Amanda Derbyshire riding Cornwall BH in Saturday’s $50,000 Idle Dice Open Jumper Stake CSI4* at the Devon Horse Show. PC: The Book LLC
Devon, Pa. – June 3, 2017 – Since Tuesday, international horses and riders have been competing for valuable points towards the week’s coveted Open Jumper Championship, sponsored by the Capital Grille King of Prussia. Following Wednesday’s second place finish in the $40,000 Devon International Speed Stake CSI4* and Friday’s win in the $35,000 Devon Speed Challenge CSI4*, David Gochman’s Lady Maria BH, ridden by Great Britain’s Amanda Derbyshire, was crowned the 2017 Open Jumper champion and winner of the Little Big Man Challenge Trophy with 16 points at the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair on Saturday evening.
“I’m ecstatic. I had a pretty nice show here last year and this has really been everything I’ve been dreaming of,” Said Amanda following her win. “All of our hard work really paid off this week. It’s moments like this where it’s all worth it. The crowd here is like no other. I don’t think any of the shows that we’ve been to are quite like this so that makes it special when you know the crowd is behind you. The [Gochman] kids showed here last weekend and they were champion and grand champion. Then Becky, who owns the horses, was also champion and grand champion so that means all four of us got a piece of Devon this year, which is incredible!”
With the addition of her third place finish in Thursday’s $225,000 Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon CSI4*, and with a total of 22 points, Derbyshire was also awarded the Leading Open Jumper Rider and Leading Lady Rider trophies: the Orchard Lodge Perpetual Trophy and the Carol Hofmann Thompson Leading Lady Rider Challenge Trophy. The perfect end to a show for which Amanda has a lot of love.
“I’ve been coming to Devon for the last seven years and I’ve shown here for the last two years. I came to America when I was 21 for three months, and never left! I go home a couple of times a year, but my family is happy for me. Now with all of the technology they stay up and watch me on the livestream so they’re not missing out.”
Amanda Derbyshire. PC: The Book LLC
$50,000 Idle Dice Open Jumper Stake CSI4*
Prior to Saturday’s championship awards ceremonies, the final class of the Open Jumper division, the $50,000 Idle Dice Open Jumper Stake CSI4*, sponsored by the Harvest Seasonal Grill and Wine Bar – Radnor, was held in the Dixon Oval, which saw 37 entries turn out to compete.
Seven exhibitors cleared Kelvin Bywater’s first round course to advance to the tiebreaking jump-off round. Yet it was 19-year-old Katherine Strauss (USA) and All In, owned by Katherine Strauss, LLC, who bested the world-class field of international horses and riders to claim her first jumper win and the John Wanamaker Perpetual Trophy at the Devon Horse Show, after just aging out of the junior divisions in December.
“This is my first year as an amateur and my first year at Devon senior week so this is a really exciting start. I’m definitely really humbled to be competing against all of these incredible riders who are here. I have a lot of confidence in my horse, so I have confidence walking into the ring, but never expect anything in this sport, especially competing against such incredible riders.”
She modestly deflected her role in the win, clearly aglow when asked about All In.
“I’ve had All In since the beginning of 2014 and for the last few years I’ve mostly shown him in the junior jumpers and U25 classes. He’s an unbelievable horse. I’m so lucky to have him. He is a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood with a massive, very fast stride. He’s really scopey and careful so the Dixon Oval, being such a big ring, definitely plays to his strengths. He is a very serious competitor and can be kind of grumpy back in the barn. He definitely likes things his way but when it’s time to compete he really knows his job and goes all in every time. He is a wonderful horse and I’m so lucky!”
Katharine Strauss and All In. PC: The Book LLC
As for what she has planned in the future, Katherine will be stuffing in as much horse show life as possible before heading to a top tier university in the fall.
“All In is definitely a big part of the picture moving forward! I love riding, it’s what makes me happiest. I would love to do this professionally one day and dream about jumping really big classes all over the world. I’m really lucky to have my trainer, Beezie Madden, as a role model. She definitely sets the standard high and gives me something to dream of and aspire to. I would love to one day be able to represent our country in big Nations Cup events, but it’s a long way before I get there. Short term, I have graduation next week, then I go to Calgary for a few weeks and then Europe. Then I start college at Vanderbilt University in August.”
Watch their winning round here:
Strauss and All In also tied for reserve champion honors with 15 points in the Open Jumper Championship with McLain Ward (USA) and Rothchild, owned by Sagamore Farms.
Earlier in the afternoon, the $20,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame (SJHOF) Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic took center stage in the Dixon Oval to close out the Amateur-Owner Jumper division at the Devon Horse Show.
Out of 24 entries, Adrienne Marciano of Collegeville, Pennsylvania, rode to the top of the leaderboards aboard her own Laspari as the only double-clear finisher of the class in 40.515 seconds to claim the Good Enough Challenge Trophy.
As a result of her top finishes throughout the week, Marciano also wrapped up her week at Devon with Laspari with the Amateur-Owner Jumper Championship for the second time, after also winning the championship in 2014, and the Leading Amateur-Owner Jumper award, which included the Goblin Challenge Trophy and the Marshall-Hale Perpetual Trophy. Reserve champion of the Amateur-Owner Jumper division went to Jennifer Jones and and Andrew Kocher’s Honfleur.
$50,000 Idle Dice Open Jumper Stake CSI4*
Place / Horse / Rider / Country / Owner / R1 Faults / Time / R2 Faults / Time
1. All In / Katherine Strauss / USA / Katherine Strauss, LLC / 0 / 70.41 / 0 / 39.03
2. Thornhill Kate / Laura Chapot / USA / Mary and Laura Chapot / 0 / 68.47 / 0 / 41.17
3. Crown 5 / Georgina Bloomberg / USA / Gotham Enterprizes, LLC / 0 / 69.99 / 0 / 44.86
4. Stranger 30 / Andrew Ramsay / USA / The Stranger Group / 0 / 67.36 / 4 / 39.66
5. Eddie Blue / Devin Ryan / USA / LI Show Jumpers, LLC / 0 / 68.02 / 4 / 40.32
6. Le Conte / Andrew Kocher / USA / Andrew Kocher / 0 / 71.81 / 4 / 40.63
7. Calista / Vasco Flores / PR / Gotham Enterprizes, LLC / 0 / 71.45 / 4 / 43.38
8. MTM Reve Du Paradis / Tracy Fenney / USA / MTM Farm / 1 / 72.70
9. Uppie De Lis / Hayley Waters / USA / Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Waters / 4 / 66.30
10. Cocq A Doodle / Andrew Ramsay / USA / The Doodle Group / 4 / 66.61
11. Quointreau Un Prince / Laura Chapot / USA / Laura Chapot and McLain Ward / 4 / 67.65
12. Prof De La Roque / Andrew Kocher / USA / Postage Stamp Farm, LLC / 4 / 68.96
$20,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic
Place / Horse / Rider / Owner / R1 Faults / Time / R2 Faults / Time
1. Laspari / Adrienne Marciano / Adrienne Marciano / 0 / 71.216 / 0 / 40.515
2. Attention Et Z / Callie Smith / Smithfield Farms, LLC / 0 / 72.145 / 4 / 37.767
3. Colorado / Tegan Elizabeth Treacy / Tegan Elizabeth Treacy / 0 / 75.778 / 4 / 38.132
4. Mae / Noel Fauntleroy / Noel Fauntleroy / 0 / 74.365 / 4 / 39.734
5. Coming Up / Gina Plantz / Gina Plantz / 0 / 77.060 / 4 / 42.031
6. Coconut Z / Jean Sheptoff / Jean Sheptoff / 0 / 77.098 / 8 / 40.683
7. Boy Blue / Tara Corr / Tara Corr / 0 / 75.945 / 8 / 43.243
8. Dakota / Callie Seaman / Callie Seaman / 0 / 73.834 / 12 / 44.649
9. Capacity / Katherine Strauss / Katherine Strauss, LLC / 0 / 71.513 / 20 / 41.771
10. Everything / Kelsey Thatcher / Pony Lane Farm / 0 / 73.125 / ELIM
11. Kistler / Darby Toben / Doreen Toben / 3 / 80.640
12. Idalie Van Hoperheide / Hayley Waters / Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Waters / 4 / 68.224