Weekend competition in the main hunter ring at HITS Post Time Farm kicked off on Friday, January 3, with a large field contending for the top prize in the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby. The event stood as the highlight hunter class during the first week of the new Post Time Premier, managed by WEST Horse Shows. Besting a starting field of 24 horse-and-rider combinations, David Wilbur piloted Amy Porchetta’s Ademaro van Encanta to his second derby win at the venue and first of the new year.
Wilbur and the nine-year-old Holsteiner gelding, by Adagio de Talma, earned a first round score of 85 with four additional high jump points for a total of 89.00 at the finale of the classic round, which put him comfortably into the runner-up position as the top 12 pairs prepared to return for the handy round. Morgan Ward-Knowlton and her well-versed derby mount, Comissario took the early lead, clocking in a round worthy of 86.00 points and adding on all four high jump points to lead the field with a 90.00 overall. Unfortunately, a slight over-excitement at the trot fence for the 20-year-old Warmblood gelding, by Calido, ultimately dropped the pair down to third place at the class’s completion. Proving to perform better even than the previous round, Wilbur piloted ‘Ademaro’ to a picture perfect handy round that earned them a second round score of 90.00 with the addition of the high options and gave them a comfortable overall lead with a total of 179.00 points.
“I was coming back in second place so I knew I had to go for it a little bit,” explained Wilbur. “He is for sure a really brave, scopey, nice horse so I knew I could kind of gallop all the way around and trust that he would follow me. There were lots of good options and inside turns, so we took advantage of all of those and he was on it.”
The win was the second recent victory for the rising star and the sign of a bright future in Wilbur’s eyes.
“Before Christmas he won the derby also, so he’s won two in a row which again doesn’t happen often so were very appreciative,” he stated. “He’s being great; he’s grown up a lot and he actually moved up to the 3’6” greens this week and was excellent, so I think he’s got a really bright future.”
Laying down a top-notch handy round, young professional Ashley Worthington jumped into the second place position aboard Shake The Tree LLC’s Topgallant. Under Worthington’s guidance the 14-year-old Warmblood gelding, by Cicero Z, produced the highest-scoring handy round trip and totaled a two-round score of 174.00 points for the red ribbon.
Hunter derby competition continued into Saturday where aspiring athletes stepped up their performances in the $500 The League Outreach Bit O’ Straw 2’6” Hunter Derby. At the competition’s completion, Chandler Salita’s performance with Amy Lloyd Thompson’s Denmark earned the winning honors. Bayside and Emma Grace Kuchar followed up in second place, while Calgary and Adalyn Caggiano rounded out the top three.
