Hunter competition at HITS venues across the country took center stage on July 30-August 3, with three USHJA International Hunter Derbies, presented by Great American Insurance Group. As the 2025 Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship quickly approaches, top hunter riders from across the country have flocked to the various HITS facilities to put the finishing touches on their final preparations. During a World Champion Hunter Rider (WCHR) week for Del Mar Summer Festival I at the HITS Del Mar Horsepark in Del Mar, California, Emma Lindstrom triumphed aboard Corragio. Meanwhile on the East Coast, Jennifer Jones closed out the popular Hudson Valley Jumping Tour® at HITS Hudson Valley in Saugerties, New York, with a win riding On the Bay. Finally, at HITS Chicago’s Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Illinois, during Equifest II, Jennifer Alfano took the top prize with Ivy League.
Scott Starnes set the hunt-and-go course on the Grand Prix Grass Field at HITS Del Mar for the $20,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by Great American Insurance Group. Judges Scott Hofstetter and Phillip Long watched 15 elite horse-and-rider combinations, but it was professional Emma Lindstrom and Coraggio that wowed them. The pair earned an 87 over the classic portion of the course, an 88 over the handy portion, plus four points for high option fences taken, totaling an impressive 179 for the victory.
“I’ve been riding Corragio for eight years now, so we’ve come a long way,” said Lindstrom of the 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Chablis I owned by June Salin. “He is super brave. We have a great partnership and we know each other really well.
“The course rode great for us today,” she added. “There were some long bending lines, which work nicely for us because I could really show off his big stride. It’s such invaluable experience to show out on this big field with so many great horses and riders. It really puts the spotlight on this class, and it makes us feel really important. He was so good today, so I’m really happy.”
Hot off her 3’6″ Junior Hunter Grand Championship title at the Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter National Championship – West at HITS Del Mar the previous week, junior athlete Violet Tatum guided her trusted partner Jagerbomb, the 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Diarado x Chacco Blue) owned by Tatum Equestrian LLC, to a second-place finish on an overall score of 178.5. Rounding out the top three was Jason McArdle and Enrique, a 16-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Anita Pourteymour, who earned a final score of 171.
At HITS Hudson Valley, some of the best hunter riders in the country went head to head, but it was Jennifer Jones and On the Bay that led the victory lap in the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by Great American Insurance Group. Featuring in The Ring, Doug Russell designed the classic and handy tracks, which saw 14 duos contesting for the blue ribbon.
Jones notched the highest marks of round one, with judges Robin Swinderman-Mitchell and Troy Hendricks awarding her an 88 and a 90, respectively, plus four high option points from each, for a total of 186. Returning for the handy in pole position, Jones once again delivered the highest-scoring performance, this time earning a 92 and an 88, plus four high option points from each judge, and five and four additional handy bonus points, yielding a 197. The overall score of 383 made Jones the clear winner.
“She’s a really reliable horse even though she hasn’t done a ton of derbies,” described Jones of Jennifer Dean’s nine-year-old Warmblood mare by Escudo 1. “She’s really brave, she’s really scopey, and she really jumps the bigger jumps well. She has a beautiful way of going around.
“It’s great we have so much big hunter stuff here at HITS because for me, I have 99 percent hunters,” she continued. “I love this ring. It’s a really cool ring to have these classes in, and it was nice to get to show the regular hunters in here too. It’s a little bit different and it has a lot of atmosphere, plus the jumps are beautiful.”
Following in second place, David Wilbur and Four Aces, Marita Zuraitis’s 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Acodetto 2 x Leonid), jumped to a total of 378, while Hannah Isop completed the top three with Selene, Christine Watkins’s 10-year-old Warmblood mare by Cellestial, on a final score of 365.
At the Midwest venue of HITS Chicago, Jennifer Alfano put in a scholarly ride with Ivy League to best the field of 20 talented pairs and claim the lion’s share of the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by Great American Insurance Group. After navigating Dean Battaglia’s first-round classic track, Alfano and Ivy League sat in third with scores of 86.5 and 87.25 from the judges, plus four high option points from each, for a total score of 181. In the second round, the pair graduated to the top of the leaderboard with honor-roll scores of 91 and 90, plus four high option points from each judge, as well as five and four bonus handy points, totaling 198 for a two-round final score of 379.
“I’m thrilled with Ivy,” enthused Alfano of her eight-year-old Warmblood gelding (Cumytime Z x Imperio Egipcio Milton). “I’ve had him since he was five, so this has been a long time coming. Two weeks ago was his first derby win, and now to follow it up with another win – it’s really satisfying when you buy a young horse like that and bring them along, so I’m quite proud of him.”
“I just really honestly want to thank [HITS Chicago Show Manager] Tom Urban and the HITS crew,” expressed Alfano. “It’s a big effort to move all this hunter stuff into the Grand Prix Ring for these classes, and we really appreciate them making the effort to do that for the hunters.”
Alfano made the most of the day, also picking up second place on an overall score of 377.25 with Admiral, her own seven-year-old North American Warmblood stallion (Dulf van den Bishop x Klotaire du Moulin). Alexandra Pielet completed the top three on a score of 374.5 with VEX Freedom, the 12-year-old Holsteiner mare (Cassilano x Cambridge) owned by VEX Sporthorse LTD.
Competition across HITS venues continues to showcase hunter excellence with the HITS Del Mar Show Series, the HITS Hudson Valley Show Series, the HITS Chicago Show Series, the HITS Culpeper Show Series, and the HITS Vermont Summer Festival. As the season progresses, the race is on for who will be named the Leading International Hunter Derby Rider, presented by Great American Insurance Group, and with her success this week, Alfano sits atop the standings. For complete results at each facility, please visit www.showmanagementsystem.com.
