Showplace Productions produced a beautiful derby day at Tapestry Farm in Bristol, WI, this weekend following the completion of its Showplace Summertime Horse Show. Tapestry Farm owners Clay and Donna Struve welcomed many of the country's top horses and riders to their scenic farm for a day full of exceptional competition and hospitality for all to benefit the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Horseman's Assistance Fund. Professional hunter rider Kelley Farmer had a great day in Bristol, finishing first and second in both the $5,000 USHJA 3' Hunter Derby and the $25,000 Chronicle of the Horse/USHJA International Hunter Derby with her fantastic horses. Lisa Goldman also earned a one-two finish showing in the $10,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Speed Derby with her top mounts.

Making a name for himself in a big way over the last few years, course designer Skip Bailey set a detailed and beautiful course full of impressive natural obstacles for the derby. The esteemed panels of judges included Rob Bielefeld and Tony Sgarlata on panel 1 and Sarah Booker and Diane Young on panel 2. Judges had a tough job choosing between the many great rounds in each hunter class and scored the competitors with great deliberation.

No stranger to derby wins, Farmer took home first- and second-place honors in the $25,000 Chronicle of the Horse/USHJA International Hunter Derby at Tapestry Farm, jumping to victory on the stunning grass field. Farmer recently won a $15,000 Hunter Derby at the Showplace Spring Spectacular Horse Show, winning with Taken and finishing second with Listen, and this week the two horses traded places. Farmer rode Listen to first place in both rounds of competition to earn first-place honors overall, and finished second with Taken.

"All of my horses were awesome and I guess Listen and Taken wanted to switch places this week," Farmer laughed. "Listen is only six years old and he has already gotten a ribbon in every derby that he has done. He is just getting better and better."

"He has a beautiful mind, and he is very careful," Farmer said. "I have to say, I am very lucky. I have a group of horses that are all really talented. They are light on their feet, they are agile, they are athletic, they are careful, and he handled the grass well in the field. That was a big thing for this class, horses had to be able to handle the grass and the little bit of up and down in the field, because for horses that aren't used to it that takes a little bit. Mine handled it really well."

Farmer also took home first- and second-place honors in the $5,000 USHJA 3' Hunter Classic, which was held earlier in the day. Farmer rode Raquel to first place and piloted Sunshine to second place. "Raquel was great. She and Sunshine were both excellent," Farmer stated. "We just got Raquel during Lamplight in June and I don't know her very well, I actually hadn't ridden her, but she was great. She was a champion at Lamplight with Taylor Ann Adams in the Small Juniors two weeks in a row, and now Caitlin Lane owns her. Caitlin is going to show her in the amateurs, and we might do her in the derby here, too."

Larry Glefke commented on the course and Bailey's design, stating, "It was one of the prettiest courses we have seen, and Skip did a brilliant job of putting the jumps where they would be believable. There was a lot of undulation of the terrain, which made it difficult to set the jumps up and down hills in the grass, so you had to have a very agile, careful horse."

Farmer added, "It was so beautiful; Donna's place is gorgeous, and it was so nice of them to let everyone come in and horse show there. The course was very cool, and I loved showing in the big grass field with the bank; it was gorgeous."

Tapestry Farm Derby Day concluded with an exciting $10,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Speed Derby, held over the derby course at raised heights. It was no surprise that the top two places were earned by Lisa Goldman of Hawthorne Woods, IL, who has been cleaning up in the jumpers with her geldings Morocco and Centurion B. Goldman rode her speedster, Morocco to first-place honors and finished in second with Centurion B.

For more information on Showplace Productions, please visit www.showplaceproductions.com.