Tammy Provost and Alliy Moyer's Libretto won the $7,500 International Derby Stake (Chicago Equestrian)

Antioch, Ill. - The premiere Chicago Hunter Derby at Annali-Brookwood Farm presented by Chicago Equestrians for a Cause, kicked off with the $7,500 International Derby Welcome Stake and the $2,500 National Derby Welcome Stake sponsored by Lane Change Farm and Kensel, LLC. The weekend charity event features the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby sponsored by Canadian Pacific and the $5,000 National Hunter Derby sponsored by Sapphire Riding Academy in Mettawa, IL. Three charities will benefit from the event; the USHJA Foundation, University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation and Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.

Despite Mother Nature's curveball loaded with some heavy rain, course designer Bobby Murphy and his crew moved a course off the grass field and into the sand ring for the day's classes, saving the field for Saturday and Sunday's events. The crew had a new course set in no time with only a slight delay in the start time.

In the $7,500 International Hunter Derby Welcome Stake, it was Tammy Provost of Sheridan, IN, aboard Alliy Moyer's Libretto who topped the field with an 87, the highest score of the day. Libretto is no stranger to the winner's circle, the eleven-year-old warmblood gelding has earned multiple championships with Provost in the Performance Working Hunter Division and owner Moyer, has shown the horse to numerous wins in the Amateur Owner Hunter Division. Provost supports the Chicago Hunter Derby and has returned every year to show multiple horses in the two derbies.

Second and third place went to Annali-Brookwood Farm owners Rush and Caroline Weeden. Rush Weeden scored an 84 with Clare Sargent's Coup de Coeur and Caroline was right behind with an 82 on The Spy, owned by Glory Days Farms. The Spy and Caroline Weeden won the USHJA International Hunter Derby recently at the Traders Point Charity Show in Zionsville, IN.

In the $2,500 National Hunter Derby Welcome Stake, Jennifer Alfano and Helen Lenahan's Me Again took the blue ribbon out of 41 starters. Alfano is from Buffalo, NY, and has been to the Chicago Hunter Derby almost since its inception. Alfano and Me Again recently won the USHJA National Hunter Derby at the Equifest horse show at Lamplight Equestrian Center and also won the Genesee Country Village & Museum's National Derby. The gray warmblood gelding will just be turning six in October and already has a successful career in the Pre-Green Hunter Division. Alfano is a three-time winner of the USHJA International Hunter Derby at Annali-Brookwood Farm on her crowd-pleasing mount, Jersey Boy, owned by SBS Farm.

Second place in the National Derby Welcome Stake went to the home team of Caroline Weeden and Amanda Williamson's Nairobi News and third went to Molly McAdow aboard Lanie Bricker's Charlie Brown. McAdow rides for Galway Farm and Lorrie Canady in Long Grove, IL.