Thermal, Calif. – Fridays are derby days at Desert International Horse Park, and this Friday, March 6, featured five hunter derbies, including three $10,000 USHJA National Hunt & Go Derby classes. Taking home the national wins were John Zambrano, Greenley Achuck and Harlow Bottarini.
Zambrano was the first in the winner’s circle in the Main Hunter Ring. He and Fabulous kicked off the morning by topping 44 entries to take the victory in the $10,000 Western Alliance Bank USHJA National Hunt & Go Derby – Open.
John Zambrano and Fabulous. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
“The course was amazing,” said Zambrano of the track designed by Archer Bailey. “I liked that there weren’t many lines to walk. They left it sort of open. There was one bending line that you could have done any striding you would like to do, other than a two stride…If you really are daring, you can gallop those jumps, and that’s really what they’re looking for. It gave you an opportunity to be creative with the striding, and in the handy part of it, there were a lot of options to do tidier turns or go around. So, it was just a matter of the rider deciding, ‘Can they do the inside?’”
John Zambrano and Fabulous. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
Zambrano took advantage of many of the opportunities to show off Fabulous’ handiness and abilities, earning the pair scores of 88.5 and 90 for the win with a 178.5 total score. Finishing in a very close second place on a 178.25 (89.5+88.75) were Lindsay Stefanko and Nightingale, owned by Proper 12, LLC. Third place went to Emily Esau Williams who piloted Morgan Beyler’s Sligo to a score of 177.5 (89+88.5).
“Fabulous is a new horse that came to our barn from a new client a few days before [Desert Holiday 1],” said Zambrano of the 11-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding. “I loved the horse from the minute I saw him, and I wanted to purchase the horse early on in September the year before. The horse was not for sale. Needless to say, the client came to us, and I ended up with the horse. I’m very happy, because I really wanted him. When I rode him, I loved him as much as I did when I was watching him!”
For all results from the $10,000 Western Alliance Bank USHJA National Hunt & Go Derby – Open, click here.
Greenley Achuck and Aoki. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
In the $10,000 Ice Horse USHJA National Hunt & Go Derby – Amateur, a score of 170.5 (83.5+87) earned Achuck and Aoki the win. Second place on a 166 (83+83) went to Allegra Greco and Take the Crown, and Morgan Beyler and Kuala Lumpur finished in third with a score of 161 (87+74).
“The hunt & go format is definitely a little more difficult,” said Achuck, who trains with Tasha Visokay at Ingenium Farm. “You have one round to get it right. In the beginning, I liked how it was just a couple of jumps here and there, not a lot of lines. I got to kind of feel it out in the corners. It was a little tricky after the trot jump, having to slip inside and be handy, but it really helps that we’ve been doing the eq, so he’s super ready for all that, and he’s been jumping amazing!”
Greenley Achuck and Aoki. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
Achuck acquired Aoki just over a year ago, and the high school senior only recently aged out of the juniors to beginning competing in the amateur divisions with the 8-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding.
“He’s super brilliant with a great mind. He’s great out there and an awesome three-ring horse,” said Achuck. “We’re here and there. He does some of the big eq. Last week he did that. He’ll be in the [$150,000 World Championship Hunter Rider West Coast Hunter] Spectacular next week with Chelsea Brittner. This week we’re doing the AOs, so sticking in the hunters. I’m a new ammy; I just got into the ammy world, and gosh, I am glad to be here! It’s so relaxed, and I love it. It’s a lot of fun.”
Complete results from the $10,000 Ice Horse USHJA National Hunt & Go Derby – Amateur, are available here.
Harlow Bottarini and The Duchess. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
Taking the win in the $10,000 Ice Horse USHJA National Hunt & Go Derby – Junior were Bottarini and The Duchess. In order to clinch the win, Bottarini had to top a field of 43 entries, but she did so with ease, earning scores of 90.5 and 92 for a total winning score of 182.5.
Sweeping second through fourth place was Violet Tatum. The young rider earned second place with a score of 180 aboard Uptown, third place with Braavos and fourth place with Journey.
“I’ve been doing derbies for a really long time, and last week I also did the derby,” said Bottarini, 13, who trains with David Josiah at Morning Mist Farm. “This course was definitely a lot more challenging, but [The Duchess] was so good. She was so good around the rollbacks, and she did all of the high options.”
Harlow Bottarini and The Duchess. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
In speaking of the 7-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, Bottarini continued, “She’s the best girl in the whole world. She’s super slow. That’s the exact ride I like, and she just goes. She takes me around the course. She’s not scared of anything. She jumps 110 percent every time! She’s so sweet. She’ll hug you as soon as you come up to her. She enjoys [going out to graze on the grass] so much, so that really helps our bond grow. I feel like it’s really important because when our bond grows it helps me to go around the course.”
Bottarini has only been partnered with The Duchess for roughly six months, and she currently competes the mare in the 3’ Children’s Hunters. However, her future plans and goals include stepping The Duchess up to the 3’6” Junior Hunters.
“She just gets better and better and our relationship is stronger and stronger every day,” concluded Bottarini.
To see more results from the $10,000 Ice Horse USHJA National Hunt & Go Derby – Junior, click here. To learn more about all competition at Desert International Horse Park, visit deserthorsepark.com.