Jennifer Hannan and Cellestino Show Up and Show Out in $25,000 USHJA International Hunt & Go Derby, presented by LeMieux
Jennifer Hannan of Wakefield, RI, piloted Stephanie Bulger’s Cellestino to win the $25,000 USHJA International Hunt & Go Derby, presented by LeMieux, on a final score of 188 during Week 4 of the 2026 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). The week’s featured event for hunters showcased the discipline in the International Arena at Wellington International on Friday afternoon.
“I’ve only had him for about a year now, and everything we’ve ever asked him to do, he steps up,” said Hannan, of the 11-year-old son of Cornet Obolensky that carried her to runner-up in the 2025 USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship over the summer. “He’s super brave, careful, very athletic and he has a massive stride. He’s everything you could ask for in a hunter.”
With identical handy scores from the top three finishers, Hannan and Cellestino impressed judges Bobbie Reber (Aiken, SC) and Liza Dennehy (Denver, CO) in the classic portion of the single-round “hunt and go” course designed by Andy Christiansen. With a score of 92 in the classic and a 96 in the handy, the pair claimed their victory by a single point over runner-up Laena Romond of Brookefield, CT.
“We were able to show off quite a bit,” stated Hannan of Cellestino’s stand-out performance during the classic round. “The first round gave us a lot of opportunity to gallop, and this horse in particular really shows a good gallop.”
With less than two points separating the podium finishers, Romond took second with Oslo, a 12-year-old Belgian-bred gelding by Vagabond de la Pomme, on a total score of 187 for owner Lexi Maounis. Romond also collected the third-place ribbon riding Maggie Ezring’s up-and-coming 7-year-old Fellow Z. The For Pleasure gelding posted a total score of 185.75.
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