Hunter Challenge Gets French Twist

Qualifying for the Handy round of the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby required a cumulative first round score of 169 or better. The challenges of the Handy round included a snake vertical, galloping up a hill, a trot jump and galloping down the hill to an oxer option. Although some illustrated classic Hunter style, Yellow Dog Farm's Crown Affair and John French proved their handy prowess, scoring a solid 10 points higher than any other round. The 13-year-old Holsteiner stallion moved up from 10th after the first round for the win.

Thirty horse and rider combinations took to the expansive grass field at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park in San Juan Capistrano, which was filled with beautiful jumps designed for the occasion. The Joe Lombardo course included an in and out option, a white coop and light rust post-and-rail option heading to the in-gate. High scores were few and far between but at the event’s conclusion 11 of twelve pairs earned scores in the 80s and returned for the Handy Round.

The second round asked riders to pilot their hunters smoothly through an s-shaped line from fences 3 through 5, segueing to a hand gallop towards home and fence 10, then down-shift to a trot jump at the in-gate. As often seen in the Handy Round, positions shifted as rails and riders fell. The top two horses, Yellow Dog Farm’s Crown Affair and Symon (owned by Alison Baileys) were both ridden by French, now unarguably one of the nation’s top hunter riders.

Indeed, French style prevailed in the Handy Round. Amateur and juniors also placed in the Top 10: Melissa Doddridge was third on Bentley and seventh aboard Delux, Erin Bland rode Weatherly to fifth, Gabbi Langston was sixth on Azlan and Tiffany Sullivan placed tenth on her five-year-old Easy Company.

$10,000 USHJA High Performance Hunter Derby
1. Crown Affair – John French (Yellow Dog Farm)
2. Symon – John French (Alison Baileys)
3. Bentley – Melissa Doddridge (Melissa Doddridge)
4. Woodstock – Hope Glynn (Sabrina Hellman)
5. Weatherly – Erin Bland (Erin Bland)
6. Azlan – Gabbi Langston (Fastball Farm LLC)
7. Delux – Melissa Doddridge (Melissa Doddridge)
8. Forbes – Jenni Karazissis (Tonia Cook Looker)
9. Copperfield – Devon Gibson (Jennifer Noski)
10. Easy Company – Tiffany Sullivan (Haley Farms LLC)
11. Shine On Me – Gretchen Lof (Nancy Gray)
12. Catwalk – Nick Haness (Pamela Stewart)

Article originally published by The Equestrian News. Click here for full article.