Tammy Provost and Essential win the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby during the Chicago Hunter Derby presented by CP. (Chicago Equestrian)
“It’s really nice to have your own horse win. It’s just a horse that gets better and better,” said Provost of the seven-year-old. “We got him from Germany and he’s very forgiving. It’s fun to see him move up. Maybe next year he’ll do the junior hunters with a good junior rider.”
Provost, Sheridan, IN, was a big contributor to the Score 90 Challenge with her sets of scores. In the Score 90 Challenge, pledges are made for every score of 90 or higher a horse and rider receive from the judges. Money is racked up for charity each time a score of 90 is earned. Provost did just that in both rounds with Essential and on another mount, Profit, Provost earned a 90 in round one, which helped them finish in third place.
Maria Rasmussen and Aspen and Russell Frey and Kodachrome, also helped the charities out with their scores of 90 or higher.
Frey and Kodachrome, owned by Nina Moore, gave Provost a run for her money, but finished a half a point shy of the win. Frey earned a 91 and a 90, with four high options in the handy round, closing up the gap from round one, but not enough to steal the blue, finishing with a 365.5.
Essential won the USHJA National Hunter Derby and the $2,500 National Welcome Stake at Annali-Brookwood Farm's Chicago Hunter Derby presented by CP. (ChicagoEquestrian)
“This venue is a bit of a challenge because of the open field and natural jumps,” said Frey. “Foster (Kodachrome) has only been a hunter a short time and done a handful of derbies, so for him to gallop around and perform the way he did is very promising for the International classes.”
“This is a premiere event in every way,” added Frey, “the venue, hospitality and the “Cause” included. There’s a lot of camaraderie between everyone.”
Glory Days Farm and Gene and Georgetti sponsored the USHJA National Hunter Derby. A perpetual trophy was donated by Sapphire Riding Academy in Mettawa, IL and Mimi Rothman with trainer Doug Boyd presented. Ashley Vogel, Mequon, WI, rides with trainer Cookie Beck and won the Leading Junior Award and Alliy Moyer, Carmel, IN, won the Leading Amateur Award, both sponsored by Sapphire Riding Academy. Moyer rides with Provost at Meadow View Farm.
Provost came out winning from the get go, earning the top honors in the $2,500 National Welcome Stake class on Friday, sponsored by Sea Change Farm, with an 88 on Essential. As if that weren’t enough, Provost and Alliy Moyer’s Valiant, took second with an 87. Margo Lyon’s Kadence Darco with Caitlyn Shiels aboard, landed in third place with an 84.
Friday’s $7,500 International Welcome Stake class, sponsored by Sea Change Farm, got riders and horses out on the field to get the lay of the land. Coming out in top form right off the bat was Kelley Farmer and Kensel, LLC’s Mindful, winning the class with a score of 88. Carl Weeden and Piper Benjamin’s Corvine took second with an 86 and Farmer took third with Dalliance, owned by Avatar Real Estate.
Russell Frey and Kodachrome finished in second place in the USHJA National Hunter Derby. (ChicagoEquestrian)
Twenty horses took on the challenge in the field this afternoon for the first round of the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby presented by Canadian Pacific. Leading after todays round were two of Kelley Farmer’s rides. Mindful, earned a 195 for the top spot and Jessica Stitt’s Taken scored 190 for second. Caroline Weeden with Corvine, rounded out the top three with a 177.5.
When Farmer was asked what her game plan was for round two on Sunday, she simply replied, "Don't change a thing."
Sunday features the final handy round plus a champagne brunch for VIP ticket holders. The farm is a gorgeous setting for the event, with the pond and fountain in plain view from the spectacular VIP tent. High-end shops will display fantastic items for purchase and children’s events are sponsored by the Novy and Vogel families. The CP Puffer Belly Express train will be giving rides and the petting zoo and horseless horse show will keep kids busy for hours.
Adults can shop horsepower of a different kind with Lake Forest Sports Cars offering Ferrari test drives and Land Rover Lake Bluff has vehicles on site to check out the latest models.
For more information, please visit the website at www.Chicagoequestriansforacause.com.
Ashley Vogel receives the Leading Junior Rider Award from Mimi Rothman and Doug Boyd of Sapphire Riding Academy. (ChicagoEquestrian)
place horse rider owner
1 Essential Tammy Provost Wendy Hofmeister
2 Kodachrome Russel Frey Nina Moore
3 Profit Tammy Provost Wendy Hofmeister
4 Aspen Maria Rasmussen Whitney Sinclair
5 Pilot Geoffrey Hesslink Lana Broussard
6 Subject to Change Maria Rasmussen Ashley Netzky
7 Poetry Caroline Weeden Glory Days Farm
8 Kadence Darco Caitlyn Shiels Margo Lyons
9 Truth Be Told Tammy Provost Marianne Ash
10 Valiant Alliy Moyer Alliy Moyer
11 JosVan Kouterhoeve Geoffrey Hesslink Salim Radi
12 Carlson Alliy Moyer Alliy Moyer
Alliy Moyer won the Leading Amateur Rider Award sponsored by Sapphire Riding Academy. (ChicagoEquestrian)
$2,500 National Welcome Stake
1 Essential Tammy Provost Wendy Hofmeister
2 Valiant Tammy Provost Alliy Moyer
3 Kadence Darco Caitlyn Shiels Margo Lyons
4 Aspen Maria Rasmussen Whitney Sinclair
5 Kodachrome Russell Frey Nina Moore
6 Carlson Tammy Provost Alliy Moyer
7 Chandon Geoffrey Hesslink Olivia Weaver
8 Subject to Change Maria Rasmussen Ashley Netzky
9 Troubadour Tammy Provost Jill Donaldson
10 JosVan KouterhoeveGeoffrey Hesslink Salim Radi
11 Profit Tammy Provost Wendy Hofmeister
12 Truth Be Told Tammy Provost Marianne Ash
Mindful and Kelley Farmer won the $7,500 International Welcome Stake and are leading after round 1 of the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby presented by CP. (ChicagoEquestrian)
$7,500 International Welcome Stake
1 Mindful Kelley Farmer Kensel, LLC
2 Corvine Caroline Weeden Piper Benjamin
3 Dalliance Kelley Farmer Avatar Real Estate
4 Jersey Boy Jennifer Alfano SBS Farms
5 Miramar Jennifer Alfano Jennifer Alfano
6 Taken Kelley Farmer Jessica Stitt
7 Quite Chocolate Maria Rasmussen Over Fences Farm
8 Calido’s Son Doug Boyd Mimi Rothman
9 Valentino Now Kelley Farmer MVB Group
10 So to Speak Kelley Farmer Glefke, Kensel
11 Charlie Brown Molly McAdow Lanie Bricker
Caroline Weeden and Corvine with Margaret Benjamin accepted their award for third in the first round of the USHJA International Hunter Derby and also placed second in the International Welcome Stake. (ChicagoEquestrian)