PrintWellington, Fla., April 1
Scott Stewart entered the Eugene R. Mische Ring six times during today’s first round of the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, and by the end of the day he’d ended up with two of the top 12 ribbons.
He earned the blue aboard his new star Empire in the feature class of week 12 of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Empire, owned by Becky Gochman, scored the highest mark, a 94, to win the day. Jen Alfano and 2009 winner Jersey Boy claimed second, with Victoria Colvin riding Stewart’s Inclusive to third. Stewart also picked up fourth on Dedication.
Sixty horses contested Skip Bailey and Bobby Murphy’s maxed-out classic course, which included an s-shaped hedge, a puissance wall set with two heights, an in-and-out of hedges and finished over a straw Aiken headed toward the in-gate. The biggest of the four options, an oxer, reached 4’4” with a 4’ spread. Judges Danny Robertshaw, Jim Clapperton, John Barker and Scott Williamson officiated over the first round of this week's feature class at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.
The best riders made the course look easy, although few opted to jump all the high options.
“The first high option [at fence 4] was so early in the course. It was away from the gate,” said Stewart. “It rode like it was a lot bigger than the others. It was little scopey for that early in the course, I thought. The other ones were a little more inviting.”
But former hunter derby winners, Taken and C Coast Z, didn’t find the course as inviting—both suffered refusals. Debonaire, a newcomer from the jumper ring, stopped out, but overall there were few major problems.
Although Stewart, Flemington, N.J., only imported Empire from Europe in October, the stallion has already proved his talent, placing third in the World Champion Hunter Rider Palm Beach Hunter Classic Spectacular earlier this season.
Watch Empire's classic round below.
Alfano brought two horses to Wellington after spending the season showing at HITS Ocala (Fla.). Miss Lucy will join Jersey Boy tomorrow in the handy round.
“[The course] rode pretty much like I thought it would—like it walked,” said Alfano, Buffalo, N.Y. “My plans worked out well. I thought [the course] gave the horses a chance to really be able to put in nice trips.”
Watch Jersey Boy's classic round below.
Inclusive has had a strong circuit in Wellington. He won multiple championships, with Colvin in the junior ring and with Stewart in the first year division.
