Greg Crolick and Chappy Chase Down $50k USHJA International Hunter Derby
Greg Crolick & Chappy. Photo ©Sportfot
Four years ago, Greg Crolick was just getting to know his new partner Chappy when the pair won the USHJA International Hunter Derby on the grass derby field at Wellington International. Flash forward to the 2025 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF): they duplicated that win on Saturday of WEF 11 in the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by Perfect Products.
Crolick was six points off the lead in round one. Knowing Chappy as well as he does, he committed to tight turns and stood out with the 14-year-old Mecklenburg gelding’s jumping style to move up.
“He’s really held strong,” Crolick said of Chappy, owned by Carole Chase. “He’s getting better and better. Four years ago, I’d only had him for two months and he was quite green. Obviously he could jump really well, and he’s come such a long way.”
In the handy round, a score of 205.5 from the two panels of judges put them into the lead. Their lead held strong and they finished on a total score of 391.5. In second place was Nick Haness and Golden Road, owned by John and Stephanie Ingram, with a total score of 390. Colin Syquia took third with a score of 388 with Front Page, owned by Cynthia Sulzberger.
“He really steps up to the derbies and likes it when he gets a little more challenged,” Crolick said. “This week we did one 1.15m jumper class and came over here. Yesterday, he was almost too quiet and wasn’t quite zoned in. Today, he came out ready to do it.”
Switching up the atmosphere for Chappy has proven to work, as Crolick likes to take the gelding into the jumper divisions to prepare for a course of bigger jumps.
A Win Is Icing on the Cake for Ansgar Holtgers, Jr. in KASK CSI4* Grand Prix
Ansgar Holtgers, Jr. (USA) scored the biggest victory of his career on Sunday of Week 11 at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), ending his season with a bang in the $200,000 KASK CSI4* Grand Prix aboard Pixel-K van’t Kattenheye.
Among the class’s contenders were nearly 20 Olympians, all testing Andy Christiansen’s (ECU) course to snag a spot in the jump-off. Ultimately, 12 were successful, but no match for 20-year-old Holtgers Jr.
“We’re over the moon, and I couldn’t be more excited,” he said of the emotion he and his team were feeling. “Any win feels nice, but this is definitely the icing on the cake. This is one of the hardest show circuits in the world — most competitive, best course designers, best horses — so to be able to come out here and win is spectacular.
“My horse is a little bit green to this level; it’s only his third 1.60m,” continued Holtgers, Jr., whose best international placing before Sunday was a three-star grand prix win during the 2024 WEF. “I knew there were fast riders behind me, so I thought I’d take my shot. It all worked out, thankfully. I was going to be happy at the end of the day either way.”
The time they posted was quick, crossing the timers in 40.04 seconds. Second-place finisher Spencer Smith (USA) almost caught him as last to go, finishing in 40.13 seconds aboard HHS Seattle, owned by Ashland Farms. In third was Shane Sweetnam (IRL) with Gilona AO, owned by himself, Popish Farm, and Seabrook LLC.
Holtgers has been developing his partnership with Pixel-K van’t Kattenheye over the past two years since purchasing the now 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (I Am Moerhoeve’s Star x Chin Chin).
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