Mackenzie Carreras and Cornet’s Diamond Wrap Up Week I of Kentucky Summer with Win in the Junior-Amateur USHJA National Hunter Derby
Sunday was all about the Junior-Amateur competitors to close out the first week of Kentucky Summer at the Kentucky Horse Park. Both the hunter and jumper divisions were highlighted by the young athletes and their mounts bringing their unique skill sets to the table to vie for the top spot in their respective classes. For the hunters, the StoneLea ring played host to twenty-nine horse-and-rider athlete combinations to try their hand at the Junior-Amateur USHJA National Hunter Derby. At the conclusion of the talented class, Mackenzie Carreras and Cornet’s Diamond stood alone at the top of the leaderboard to take home the blue ribbon. Anna Koenig and Constantin followed closely behind in second, while Avery Reid and Fleetwood VDL rounded out the top three.
The National Hunter Derby Program was launched in 2010 to provide both horses and riders a place to gain experience in Derby competition that aren’t quite ready to enter the International Hunter Derby classes. In the two-round format, a minimum of two judges utilize the open numerical system to score competitors in the Classic Hunter Round (first round) on performance, hunter pace, jumping style, quality and substance, and movement. In addition, the top 12 scoring horse-and-rider combinations are eligible to return for the Hunter Handy Round (second round) where the base score reflects brilliance of pace and handiness.
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