With record numbers for a Royal West hosting the Canadian Hunter Derby National Championship it was Taylor Brooks from our nation’s capital and Spectre that bested a field of 38 horses who contested the Championship.
In a three-phase, $50,000 Hunter Derby Championship featuring a $10,000, a $15,000 and a $25,000 Hunter Derby, Brooks proved the most consistent by winning the bookend derbies and placing second in the middle to capture the gold medal and the title of National Canadian Hunter Derby Champion with 148 total points. Alberta favourite Rodney Tulloch and his mount Fleetwood won the silver medal with 141 points, while amateur rider Ashley Arnoldt and Light My Fire earned bronze with a total of 123 points.
Those 123 points were high enough to win the gold medal as the top Jr/Am rider, while Calgarian Anya Bereznicki earned the silver and Chris Blanchard rounded up the podium with the bronze medal draped around her neck. Special thanks went out to the Mache Family of British Columbia who generously supported the Jr/Am medal presentations and awards.
The winning rider of each derby earned 50 points, with second place 48, third 47, all the way down. When Royal West host John Andeson was asked about the point system he responded, “I remembered how Spruce Meadows used to do the points when they ran the Canadian Championships and know that they did it this way. It just made sense to me to do it this way rather than adding scores earned by the horses in each class. I felt that it would keep things close, which it did.”
Brooks was asked about her experience at Royal West, and about participating in the Canadian Hunter Derby Series National Finals. “With the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair being regretfully canceled this year, it was an absolute pleasure to have been invited to compete at the Royal West here in Calgary,” said Brooks. “The horse show organization fostered a positive and inviting environment for competitors and spectators, both online and in the stands.” she added. “The support from across Canada and back home, coupled with having met new faces this week has closed out this season in the most incredible way, especially given the Covid restrictions we have faced these last two years.”
And talking about her fabulous horse, Brooks said, “Spectre surpassed everyone’s expectations, as this was his first year competing in the Canadian Hunter Derbies, and I cannot thank the Bond family enough for the opportunity to ride this once in a life time horse!”
That’s a wrap for the Hunters at Royal West for 2021!
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