Friday’s $50,000 International Hunter Derby, the marquis Hunter class of the Tryon Spring 6/92nd Tryon Riding & Hunt Club Charity Horse Show at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC), saw Kelley Farmer (USA) and In Writing top the first round on a score of 186. Due to weather forcing competition to halt, their first-round score would be enough to take the win. In second, Aaron Vale (USA) and Iwan, a 2003 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Quasimodo VD Molendreef) owned by Madison Rauschenbach, received a total score of 182, while Jennifer Alfano (USA) rode Channing, a 2010 German Sporthorse gelding (Crossfire x Korg) owned by Olivia Woods, to their place on the podium on a score of 169. Josh Dolan (USA) and Menelik, Signe Ostby’s 2010 Hanoverian stallion (Monte Bellini x Statella P), also scored 169, receiving a base score of 83 from the tie-breaker judge to collect fourth place.

Farmer and the 2009 Holsteiner gelding (Quirado x Pandora VLL) owned by David Glefke and Wendy Hofmeister navigated the Lewis Pack (USA) course alongside 21 other horse-and-rider pairs, and added four points for high options. “The course was lovely, and I have to say, I’ve got to brag on my horse a little bit. I have an incredible animal, which makes my life really easy,” Farmer detailed. “The first three jumps were nice, and kind of got you into the course, and for the fourth to fifth bending line you had to have a horse with a bit of scope to jump the high option. But, I know my horse has all the ability in the world, so I never really worry with him – it’s a nice problem to have – when I walk a course, I know that pretty much anything they can build, he can do it.”

Horse shows at TIEC are currently closed to spectators with stringent safety protocols in place for competitors. “It is nice to actually get back to a horse show – we were getting a little bit stir-crazy, I think, like everyone!” Farmer commented on her first show experience since COVID-19 halted horse shows earlier in the year. “It’s funny, because [as things started getting canceled] I had a lot of young horses in particular that really just needed to go to horse shows. In Writing won a lot during the circuit in Florida, but we were really just at a point where we really needed to do something – we were just at a point where he needed to come to a show.”

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