Hunter competition at HITS venues took center stage on July 31-August 2, with three USHJA International Hunter Derbies, presented by Great American Insurance Group. As the 2026 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 World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Week at Del Mar Summer Festival I at the HITS Del Mar Horsepark in Del Mar, California, Jamie Sailor had a fairytale finish aboard Love Story. Meanwhile, on the East Coast, Jennifer Ritucci closed out the popular Hudson Valley Jumping Tour™ at HITS Hudson Valley in Saugerties, New York, with a win riding Diamond City. Finally, at HITS Chicago’s Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Illinois, during Equifest II, Jennifer Alfano claimed the top prize aboard Ivy League.
As the next chapter unfolded at HITS Del Mar on Friday, July 31, the picturesque Grand Prix Grass Field provided the perfect setting for the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by Great American Insurance Group, where Jamie Sailor and Love Story wrote their perfect ending with a winning birthday ride.
The carefully crafted course set by Scott Starnes of Coto De Caza, California, saw 17 horse-and-rider combinations journey across the field in a hunt-and-go derby format. Judges Geoffrey Case, of Loxahatchee, Florida, and Dale Crittenberger, of Aldie, Virginia, evaluated each entry, awarding a score for the classic portion, a score for the handy phase, and bonus points for high option fences and handiness. The execution of Sailor and Love Story’s round was rewarded with base scores of 90 and 92 in the classic and handy portions, respectively, with eight bonus points for high options and handiness, for an incredible total score of 190.
“To be able to win on my birthday is definitely a gift from Love Story,” exclaimed Sailor, who has now tallied her second international derby win with the eight-year-old Oldenburg Gelding by Chacoon Blue owned by KHC Farms Inc. “He’s really stepping up his game, and the consistency from him is amazing. He must have known it was my special day. He just floats across the ground and his jump is unlike anything I’ve ever sat on. He stayed calm, confident, and really let his jump shine. He seems to really love HITS Del Mar!”
Second-place honors went to Joie Gatlin and Cavaletto Loma Z, a 12-year-old gelding by Chellano Alpha Z owned by West Coast Equine Partners, LLC. The pair earned a base score of 85.5 for the classic round, 89 for the handy phase, with a total of seven points for high options and handiness, culminating in a total score of 181.5. Lise Quintero and Imperial, a 10-year-old Warmblood gelding by Casall also owned by West Coast Equine Partners, LLC, completed the top three with base score of 85 in the classic round, an 88 for the handy phase, with a total of seven bonus points for high options and handiness, finishing with a total score of 180.
At HITS Hudson Valley on Friday, July 31, 2026, the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by Great American Insurance Group, kicked off Derby Friday festivities with a traditional two-round format. A total of 19 top horse-and-rider combinations were on the start list to contest Chris Jones’s classic-round track, while Jeanne Marie Dunford Miller and Troy Hendricks had the difficult task of scoring each round as the class’s designated judges. Following the completion of round one, Jennifer Ritucci shined brightly with Diamond City, Serenity Wolk’s eight-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare by Diarado, to sit in the pinnacle position after her base score of 88.00 points was paired with four additional high options points to earn the high score of 92.00.
“I’ve never come into a second round being on top before, so I definitely felt a little pressure,” said Ritucci. “I just had to trust that I could pick up a lick and look early in the turns, and when I did that, everything just came up out of stride. Diamond City tried really hard for me, and I just had to trust that I could let her cruise around and hope for the best.”
Despite the added pressure, the pair put forward another outstanding performance to produce a base score of 89.00 points in the handy phase with an additional four points awarded for high options and five for handiness for a handy round score of 98.00 points. Having saved the best for last, the duo earned a two-round total of 190.00 points to secure Ritucci’s first-ever international derby win.
“It was a shock; it’s only my third derby ever with her, and we did it in preparation for Derby Finals,” she enthused. “She’s such a great horse and it was so special to win my first one with her. She’s very confident in herself and never wants to do anything wrong. She really knows we all love her and she really thrives on that.”
No stranger to the HITS winners circle, David Wilbur earned the reserve position with Eleana Wiszniak’s eight-year-old Holsteiner mare by Casall, Forevermore. Pairing a classic round score of 89.00 points with a an impressive 95.00 points in the handy, the pair produced a two-round total of 184.00 points. Celebrating with Ritucci was longtime friend and third place recipient, Evan Coluccio. Coluccio piloted 10-year-old Luna van de Neerheide Z, a Zangershiede mare by Le Blue Diamond van’t Ruytersh owned by Hidden Ridge to a two-round total of 183.00 points after notching a round one score of 84.00 points and a whopping 99.00 points in the handy phase.
At the Midwest venue of HITS Chicago, Jennifer Alfano put in a scholarly ride with Ivy League to best the field and claim the lion’s share of the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by Great American Insurance Group. After navigating Janine Weatherby’s first-round classic track, Alfano and Ivy League sat top of the class with a score of 88 from judge XX, plus four high option points, for a total of 92. In the second round, the pair held their lead with an honor-roll score of 90, plus three high option points, as well as five bonus handy points, totaling 98, for a two-round final score of 190.
“He won both derbies here last year, and this was his first derby here this year; he just loves this ring,” shared Alfano of her own nine-year-old Warmblood gelding (Cumytime Z x Imperio Egipcio Milton). “I’ve had Ivy since he was five, and I’m just really happy with him.”
A longtime standout in the hunter derby arena and known for her bold riding style, Alfano adjusted her strategy for the handy round after entering with a comfortable lead.
“I walked several really tricky turns in the handy in case I was behind,” explained Alfano, who previously won the 2012 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals. “Ivy was ahead by a pretty good margin, so I just played it a little bit safer than I normally would have.”
Looking ahead to the 2026 USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship in Lexington, Kentucky, Alfano emphasized the value of competing in a championship-style class and venue before heading to Derby Finals with her team at Next Chapter LLC.
“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. It’s really nice to be at a horse show that puts the horses and exhibitors first.”
Iris Perlioni picked up second place on an overall score of 177.50 with Amour, her own 11-year-old Irish Sporthorse gelding (Tinarana Gold Wave x HSH Juniper. Ryan Sassmannshausen completed the top three on a score of 176 with Signature, the 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Etoulon VDL x Indorado) owned by Alyssa Quinn.
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. For complete results at each facility, please visit www.showmanagementsystem.com.
