Lazzari and UFO de Nisi, her 11-year-old Selle Français gelding, were the 16th of 21 entries to compete over the Meaghan Rawlins-designed course set in the Coca-Cola Coliseum. The pair took over the lead with an overall score of 101, including a base score of 84 coupled with seven handy bonus points and 10 high option bonus points.

“To win against a lot of professionals and some of the best hunter riders in the country feels pretty amazing!” said Lazzari, a regular competitor in the equitation divisions who decided to also try competing in the Canadian Hunter Derby Series this year with UFO de Nisi.

“I thought we would do a derby one week for fun, and then we kept doing them because we had so much fun!” said Lazzari, who trains with Lois and Peter Mulligan and their daughter, Francesca, at Stoney Fields in Schomberg, ON. “He really excels at them. Doing the derbies has been a great experience for both of us. He’s so brave, so that’s a class that he can really excel in.

Advertisement