Molly Ashe and Kennzo

"Well, I wish it was the big derby," Ashe joked. "But I'm really happy. "[Last week] I had 4 faults, and it's so unlike him. He never touches a jump. He just caught it behind, and down it went, and that was a shame."

Greg Crolick and Zack RVR

Likewise, second-placed Crolick and Zack RVR hadn't finished their debut International Hunter Derby experience last week on the best of notes after difficulties the Handy Round, so the second-placed ribbon was a welcome reward for their perseverance.   

"He was absolutely super. It was the best he's gone these four weeks," said Crolick. "I've only had the horse four weeks, and I'm really proud of him to go back in the second round and stay just as good." 

In today's Classic Hunter Round, Kennzo didn't touch a rail and flowed around the Robert McGregor-designed course, which featured natural fences such as coops, brush, birch and decorative barrels. 

Their score of 91 from judges Geoff Teall and Linda Andrisani left them in second place going into the Handy Hunter Round behind Crolick and Zack RVR.

"The first-round course was great," she said. "For the first line I wasn't sure whether to do six or seven strides when I walked it, but then Greg went and he walked down there in six. So, I didn't walk down there quite as gracefully as he did, but the rest I thought he was really good. It rode nicely, and after the one line the rest were single jumps, which puts the pressure on us." 

 

After the Classic Hunter Round, Crolick and Zack RVR led the way with a score of 94, followed by Ashe and Kennzo with 91 and Ovation Leading Equitation Rider Emma Wujek with a 90 aboard Copperfield.

With three riders having multiple rides for the Handy Hunter Round, the top 12 returned slightly out of reverse order.

Molly Ashe and Kennzo

"He [Kennzo] was second in the standings, but I moved up in the order since they were having conflicts," said Ashe. "I went on Rietz first, so I knew my track and it wasn't going to change one way or the other based on anything that happened with the other guys."

 

Ashe and Kennzo went right to the top with a score of 96 and a two-round total of 187.

"We went in, and he was beautiful," she continued. "The Handy Rounds are his thing, and he stepped up to the plate like a good boy. I went inside the barrels, and I didn't go inside with Rietz. I thought he was great, and I was really happy with him."

 

With Wujek and Crolick still to go, Ashe waited and watched to see if her lead would hold.

Wujek, 12, of Grosse Pointe Farms, Michgan, has enjoyed incredible success with Fox Meadow Farm's Copperfield throughout the Horse Shows by the Bay Series. In addition to victory in the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby during Series I, the pair earned the Children's Hunter, 12 and under, Championship, the Wrenwood Farms Grand Children's Hunter Championship and have won two NAL/WIHS Children's Hunter Classics.

This time a mistake in the Handy Hunter Round kept them from contention, and only Crolick remained to go. With a score of 91, however, he fell just short.

"Zack's a lovely hunter, but I don't think he's one that's compact and super handy," said Crolick. "At the trot fence we had a little bobble, too. It was a tiny thing, but at the same time Molly rode really well, and her horse is beautiful, so I got beat," he said with a smile. 

 

For Ashe, this was a great way to finish with the 12-year-old Finnish Warmblood, owned by Kristen Abbatiello-Neff. 

Molly Ashe and Kennzo

"I don't think he's quite as expressive over this height, but we try to keep him interested," she said. "He doesn't do many of these, and I wouldn't have done him in this derby if I'd gotten to do the whole other derby. But I thought he jumped well, he didn't get too plain, and it all kept his attention. They had nice, solid jumps out there, which was helpful."

Ashe will now set her sights on the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship next month in Kentucky. 

 

"This helps a lot and helps pay to get him here and back," she said with a smile. "We were on the fence as to whether to send him to Derby Finals, and now I guess he gets to go. He's so good at this, and he's had some bad luck this summer. Hopefully, we're back in action." 

As icing on the cake, Ashe's 6-year-old daughter Taylor A. Cawley earned the Beginner Walk-Trot Championship aboard Ju-Ju B. Perhaps following in her mother's footsteps, Taylor won both cross rails classes in the section on her way to the tricolor. 

To watch Ashe and Kennzo perform their winning Handy Hunter Round, please click here.

 Crolick, of Top Call Farm LLC in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, was thrilled to win the Ovation Leading Professional Hunter Rider title for the second consecutive year.

"We've had a great circuit, and the Ovation Leading Rider means a lot to me," he said. "It's nice to have such great horses in the ring and do really well. For me, it's a huge thing because we have a turnover of kids this year. I'm losing about 10 horses because I have seniors going off to college, so I'll just keep plugging along and see what happens next year."

David Beisel and Eos M

One surprise ribbon winner in the USHJA National Hunter Derby was Eos M, ridden by David Beisel. After clinching the 5-year-old Young Jumper High-Point Award yesterday for the most clear rounds during the Horse Shows by the Bay series, the Dutch Warmblood stallion (Berlin--Umille M) switched tack and had his tail braided for the first time.

 

Eos M and Beisel jumped to a score of 84 in the Classic Round and returned to post an 85 in the Handy Round for sixth place overall.

 

Owner Patrice Schreiber, of Howell, Michigan, said they decided to give the National Derby a try just for fun and to see what Eos looked like as a hunter, complete with the orange-and-blue Horse Shows by the Bay decorative braids in his mane.

 

"I thought he rocked it! It was so fun to watch," she said. "Because the 5-year-olds only have a blue-ribbon trip, Eos only got to jump two times a week at the horse show with no chance for a jump-off. So, we wanted a class where we had a chance to get a jump-off! This was the first time he's gone into the ring twice in the same day."

Emma Wujek

 

After Horse Shows by the Bay Series I, II and III have concluded, the race continues for the Ovation Leading Rider Awards. Current standings include:

• Adult Hunter Rider - Terri Irrer - 112.50 points
• Adult Jumper Rider - Andrew Januzzi - 66
• Amateur-Owner Hunter Rider - Becky L. Gochman - 303
• Children's Hunter Rider - Claire Daniel - 94.50
• Children's Jumper Rider - Anika Pirkle - 80
• High Junior/Amateur-Owner Rider - Erin E. Haas - 68.50
• Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Rider - Emily Reder - 42
• Professional Jumper Rider - David Q. Beisel - 249
• Pony Rider - Mimi Gochman - 207

Ovation Leading Rider Final Standings:

• Ovation Leading Professional Hunter Rider: Greg Crolick
• Ovation Leading Equitation Rider: Emma Wujek
• Ovation Leading Junior Hunter Rider: Martha Ingram

Other Featured Winners Today Included:

• 1.40m Open Jumper, sponsored by Southview Inc. - Rocs To Riches, owned and ridden by Lisa Goldman
• Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper, sponsored by The Tack Trunk - Connic, owned and ridden by Samantha Gajoch
• USEF Pony Medal - Vanessa Mazzolli riding Find The Love
• Low Adult Jumper Classic, sponsored by FarmVet - Olian D'Orange, owned and ridden by Carl Perry
• Low Children's Jumper Classic, sponsored by Outback Steak House - Sundance, owned by David Gochman and ridden by Mimi Gochman

Dates

Series I: July 2-6

Series II: July 9-13 (USHJA/WCHR Member Event)

Series III: July 16-20 ($25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby)

Series IV: July 23-27 (HJAM Equitation Medal Finals)

• Weekly $40,000 Grand Prix
• Weekly $10,000 Open Jumper Welcome Prix
• Weekly $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby
• Weekly $1,000 USHJA Pre-Green Incentive Program Stake Classes
• Weekly TAKE2 Thoroughbred Hunter/Jumper Classes
• Weekly Charity Fundraisers & Special Spectator Days

Featured events for Horse Shows by the Bay Series IV - July 23-27:

• $40,000 CMJ Sporthorse Cherry Capital Classic Grand Prix, presented by the Jacobs Family - Saturday, July 26 not before 5 p.m.
• $10,000 SJHOF High Jr/AO Jumper Prix - Sunday, July 27
• $10,000 North Face Farm Children's/Adult Jumper Prix - Sunday, July 27
• HJAM Medal Finals, sponsored by Equis Ltd. - Saturday July 26 and Sunday July 27  

James Zulia and Taylor Cawley

 

The 2014 Prize List and weekly Time Schedules are available online. For full show results, please visit www.horseshowing.com.