Competition on Friday, June 19, 2024, during HITS-on-the-Hudson IV at HITS Hudson Valley in Saugerties, New York, brought out shadbellies and horses with braided manes and tails in preparation for the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby. Laena Romond and Forsini finished top of the class on the open card, while Josephine Cassidy and Worthy were the winners of the $5,000 USHJA Junior National Hunter Derby, and Alexa Bing and her own mount Subtil secured the blue in the $5,000 USHJA Amateur National Hunter Derby, sponsored by Veronica Beard.
Romond guided Forsini to the first-round high score of 89 plus four high option points for a total of 93. She then duplicated her impressive performance in the second round, once again earning the highest score with a 92 plus four high option points. That yielded a two-round total of 189 and the win.
Romond and Forsini have formed a very successful partnership with numerous top placings. The pair recently received second in the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby earlier in the season during HITS-on-the-Hudson June II. This week, Romond wanted to challenge the nine-year-old Warmblood gelding by For Pleasure owned by Lexi Maounis and see if he was ready for the next step in his hunter career.
“With Forsini, I wanted to push him just a little bit to see how he would handle walking into a real class as his first class of the week,” explained Romond who trains out of Heritage Farm in Katonah, New York. “I made the handy track as hard as I could, and I think he really stepped up and did it as well as I could hope.
“I was really happy he was able to walk in and feel totally relaxed and work out of rhythm,” she continued. “I did one of the tighter turns at the end, and he did that really well. We walked in here and the jumps are all very decorated and they look a little different, and I think he’s become pretty comfortable with all that now.”
With close proximity to their summer base, the Heritage Farm team has spent a lot of time at HITS in Hudson Valley. Romond appreciates the updates to the facility as well as the atmosphere, and she plans to compete throughout the next three weeks of the HITS Hudson Valley Jumping Tour®.
“I love that every ring has top quality footing,” noted Romond of the Wordley Martin surface in The Ring. “I love that the hunter rings are nicely decorated and the jumps are very interesting for the horses to look at. It’s a busy show, and the rings are running very efficiently.”
Following closely behind Romond was barnmate Patricia Griffith with Oceanside. Griffith piloted the seven-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Grey Top owned by Hallowell Lane Farm LLC to a score of 86 plus four high option points for a 90 in round one and a 90 plus four high option points for a final score of 94 in the handy, finishing with a total score of 184.
Third place was taken by Laura Bowery and Cloud 9, a 12-year-old Holstiener gelding by Stakkato owned by Fancy Pants Equestrian LLC. They had scores of 84 and 88 with four high option points in each round for a final total of 180.
The $5,000 Junior National Hunter Derby followed in one of HITS Hudson Valley’s newest rings, “The Ring.” Twenty-seven horse-and-rider combinations completed the first round, and, as in the open derby, the top 12 duos returned for the handy. When the dust settled, it was Josephine Cassidy and Worthy that were the winners.
Worthy is a fairly new mount for Cassidy. Their partnership started a few months ago following the winter season. After their first win together at a local horse show, Cassidy fell in love with the 11-year-old Warmblood gelding by Con Cargo of Wind Song LLC.. While typical competition for this pair is in the equitation ring, after completing their goals to qualify for the various medal finals, they decided to have some fun in the hunter ring.
“We have never done a hunter class, but he is very handy,” said Cassidy. “We rode around this morning and I was thinking, ‘Go big or go home.’”
The pair claimed the high score of 83 in the first round and an even better score of 86 in the handy, including four high option points in each round. Their final score of 169 put them at the top of the leaderboard.
Placing second with a final score of 164.5 was Riley Conigliaro and her own Contouch SVA, a nine-year-old Warmblood gelding by Conthargos. Abigail Davis and Gio Candio, a 12-year-old Polish Warmblood gelding owned by ARD Equestrian LLC, claimed third with an overall score of 157.
The $5,000 USHJA Amateur National Hunter Derby, sponsored by Veronica Beard, was the final national hunter derby with 26 horse-and-rider combinations to compete. Alexa Bing and her own Subtil dazzled the judges with two brilliant efforts to secure the blue ribbon.
Subtil, an 18-year-oldSelle Français gelding, has been Bing’s mount for a few years now. The pair has had great success in the derbies and finished the day with another win under their belt.
“He’s such a special horse; he is really one of a kind,” expressed Bing “He always does his job, and he’s just perfect the whole time. Every time he shows he knows what he’s doing, and he’s just a really, really great horse. I have a special relationship with him.”
With impressive scores of 91 and 95, including four high option points in each round, Bing and Subtil earned a decisive victory with a winning total of 186.
“I loved both the courses,” said Bing. “The first one was a lot of singles, which I liked. In the handy, there were definitely areas to go inside. Toward the last jump, there was a way you could go outside the jump or inside, and I actually planned to go outside. When I got there, I was feeling good so I went inside, and that solidified everything.”
Emma Covarrubias piloted Evolution of Oz, a 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding by Voltaire owned by Samantha Ellicott, to scores of 88.5 and 87.5, which totaled to a final score of 176, putting them in second place. Nicole Oliynyk and her mount Checkandino, a 17-year-old Mecklenburg gelding by Chicago owned by Hannah Lavin, completed the top threewith an overall score of 172 after an 84 in round one and an 88 in round two.
Competition in the Hunter Stadium featured the $750 The League Bit O’ Straw 2’6″ Hunter Derby, presented by Marshall & Sterling, where Celia Sutherland and MTM Page 6, a 12-year-old Warmblood gelding by Sergeant Pepper owned by Elizabeth Ott, had the winning round in a competitive class of 32. Their scores of 87.5 and 85.5 gave them an overall total of 173.
In the $750 The League Tiny Bit O’ 2′ Hunter Derby, presented by Marshall & Sterling, Millie Tucker and Wexx were the top pair. Tucker guided the 21-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Marina Trepeta to a score of 81 in the first round and an 86 in the second, finishing with a total of 167.
Competition at HITS-on-the-Hudson IV continues Saturday, June 20, with highlight classes such as the $10,000 Alliant Private Client Cup and the $116,050 Core Specialty Insurance CSI3* Grand Prix.
