Iwasaki and Rinaldi Win in Traverse City
No Small Feat for Augusta Iwasaki in $25,000 Platinum Performance USHJA International Hunter Derby, Presented by Copper Fox
In her first season as a professional, Augusta Iwasaki pilots 7-year-old Small Fortune to the win in International Hunter Derby action at GLEF IV
Augusta Iwasaki accomplished a new milestone Friday night in Traverse City: her first International Hunter Derby win as a professional rider. With no shortage of victories in her junior and amateur years, Iwasaki did what she does best, claiming top honors with Small Fortune in the $25,000 Platinum Performance USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by Copper Fox, during week four of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, presented by B&D Builders.
“That was so awesome,” Iwasaki said after her win. “We’re gearing up for the Derby Finals in a few weeks and I’m just so happy with my horse. We call him Clover in the barn. We’ve had him for a year now and he’s become such an amazing derby horse. I’m so excited.”
There was quite a bit to be excited about as Iwasaki accepted awards with Elizabeth Reilly’s 7-year-old Belgian Warmblood (Diamant de Semilly x Quidam de Revel). The pair rode to a score of 91 in the classic portion and 98 in the handy portion of the hunt-and-go format, for a total score of 189.
Phil DeVita built an impressive course for the occasion, spanning the entirety of the arena and presenting four high options for riders to add extra points to their scores. Riders took on the first half as a classic hunter derby course, then switched into handy mode for the back half of the track to impress the judges and earn additional handy points.
Iwasaki and Small Fortune had already come close to the top of the podium during the Traverse City Spring Series, placing third. Iwasaki believed in the horse and knew its time would come, and that belief carried them Friday to a nearly flawless round.
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