Isabelle Lapierre of Levis, QC claimed the Canadian Hunter Derby Series National Championship title on Nov. 5, 2019 at the Royal Horse Show in Toronto, ON.
After claiming the Championship in 2018 with Carrera S, Lapierre and the nine-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Johannie Legare had an incredible 10 consecutive wins in the series during the 2019 season. Unfortunately, recovery from colic surgery kept Carrera S on the sidelines for the 2019 series finale. But, Lapierre still landed in the winner’s circle after calling on her up-and-coming partner, Lamaze OBF.
“I’ve only been riding him since August and have only done four shows with him,” Lapierre said of Lamaze OBF, an eight-year-old Bavarian Warmblood gelding (Iceburg x Heartbreaker) owned by Margot Clarke-Smith and named in honour of Canadian Olympic Champion, Eric Lamaze. “I did win two derbies with him this season, but he’s very green and he had never shown here at The Royal before, so we came here with no expectations.”
Despite his greenness, Lamaze OBF started strong in the two-part Championship, with Lapierre guiding him to second place in the $15,000 Braeburn Farms Canadian Hunter Derby on Nov. 3 on a score of 102. Following the traditional hunter derby scoring format, each entry received a base hunter score out of 100, plus up to 20 extra points through high performance and handy bonuses for taking higher jumps and more challenging line options, and displaying handiness through unique approaches to jumps and an impressionable start and/or finish to the course.
The opening class was won by Kristjan Good of Campbellville, ON, who edged out Lapierre after receiving a score of 103 aboard Chantilly Lace, an eight-year-old Canadian Sport Horse mare sired by Cabardino and owned by Shannon Walter. Third place went to Canadian Hunter Derby Series co-founder, Muffie Guthrie of Guelph, ON, who scored 95 with her long-time partner, Damiro Van Ter Notelaere, a 16-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding owned by Knightwood Stables and sired by Lambada Van Berkenbroeck.
Consistency proved to be the key for Lapierre on the climb to the overall title, after she once again rode Lamaze OBF to second place in the second and final phase, the $25,000 Knightwood Canadian Hunter Derby on Nov. 5. Despite missing one inside turn due to an over exuberant jumping effort from Lamaze OBF, Lapierre racked up a base score of 84.5, six handy points and 10 high performance points for taking all the high options on course for a total of 100.5.
“He was very, very good, he just jumped number four very high, so we couldn’t go inside and lost some handy points, but that’s where the greenness comes in,” explained Lapierre, a professional based out of Les Écuries de la Chaudiére who trains and competes high performance hunters and jumpers up to the international level. “He pulled it out very nice at the end, and to get the overall championship is really amazing.”
Top honours in the $25,000 Knightwood Canadian Hunter Derby and the Reserve Champion title went to Leanna Lazzari of Mississauga, ON, who received a total score of 101, comprised of a base score of 84, plus seven handy points and all 10 high performance marks. The Derby was Lazzari’s second successful performance of the day aboard UFO De Nisi, having placed fourth earlier in the Jump Canada Medal National Final with the 11-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Argentinus de Han x Caloubet du Bois).
“To win against a lot of professionals and some of the best hunter riders in the country feels pretty amazing,” said Lazzari, who is just 18 and was awarded the Posh Perpetual Trophy as the top junior/amateur competitor in the Canadian Hunter Derbies Series National Championship.
Rounding out the top three in the $25,000 Knightwood Canadian Hunter Derby was Ryan Roy of King City, ON. Paired with an unfamiliar catch ride, the eight-year-old Oldenburg stallion, Diamo Blue (Diarado x Chacco Blue), owned by Augustin Walch, she had a total score of 99.
As the National Champion for 2019, Lapierre was presented with the Lorna Jean Guthrie Challenge Trophy. Several other awards presented by the Equestrian Canada (EC) Jumping Committee were given out prior to the Derby. Kristjan Good and Salvo RSF, owned by Cydney Pavan, were recognized with the Prince of Thieves Trophy as the Eastern Division Champions, while the $10,000 Represent the West Championship went to Carivero, owned and ridden by Miranda Lebeuf of Cobble Hill, BC.
For more information on the Canadian Hunter Derby National Championship and a full list of results, visit www.royalfair.org.
$15,000 Braeburn Farms Canadian Hunter Derby – Nov. 3, 2019
Placing / Rider / Hometown / Horse / Owner / Score
1st / Kristjan Good / Campbellville, ON / Chantilly Lace / Shannon Walter / 103
2nd / Isabelle Lapierre / Levis, QC / Lamaze OBF / Margot Clarke-Smith / 102
3rd / Muffie Guthrie / Guelph, ON / Damiro Van Ter Notelaere / Knightwood Stables / 95
4th / Ashley Arnoldt / Langley, BC / Carivero / Miranda Lebeuf / 92
5th / Katie Uloth / Tottenham, ON / Enchanted / Christel Weller / 91
6th / Leanna Lazzari / Mississauga, ON / UFO De Nisi / Leanna Lazzari / 89
7th / Brianna Ballard / St. Lazare, QC / Jazz Air / LeeAnn Rose / 88
8th / Carly Campbell-Cooper / Waterloo, ON / Charlie Chaplin / John Jamieson / 87
9th / Kristjan Good / Campbellville, ON / Salvo RSF / Cydney Pavan / 84
10th / Jillian Nicholls / Loretto, ON / Limbo 124 / Jillian Nicholls / 83
11th / Nicole Weatherall / Collingwood, ON / Charlie Rose / Nicole Weatherall / 81
12th / Lea Rucker / Aurora, ON / Geneva / Lea Rucker / 78
$25,000 Knightwood Canadian Hunter Derby – Nov. 5, 2019
Placing / Rider / Hometown / Horse / Owner / Score
1st / Leanna Lazzari / Mississauga, ON / UFO De Nisi / Leanna Lazzari / 101
2nd / Isabelle Lapierre / Levis, QC / Lamaze OBF / Margot Clarke-Smith / 100.5
3rd / Ryan Roy / King City, ON / Diamo Blue / Augustin Walch / 99
4th / Muffie Guthrie / Guelph, ON / Damiro Van Ter Notelaere / Knightwood Stables / 98.5
5th / Kyara Semrau / Okotoks, AB / Gentleman / Madison Mitchell / 98
6th / Brianna Ballard / St. Lazare, QC / Jazz Air / LeeAnn Rose / 94.5
7th / Nicole Weatherall / Collingwood, ON / Charlie Rose / Nicole Weatherall / 94.5
8th / Miranda Travers-Cavill / Claremont, ON / Porter / Taylor Cornwell / 94
9th / Ellah Dubeau-Kielty / Burlington, ON / Jalisco / Katy Hughes / 92
10th / Kieley McQuaker / Schomberg, ON / Kyra VZ / Kingsfield Farm / 87
11th / Ashley Arnoldt / Langley, BC / Carivero / Miranda Lebeuf / 88
12th / Katie Uloth / Tottenham, ON / Enchanted / Christel Weller / 84.5
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