The 2026 HITS Del Mar National Horse Show once again brought the best of the best to the West Coast for an action-packed week of top sport on April 29 to May 3 at the HITS Del Mar Horsepark in Del Mar, California. A USEF Heritage Competition steeped in tradition and excellence, the event garnered even more prestige with a World Champion Hunter Rider (WCHR) designation. With an impressive roster of athletes, the week’s highlight came on Friday, May 1, in the form of the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by Great American Insurance Group, where Simon Schroeder reigned supreme with Esquire.
An even dozen horse-and-rider duos tackled the hunt-and-go derby track on the iconic Grand Prix Field set by Scott Starnes of Coto de Caza, California. Judges Devan Cattrell, of Lexington, Kentucky, and William Sparks, of New Orleans, Louisiana, oversaw each effort, awarding one score for the classic portion of the course, a score for the handy phase, and bonus points for high option fences and handiness.
The talent among the competitors was apparent across the classic elements of the course, as just 1.25 points separated the top four contenders through that phase. However, it was the all-important handy track that proved to be the deciding factor. In the classic phase, Schroeder and the eight-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Baltic VDL x Douglas) owned by The Bridgeport Group, LLC, earned a base score of 86, plus two high option points, for a total of 88. The pair kept their cool until the very end, delivering a noteworthy performance in the handy with a base score of 84, plus two points for high options and three points for handiness, totaling 89. That netted a two-round score of 177 and the blue-ribbon honors.
“I just wanted to have a nice safe round because the horse is quite young,” explained Schroeder of the horse he has been developing for a year alongside John Bragg of Bridgeport Farms in San Juan Capistrano, California. “This is his first derby. I didn’t expect a lot, but I know he has a lot of natural talent. I just wanted to give him a nice ride and make it successful.
“It’s fantastic to have the hunters on the grass field,” he continued. “The horses can really canter, and it has a different feeling. It is a wonderful week here; everyone puts their heart into this show.”
Just a mere quarter of a point off the lead, Jason McArdle piloted Enrique, a 17-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Anisa Pourteymour, to the runner-up spot, earning a first-round score of 87.75, a second-round score of 89, and an overall total of 176.75. It was a day for the boys as Patrick Pellin completed the top three with Narengo STB, a 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Biscuit Balou C x Vigo D’Arsouilles) owned by Jennifer Elliott, with scores of 83 and 88, yielding a total of 171.
The excitement of WCHR week during the 2026 HITS Del Mar National Horse Show continues through Sunday May 3. The HITS Del Mar Show Series then resumes on July 8 for the start of the Del Mar Sunshine Classic. For complete results, please visit ShowManagementSystem.com.
