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!”

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