A large field of 49 horse-and-rider combinations took to the WEC Grand Arena to compete under the lights in the $31,500 Grand Prix Qualifier CSI2*. John Doyle (IRL) set the intricate tracks for 17 different nations, but it was Great Britain’s Amanda Derbyshire who claimed victory aboard her longtime partner, Cornwall Bh (Cambridge 8), owned by Gochman Sport Horse LLC.
Doyle’s first-round course posed a significant challenge, with a tight time allowed of 73 seconds catching several competitors throughout the night. Eleven pairs managed to stay within the time and keep all rails up to advance to the jump-off.
Derbyshire was the second rider to tackle the short course with her speedy 16-year-old Holsteiner gelding. “There were a couple of options to leave out, which I was a little unsure of, especially after watching the first rider. It didn’t quite go her way in the last line, even though she was clear and awesome; the six was very long. I didn’t have much of a plan, I just went with it, and it was enough in the end.”
Derbyshire and Cornwall Bh raced around the short course, stopping the clock at an unbeatable 38.00 seconds.
Reflecting on her partnership with Cornwall Bh, Derbyshire shared, “He’s like my naughty child,” she laughed. “It took me five years to win a class on him. He’s 16 now, and I’ve had him since he was eight. He’s been an incredible partner, always trying to leave the jumps up.”
“Now that he’s older, we pick and choose our classes. In the last couple of weeks, he’s placed second, first, and now has another win. I couldn’t be prouder of him and our team. It takes a big village, and I couldn’t do it without them,” Derbyshire added.
Dylan Daly (IRL) finished a close second aboard Double C Stables’ 14-year-old Zangersheide mare, Cinderella Z (Chacco-Blue x Julio Mariner XX), just four-tenths of a second off the pace with a time of 38.48 seconds.
Erynn Ballard (CAN), recently named to represent Canada in the Paris Olympics, rounded out the top three. As the last to go in the class, Ballard piloted Della White’s 10-year-old Holsteiner mare Gucci to a fast finish, clocking in at 38.62 seconds for a podium spot.
Doyle’s first-round course posed a significant challenge, with a tight time allowed of 73 seconds catching several competitors throughout the night. Eleven pairs managed to stay within the time and keep all rails up to advance to the jump-off.
Derbyshire was the second rider to tackle the short course with her speedy 16-year-old Holsteiner gelding. “There were a couple of options to leave out, which I was a little unsure of, especially after watching the first rider. It didn’t quite go her way in the last line, even though she was clear and awesome; the six was very long. I didn’t have much of a plan, I just went with it, and it was enough in the end.”
Derbyshire and Cornwall Bh raced around the short course, stopping the clock at an unbeatable 38.00 seconds.
Reflecting on her partnership with Cornwall Bh, Derbyshire shared, “He’s like my naughty child,” she laughed. “It took me five years to win a class on him. He’s 16 now, and I’ve had him since he was eight. He’s been an incredible partner, always trying to leave the jumps up.”
“Now that he’s older, we pick and choose our classes. In the last couple of weeks, he’s placed second, first, and now has another win. I couldn’t be prouder of him and our team. It takes a big village, and I couldn’t do it without them,” Derbyshire added.
Dylan Daly (IRL) finished a close second aboard Double C Stables’ 14-year-old Zangersheide mare, Cinderella Z (Chacco-Blue x Julio Mariner XX), just four-tenths of a second off the pace with a time of 38.48 seconds.
Erynn Ballard (CAN), recently named to represent Canada in the Paris Olympics, rounded out the top three. As the last to go in the class, Ballard piloted Della White’s 10-year-old Holsteiner mare Gucci to a fast finish, clocking in at 38.62 seconds for a podium spot.