Victoria Colvin (USA) and Glade Run Farm LLC’s Ipso Facto scored a two-round total of 391 to claim the win in Friday’s $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, concluding a double derby day at Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort (TIEC), which also featured a $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby. Claiming reserve honors in the $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, Greg Crolick (USA) and Testify, the 2014 Hanoverian gelding (Cassini II x Valencia T) owned by Jon Cotton, earned a two-round score of 387. Crolick also earned fifth aboard Kuore, the 2012 Polish Warmblood gelding owned by Renaud Farm, LLC, on a total of 364. In collecting both third and fourth place, Michael Britt-Leon (USA) received a total score of 371.5 aboard Kelly Sims’ Private I, the 2012 Oldenburg gelding (Corrado x Verdi). Britt-Leon guided Kelly Sims’ entry Bacchus to fourth on a score of 370.75 with the 2013 Hanoverian gelding (Bisquet Balou x Feliz V/D Donkhoeve).
The course set by Andres Christiansen (USA) challenged 23 entries in the first round, with the cutoff to challenge the handy round set at 159. When the top 12 riders had concluded their second performance, it was Colvin who topped Crolick’s first-round lead for the win. As it was only the second international derby for the 2013 NRPS gelding (Douglas x Emmasinaa-a), Colvin was proud of her mount’s performance and thankful that the first round track “wasn’t too difficult or scary” for him.
“The first round rode nicely. It was a nice course, and it wasn’t too difficult or scary, which was nice for him. This is only his second derby,” she revealed. “He was [recently] champion in the Low Children’s at Aiken, with a 12-year-old. So, yeah, he went very well! I did one international derby with him, and this is my second. He’s very good at it!”
After watching the second round unfold, Colvin saw that tight turns were the name of the game if she wanted a competitive score. “Everyone went pretty handy [in the second round] and almost all of them had good scores, so I thought that I had to do all of the inside turns and hope he knew where I was going,” she detailed.
“There were lots of inside turns, but he was great. The tightest one was to the last jump – that oxer came up really quickly!” Colvin concluded, “He went fantastic, and I’m thankful to have the ride on him.”
Greg Crolick and Calisto. (©TIEC)
Greg Crolick and Calisto Claim $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby
Greg Crolick (Clarkston, MI) and Jon Cotton’s Calisto conquered a field of 40 entries to earn the win in Friday morning’s $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby at TIEC, scoring 184 over two rounds with the 2012 Selle Francais gelding (Arko x Kambera Vilelongue). Matt Cyphert (Argyle, TX) and Katie McDonnell’s Crimson Tide, the 2008 Hanoverian gelding (Lordanos x Elfie), claimed reserve on a score of 181. In third, Jimmy Torano (Wellington, FL) and Moonlight, the Isalou, Inc. entry and 2012 Hanoverian gelding (Conthargos x Chacco Bella), added 87.5 to their first-round score to collect third and a total score of 180.5.
Crolick and Calisto have been partnered for a year and a half, he reported, and “held their own” in the first round over the Andy Christiansen track despite a tiny bobble. “He rode really smoothly in the first round. He did everything I asked him to do. He had a light rub in the first round, unfortunately, but still held his own in the score.”
Though he was hoping to navigate the handy round without executing an inside turn after the second jump, “a couple of other people did it, so that put the pressure on and I had to do it,” Crolick explained. “It worked out really well. He’s a wonderful and kind horse, and he does everything we ask him to do.”
When not dominating USHJA National Hunter Derbies, Calisto is ridden by Katherine Cotton, Crolick concluded. “Calisto is owned by Jon Cotton and his daughter, Katherine. He’s a wonderful horse. He’s a great horse for her, and he’s become a wonderful National Hunter Derby horse for me.”
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