Dubari Dares And Wins In Derby At Spring Gathering

Will Roberts rides the elegant mare over an unusual course to win in Texas.

Dubari did double duty—and won—at the Spring Gathering Horse Show, March 31-April 5 in Katy, Texas.

Will Roberts rode the elegant chestnut mare to win the $15,000 ASG Software Solutions USHJA International Hunter Derby, while her owner, Gayle Cox, picked up the amateur-owner, 36 and over, tri-color with Dubari.

Patrick Rodes designed the derby course in the indoor at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center. “The jumps were gorgeous—natural, inviting obstacles,” Roberts said. “And there were lots of long gallops—related distances of eight and nine strides. With ‘Dubi’ I was able to do a more forward ride because she has such a big stride. I think the judges gave extra points for that rather than for the places where you could maybe add a stride and play it a little more conservatively.”

The handy round posed a challenge for a number of horses and exhibitors. One particularly tricky section, in the middle of the course, involved an option with an oxer and a gymnastic exercise. The oxer had no standards or wings and measured about 3'6" wide. Riders had to jump the oxer, and then they had the option either walking their horses lengthwise through the oxer (end-to-end) and trotting out over a small fence, or proceeding from jumping the oxer to a gymnastic line. The gymnastic exercise called for trotting in to fence 1, cantering one stride to the next fence, then another stride to the third fence.  

“Dubi went really nicely in the first round, which set her up well for the second round,” Roberts said. They picked up scores of 86 and 88 to put them in third. “Then, some other riders’ bad luck in the second round made it even more fortunate for me. Dubi was good and brave at the four-foot obstacles and was pretty handy when I went for some inside turns that were a little bit tight. Dubi actually got quite strong in the second round, but I was able to go with it and just let her gallop. I think she was rewarded for that.”

Some horses wanted no part of walking through the narrow confines of the oxer, while others wanted no part of jumping an oxer without standards. The gymnastic posed another test in that it was set on a gently curving line, so that some horses tried to add a stride or chipped in. The leaders after Round 1 and derby veterans, Peter Pletcher on Argentum, dropped a rail in Round 2 to drop down in the standings.

Roberts chose the gymnastic option for Dubi. “This mare was really game about it,” he stated. “A lot of horses were spooking at the oxer, but Dubi didn’t bat an eye at it. She was totally confident and wanted to do well. That whole element was pretty trappy, but I thought it was cool.”

Roberts picked up the ride on Dubi in the fall of 2008, wrapping up her season in the first year green division. When he first started riding Dubi, “sometimes she would get a little nervous,” said Roberts, who works with Houston trainer Joan Waterman, “but with a lot of patience, she’s become really consistent.

“She’s a beautiful horse—a lovely mover, and scopey with a long stride,” Roberts said. “She has all the qualities you want in an exceptional hunter. Gayle’s a great rider, and she was really patient with a horse that needed some time to come along.”