Always a force to be reckoned with in the derby ring, Victoria Colvin once again proved her mastery of the handy course and made history as a three-time winner of the Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship on Saturday evening, this time topping the scorecard by nearly 25 points in the 2019 installment aboard Meralex Farm, Inc.’s El Primero. Entering the day as the front runners following the classic round, defending champion Colvin and El Primero extended their lead ahead of 35 of the nation’s best hunter contenders with a textbook trip that earned them near-perfect scores. Colvin and El Primero will leave Kentucky with nearly $45,000 in prize money and the coveted status as the 2019 champions, marking the professional’s feat in program history as the first rider to claim the championship rosette aboard three different horses.
Victoria Colvin and El Primero. Photo by Phelps Sports
Seasoned veterans as the course designers for the championship, the team of Alan Lohman and Danny Moore once again constructed an expert handy track for the returning contenders. Presenting 13 efforts that included four high-option fences, the pattern featured a two-stride combination, one-stride combination and a horseshoe jump, in addition to a number of inside turn options to aid competitors in showcasing handiness. Following the first day of riding, 36 of the best-scoring duos were invited back to the ring for one final chance at the title over the strategic course, but the championship excitement was truly seen as the top seven qualifiers took center stage.
In seventh position after the classic phase, Patricia Griffith and Callie Seaman’s Diamante pushed themselves to the top of the leader board with a score of 302 as the first partnership to break the 300-point threshold, finishing on a composite score of 568 to jump to the lead by 15 points at the time. As challengers continued to contest the pattern, their scores would fall short until West Coast representative Nick Haness and Lindsey Schiefelbein’s Verdict logged a noteworthy score of 302, matching that set forth by Griffith and Diamante. Combined with their initial tally of 276.50, Haness and Verdict eclipsed the leading pair thanks to a two-round score of 578.50 as the second-to-last exhibitors, putting the pressure on Colvin and El Primero to deliver.
Victoria Colvin and El Primero. Photo by Phelps Sports
Ultimately, none of the scores from the previous 35 horse-and-rider combinations mattered, as Colvin and El Primero shattered Haness’ lead by 24.5 points to set themselves apart as the clear 2019 champions. Garnering base scores of 92, 94 and 95, plus 12 additional points for successfully navigating the high option fences and 26 handy bonus points out of a possible 30, the talented team landed on a chart-topping 319 points in the handy round and a cumulative score of 603 to emerge as the clear 2019 Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship winners.
In his Derby Championship debut, Haness claimed the reserve championship honors with Verdict, and as the highest-placing of the Tier II pairs based on winnings throughout the qualifying period, he added to his total prize money thanks to the Tier II rider bonus. Griffith and Diamante held onto third position to round out the podium. With 562.50 points, California-based Jenny Karazissis and Michelle Cobb’s Really were awarded fourth place overall, and Jimmy Torano aboard Isalou Inc.’s Argentus concluded the 2019 edition of the finals in fifth position with a two-day point total of 562.
With her victory, 21-year-old Colvin etched her name in the record books as the first athlete to pilot three different horses to the championship honors. In 2017, the young professional topped the leader board aboard 10-year-old Cuba, owned by John and Stephanie Ingram, after an exemplary handy round that propelled the pair from second place to first position to capture the coveted title.
Victoria Colvin and El Primero. Photo by Phelps Sports
Colvin returned to the Rolex Stadium in 2018 with a new eye-catching mount, Brad Wolf’s 8-year-old Private Practice, who had only recently transitioned from the jumper ring to the hunters. Over two days of competition, Colvin and Private Practice separated themselves from the pack thanks to the gelding’s impressive efforts and flashy style, ultimately jumping into a league all their own with a 16.5-point victory over the next closest competitor to easily secure the lead spot in the victory gallop. Prior to Saturday’s results, Liza Boyd held the distinction as the only three-time winner of the Derby Championship, each time aboard Brunello, but now Colvin has joined her in the ranks as a triple victor.
“It feels amazing,” Colvin shared. “He went in there and was the best he could be. I couldn’t have done it without the team was behind him. It’s been a special night. I was a little bit [nervous]. After Peter went, he was still a little bit impressed and then I thought ‘Uh oh, Primo needs to be really good’. He really rose up to the occasion. It never gets old. I’ve been showing in this derby for a long time. To win it once, and then now a couple of times, the feeling never gets old. It’s so amazing with the crowd here and the feeling is great. It never dies down. Today was just as special as the first time winning.”
Victoria Colvin and El Primero. Photo by Phelps Sports
Colvin and 10-year-old El Primero have only been paired together since the winter, but have already accrued significant success together in high-profile divisions and derbies across the country including the tricolor ribbons in the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at Deeridge Farms during Deeridge Derby Week, as well as the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby to close out the competitive Winter Equestrian Festival.
Earlier in the afternoon, 35 horse-and-athlete combinations that missed the cut-off for the handy round took another shot at earning some prize money, riding in the $10,000 Derby Challenge. Similar to the evening’s handy round, Lohman and Moore’s course included plenty of high-option jumps and opportunities to utilize inside turns, allowing riders to exhibit their mount’s abilities. Riding 33rd in the order, Holly Shepherd showcased Mary Antonini’s High Society to a late high-scoring performance to shake up the standings, jumping to marks of 87, 89 and 89, plus six additional points for the high option fences and 26 handy points, for a total score of 297. The leaders for the majority of the class, Hannah Isop and Tracy Freels’ Red Ryder finished in the reserve spot with 290.50 points, followed by Amanda Steege and Cheryl Olsten’s Lafitte De Muze with the same score, but lesser points from the tie-breaker judging panel.
RESULTS
2019 Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship
Place / Horse / Rider / Owner / Final Score
1. El Primero / Victoria Colvin / Meralex Farm, Inc / 603
2. Verdict / Nick Haness / Lindsey Schiefelbein / 578.50
3. Diamante / Patricia Griffith / Callie Seaman / 568
4. Really / Jenny Karazissis / Michelle Cobb / 562.50
5. Argentus / Jimmy Torano / Isalou Inc / 56
6. Nobel Prize / Kristy Herrera / Emma Crate / 553
7. In The Know / Samantha Schaefer / Madeline Schaefer / 549.50
8. Private Practice / Victoria Colvin / Brad Wolf / 541.50
9. Flamingo-K / Hunt Tosh / Ceil Wheeler / 535.50
10. Aster De La Cense / Keirstin Johnsen / Kimberly Witherspoon / 527.50
11. Five Star / Amberlee Wentz / Dana Vollbracht / 519
12. Monday Balous / Jimmy Torano / Donald Stewart / 513.50