Hunter Committee created the Handy Hunter Classic program to test skills that riders and their horses might use during an enjoyable day of foxhunting, combining elements of flat and over-fences classes. A “handy hunter” is a horse or pony that is very easy to maneuver around a course in a ring or in the hunt field. Elements that may be seen in a handy hunter class include fences at the gallop, rollbacks, trot fences, and a gate to open and/or close while mounted.
“As a committee we thought that offering free classes all over the zone with prize money was a great way for our zone to spend some of the allocated money from the $2 USHJA Zone Support fee we all pay to compete. This idea for a Handy Hunter as a simple class will help the lower heights prepare for the Handy classes that are required in many A-rated divisions. So far the classes have been a big success,” said Bob Bell, President of Classic Company and USHJA Hunter Zone 4 Chairman.
Sunday wrapped up the Atlanta Summer Classics so stand by for the Great Magnolia Show Jumping Tour Circuit Standings! Brownland Farms is the next stop on the Tour with MORE and the Charleston Summer Classic on Johns Island, South Carolina will be the home of the grand finale of the show jumping tour, awarding beautiful silver loving cup trophies to Circuit Champions!
The Classic Company is a USHJA’s Members Choice Award winner, recognized for producing top quality show jumping events in the United States. For more information on Classic Company and its exhibitor-friendly, top quality hunter jumper events, please visit them at classiccompany.com or call them at 843-768-5503.
All sponsorship, marketing and press inquiries should be directed to Lisa Engel, Sponsorship, Marketing and Public Relations Director at lisa@classiccompany.com.
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See you at the ring,
Bob Bell
The Classic Company, Ltd.
www.ClassicCompany.com
Phone/FAX: (843) 768-5503
Post Office Box 1311 Johns Island SC 29457