Standlee/USHJA National Hunter Derby Regional Championships Crown Junior, Amateur, and Open Winners
Lexington, Ky.—Oct. 21, 2024—The fourth annual Standlee/USHJA National Hunter Derby Regional Championships wrapped up in September after six championships were held across the country. Following the same two-round format as the regular National Hunter Derby class, the Regional Championships are offered in three sections—Open, Amateur, and Junior—across six regions of USHJA Zones.
The North Central Championship was held June 11-16 at the Split Rock Hunter Jumper Classic II CSI3* in Lexington, Kentucky. Congratulations to the champions:
- Open: Hayley Barnhill riding Ellen Addison's El Tindo
- Junior: Olivia Sweetnam riding Closing Time, owned by Elle Nutting
- Amateur: Mary Beth McGee riding her own Sergant Drew Wu Jof
The South Championship was June 19-23 at the World Equestrian Center Summer Series II in Ocala, Florida. Congratulations to the champions:
- Open: Timothy Maddrix aboard Lee Cesery's Chesney
- Junior/Amateur: Hayley Waters Wear riding Genuine, owned by Chuck and Dana Waters
The Southwest Championship took place at the Blenheim June Classic, June 26-30 in San Juan Capistrano, California. Congratulations to the champions:
- Open: Natalie Rae Medlock riding Quaint, owned by Jennifer Berman
- Junior/Amateur: Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave aboard her own Obviously
The North Championship was August 21-25 at the Princeton Classic Encore in Princeton, New Jersey. Congratulations to the champions:
- Open/Junior/Amateur: Joey Roman riding Roman Equine's Cascatero
The Northwest Championship was held at the Oregon Summer, August 21-25 in Wilsonville, Oregon. Congratulations to the champions:
- Open: Sara Petersen riding Chaplin, owned by Jan O'Brien
- Junior/Amateur: Alexis Apostol aboard Conquest, owned by Archway Equestrian Sports, LLC
"It felt so exciting to be one of the winners," commented Apostol, the Northwest Championship Junior/Amateur winner. "I was lucky enough to ride Conquest, owned by my trainers at Archway Equestrian Sports. He is such a wonderful partner and loves competing in Derbies just as much as I do."
The championships wrapped up with the South Central Championship at Southwest Showdown on September 18-22 in Katy, Texas. Congratulations to the champions:
- Open: Susan McMorris riding RVF Petersburg, owned by Rio Vista Farm
- Junior: Olivia Pittenger and her own Self Made
- Amateur: Caitlin Burns aboard her own Primetime
"Winning one of the Regional Championships feels incredible," remarked Pittenger, Junior winner at the South Central Championship. " It’s such a rewarding experience to see all the hard work and dedication pay off. The course was beautifully designed to challenge horse and rider while still being fair, and the atmosphere was supportive and exciting."
The USHJA would like to thank Title Sponsor Standlee; Official Sponsors CWD, Parlanti, and Nutrena. A special thank you also goes to the teams at Split Rock Jumping Tour, World Equestrian Center, Blenheim Equisports, Princeton Show Jumping, Team NW Equestrian Sports, and Southbound Show Management for hosting the Championships.
Photos: Andrew Ryback Photography, Winslow Photography, McCool Photography, and Jerry Mohme Photography
