Victoria Colvin, Jessie Smith, Grace Debney – Victorious at Deeridge, Part of Palm Beach Masters Series
Wellington, FL – March 4, 2018 — Victoria Colvin and Private Practice may have been together for only two weeks, but they jumped around the course like a seasoned partnership, garnering a score of 407 points over the two phases of the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, easily winning the feature event of the Deeridge Derby, part of the Palm Beach Masters series at Deeridge Farms, a spectacular world-class venue in Wellington, Florida.
Colvin and Private Practice, owned by Brad Wolf, scored a 194 in the first round of competition, the highest score given by Judges R. Scot Evans, Robert Crandall, Sissy Wickes and Linda Andrisani. They returned in the Handy round to repeat their stellar performance and they were awarded a score of 213 points, again the highest point total, to take the win.
“Private Practice is the perfect amount of careful,” said Colvin. “I think he was pretty amazing here. I could not be happier with his performance today.
“He was a jumper before, but I thought he would be a good hunter. I think his background as a jumper has helped prepare him for a successful Derby career, especially today when you had to canter right from the in-gate to a big first fence. There is nothing I would change right now about his jump. All I would change is his bridlepath, it is at least a foot long!”
Red Ryder, owned by Tracy Freels and ridden by Hannah Isop, placed second. The pair scored a 182 in the first round and returned to score a 206 in the Handy round for a total score of 388 points.
“I loved Steve Stephens’ course yesterday,” said Isop. “It worked out really well for my horse. Today I was a little nervous about all the left turns, but my horse handled it great. He is a little guy with a big heart. He is just coming back from an injury; he has been off for two years and this is his first big class back so I am really happy.”
Amy Momrow and Aeroplane, owned by Melissa Wright, finished in third with a total score of 380.5 points – 181.5 from the first round and 199 from the Handy round.
“The course today gave us a chance to showcase the great space of this field,” said Momrow. “I want to thank Deeridge and the Jacobs family for putting on an event like this. To have the hunters showcased like this is wonderful.”
In the Deeridge Jumper Ring, the action was ramped up as Jessie Smith and her Chambery 25, a 10-year-old gelding, decimated the competition in the $7,500 Turkish Airlines 1.30m Jump-off class. Twenty-two of the starting field of thirty horse and rider combinations went clear in the first round to advance to the jump-off. Smith and Chambery 25 were the fastest of the eleven pairs who turned in double clear rounds. They completed the shortened course in a blazing 35.876 seconds for the win.
“I bought him two years ago and it has been a long road,” said Smith. “He was a little complicated when I got him, but he has turned into something easy which is really amazing. He has always been sweet and 100 percent honest. We were making a joke this morning about how he is not fast, and I think he must have heard me say that and decided to prove me wrong.
“This show is amazing for him. At a bigger venue he is overstimulated and nervous and it almost dulls him a little bit. But this is almost a little European. This is my first time here and I just wish I had been here for all of them. It is such an incredible show. It is so much fun. We don’t get to show at a lot of places like this.”
Catherine Kubiak swept the top two places in the $5,000 Akerman LLP 1.25m Jump-off class. She was victorious on Cantique D’Hyrencourt, owned by Over Fences Farm, with a winning time of 34.673 seconds. She placed second on Tauber Van Het Kapelhof, the horse on which she won Saturday’s 1.20m class. They crossed the timers in the jump-off in 34.827 seconds.
“I just really tried to stay neat with my turns in the jump-off,” said Kubiak. “Cantique D’Hyrencourt has a lot of blood and really wants to win while Tauber Van Het Kapelhof is my safe one. You always know you are going to be ok on him, but they both performed great. It is so beautiful here at Deeridge; it was a perfect chance to slow down and have some fun!”
The $2,500 1.15m Jump-off class was won by Kaskade ridden by Katy Wingerter. The jumped two rounds without penalty and finished the jump-off in a time of 31.418 seconds.
Grace Debney and Storyteller, owned by Temple Equestrian, took top honors in the $2,500 Pony Derby, sponsored by Little Brook Fam and Perfect Sky Ranch, with a two-round score of 128.0 points. Debney, 13, and her large pony, who is also 13, have been a partnership for only a year.
“I planned on having as smooth a round as possible,” said Debney. “I think we did really well, especially since he had never been in this ring before. The two-stride was the best jump we had, we had so much fun jumping that. He is so sassy, and just likes to have fun, and jumping is what he thinks is fun so it is great. He is just a fun, weird, goofy pony.”
$50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby
About the Palm Beach Masters Series and Deeridge Farms
The 2018 Palm Beach Masters Series kicked off with the third annual CP Palm Beach Masters CSI3*-W Presented by Sovaro®, held February 1-4, which featured the prestigious $220,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Wellington, one of the final two East Coast qualifiers in the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League. The elite entry list included multiple Olympic and World Cup veterans who were seeking valuable points to qualify for the 2018 Longines FEI World Cup™ Final in Paris, France in April. Ireland’s Daniel Coyle claimed victory with U.S. Olympic veterans Laura Kraut and Margie Engle taking second and third places respectively.
The second annual Deeridge Derby, February 28-March 4, is a USEF premier-rated show where the nation’s most elegant hunter horses and ponies take center stage to compete in prestigious classes including the $5,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby, $5,000 USHJA Junior/Amateur Hunter Derby, $2,500 USHJA Pony Derby and the highly competitive $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby as well as the Classic Champions Tour series of classes for young horses.
The 2018 Palm Beach Open, March 22-25, is a USEF rated Jumper 2 show that offers classes at a wide range of course heights ranging from .95 to 1.40 meters as well as the Classic Champions Inc. young horse classes and offers just under $100,000 in total prize money.
All events are hosted at the spectacular Deeridge Farms, situated in the heart of North American equestrian sport in Wellington, Florida. Award-winning landscaping surrounds the custom-built show grounds and the facilities that host the Palm Beach Masters Series. There is perhaps no location more intimate or stunning to host the highest levels of equestrian competition.
Further information on the Palm Beach Masters Series is available on line at www.palmbeachmasters.com.
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