Briarwood Derby Day is an unusual show with a special charitable mission

By Nancy Jaffer
July 14, 2018

It doesn’t really seem as if being held for just eight years qualifies a horse show as a tradition, but the Briarwood Derby Day is an exception to that rule.

Started by N.J. Horse Shows Association President Katie Benson in memory of her husband, Jack, Derby Day is a major fundraiser for the Hunterdon Regional Cancer Center. Jack was treated at the facility, and the ties have remained strong between the center and Katie, as well as her clients and the Bensons’ friends.

Last week’s Derby Day, held at the Princeton Show Jumping grounds in Skillman, raised $41,806 for its cause. All proceeds, less the cost of running the show, went to the charity. In addition to entry fees, sponsors and donors, money is raised by a jumper class, “Ride for the Pledge,” in which sponsors give as much as they like per jump for the riders they sponsor. Participants have 60 seconds to jump as many fences as they can.

“Derby Day started as a tribute to Jack and his contributions to the industry and how we horse show based on what he taught us,” said Katie.

 

“We’ve certainly carried that torch along, but now a lot of people who are involved in the competition never met him. They feel the excitement of Derby Day because it’s a specialty horse show. The people who put this together, everybody pulls not at 100 percent, but at 120 percent.”

Sponsors included CWD Sellier; Dover Saddlery, for the first time and Horse Flight, which paid for a golf cart that provided rides from the parking lot to the arenas. The cart was driven by John William Benson Jr., Katie and Jack’s son, who came up from his home in Miami where he works in commercial real estate. The Bensons’ daughter, Elizabeth, was teaching a camp at Auburn University, where she was an NCAA equestrian star, and couldn’t get away.

The family link among the Bensons, Briarwood and those at the show extends beyond blood relations. Brian Livell, who designed the derby courses, has a long history with Briarwood. His grandmother, Shirley Grisewood, was the show secretary for years; his grandfather, Norman, was often the announcer.

“I grew up riding with Jack and Katie,” said Brian, who owns Hunter Hill Farm in Pipersville, Pa., where his wife, Corey Golden, rides and teaches. “So for me,” he noted, “this is a fun special day to be part of. It’s like coming full circle.”

Everyone at the show seems to have some connection with Briarwood. Kelly Matthews of Derby Day sponsor Brown & Brown Insurance, who was helping out with the awards, said the memory of Jack—a family friend—makes the occasion special.

“As a Briarwood family, we are here to help and make it a successful day,” said Melissa Ho of Princeton Junction, who was working the awards booth with Kelly. Melissa didn’t know Jack, but her 13-year-old daughter, Erica Lee, trains with Katie.

The five-ring show drew 250 horses and included several derbies. The feature was the $2,500 Rutgers Landscaping National Hunter Derby, won in come-from-behind style by Kianna Luscher of Hawthorne on the Mecklenburg mare, Carissima W. The class, which drew 52 entries, brought 12 back from the classic round for the handy round.

Kianna, a 20-year-old Fordham University Law School student, is a regular at hunter derbies with her 13-year-old mare.

“She’s very, very handy. She has a really big step and can turn on a dime, which I think is the fact that she used to be a jumper. I can go in and gallop; she’s easy to find a distance on, very sweet and no spook,” said Kianna, who trains at On Course Riding Academy in Lafayette with Katie Moriarty.

Carissima, her former junior hunter, now competes in the amateur-owner classes. Kianna keeps on her good side by bringing her munchkins from Dunkin’ Donuts.

“She’s very food-motivated,” explained Kianna.

Daphne Smith, 10^th in the national derby on Right O’Way, left Oley, Pa., at 5 a.m. to get to the show. But it was worth it for her.

“It’s always a fun event to come out here,” said 17-year-old Daphne.

“We always get a big crowd from our barn, Valley Mist Farm. A lot of people do the derby, there’s not a whole lot of derbies that we do, it’s for a good cause. We have a lot of fun doing it.  It’s a far drive, but it’s worth it.”