Lexington, KY – May 9, 2024 – It was derby day at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show as professional and junior/amateur riders gathered to compete in the $5,000 Open National Hunter Derby and $5,000 Jr/AM National Hunter Derby during World Champion Hunter Rider week. Caroline Weeden showed the way in the $5,000 USHJA Open National Hunter Derby with Kannan’s Boy-W, while Sydney Mohrhardt and Lillooet scored the top honors in the $5,000 USHJA Junior/Amateur National Hunter Derby.
Jasen Shelley designed the courses for Friday’s highlight events in the Stonelea Ring. The welcoming first round allowed riders to showcase their horses’ brilliance over the fences, while the handy course offered more dynamic options with a trot fence, several sharp turns, a long gallop to the final vertical near the gate, and four high options for additional points.
Jacob Pope & Hardrock Harmonie SIH
The $5,000 USHJA Open National Hunter Derby got underway first, where Jacob Pope took the early lead in the first round with Small Love after scoring a 92. Weeden was close behind him, scoring a 90 with Kannan’s Boy-W, and the handy round would be the deciding factor at the top of the leaderboard. Jacob returned with his second mount, Hardrock Harmonie SIH, and set the tone for the handy track to score a 94, and an overall total of 182. He then moved up in the order with Small Love, but a light rub at the final vertical would put him just behind Hardrock Harmonie SIH as they earned a total score of 178. Weeden was the last to return with Kannan’s Boy-W. The talented 10-year-old KWPN gelding was spectacular over each fence and made the sharp turns look easy to earn a score of 93. Combined with their first-round score of 90, their total score of 183 garnered the day’s winning title.
Jacob Pope & Small Love
“Jacob really showed the route for the handy on his first horse,” explained Weeden. “Kannan’s Boy-W can do all those turns, and I hadn’t really even thought about the turns until I saw Jacob do them. I did them on my second horse and then Kannan’s Boy-W. He’s a pretty good turner, so it was super fun.”
Caroline Weeden & Kannan’s Boy-W
Stephanie and Charlotte Harris began leasing Kannan’s Boy-W last year from Ashland Farm, and after a successful season together, they decided to purchase him. “He’s just an amazing horse and we are so thankful to have him,” expressed Weeden. “He’s a lot of leg, but once you get him going, you have a lot of horse. He’s scopey and has a big stride, but you do have to carry a lot of leg. I had a great time today. I was really lucky to have three horses in the derby, so it was super fun to do this. They do a great job here and I thought it was a really fun course today.”
The next event in the Stonelea Ring was the $5,000 USHJA Junior/Amateur National Hunter Derby where riders competed over the same courses. Sydney Mohrhardt had two stand-out rounds, piloting Lillooet to a total score of 165. Taylor Matalon and Remember Romance earned the second-place prize with a score of 163.5, just narrowly edging out third-place finishers Campbell Cauthen and Lucky Luke, who earned a score of 163.
Sydney Mohrhardt & Lillooet
Mohrhardt has been riding Lillooet for three years, moving from the Children’s Hunters to the Junior Hunters with the 12-year-old KWPN mare. “Lillooet is so much fun, and she loves doing derbies,” smiled Mohrhardt after her win. “The spookier the jumps the better! She’s always very handy, and that’s my favorite class to do with her. I wanted to keep it fun, but also make sure I stick to my plan and be as tidy as possible.”
This marked Mohrhardt’s first show in a month after finishing at the Winter Equestrian Festival, and she was excited to be back at the Kentucky Horse Park. “I love the rings, and Lily loves Kentucky,” concluded Mohrhardt. “Lily loves just the atmosphere and doing the National Derby. I love the show venue and getting to hang out with all my friends.”
Sydney Mohrhardt & Lillooet
As World Champion Hunter Rider week continues at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show, Sunday’s main event will be the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by All Bizness Insurance. Junior riders will also have an opportunity to showcase their mounts during Saturday’s $1,500 USHJA Pony Hunter Derby.
For more information on Kentucky Horse Shows LLC and the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows, please visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.
