The backdrop for the press conference following the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Devon Horse Show was a wall covered with photos of riders who have been inducted into the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame.
John French, one of those Hall members, took the featured competition Thursday morning, but Nick Haness, who was second (and third!) likely will have his picture on that wall in the exhibitors’ lounge one day soon. I spotted a blank space that would be perfect for it.
The Derby was competition at its best in the Dixon arena, where 34 exhibitors rode a classic round, over the type of course you would see in any top hunter class, decked with flowers and brush. Then the 12 best returned over a handy course, as competitors sought to impress the judges with their horses’ ability to handle twists and turns (as well as a trot jump).
John French and Paradigm in the classic round of the USHJA International Hunter Derby. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
John had only a 0.5 point lead with 2023 Derby Finals winner Paradigm over Brian Feigus and Four Aces after the first round. In the handy, he played it cool to earn 189.5.
“If you’re sitting on top, I don’t want to try something too daring,” he said, explaining why he was a bit conservative.
Noting Paradigm was a jumper in Europe before being imported, he needed to ensure that a dose of speed and some sharp turns wouldn’t trigger the horse’s memory of going for it in a speed class. (Though once Paradigm handled the trot jump, John said his horse figured out at that point that he wasn’t going against the clock.)
And he didn’t do an accelerated gallop to the final fence because he saw several horses swap leads when trying that.
John French and Paradigm in the handy round. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
His score wasn’t the best in the handy (that belonged to Nick on C’est Jolie with 190). But added to Paradigm’s first round, he claimed a total of 378. That was five points ahead of Nick’s mark of 373 on Estimated Prophet, the runner-up. C’est Jolie (like Estimated Prophet, her sire is Cornet Obolensky) had scored only 180 in her first round, so she wound up with 370 to finish third. Fourth was Four Aces (366.5), with a second round that earned only 178.5.
It was John’s only Derby win at Devon, and it meant a lot.
“This whole horse show has so much history and is so prestigious. It was a good way to end the week,” he said, in his modest style.
Nick, who was the show’s Leading Hunter Rider, agreed.
“It’s the best of the best. This derby was full of horses that ribboned at Derby Finals,” said Nick. He rode three horses in the class, including the developing Golden Road, who finished tenth.
“This is a really great class,” said Nick.
Nick Haness and Estimated Prophet. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
“When you have a field of that many competitive horses and great riders, it’s an exciting day to be here, to be showing and to be putting on your A-game,” he commented.
“I put in as good a round as I could have ridden. My horses went well. John is an exceptional rider and the horse went beautifully for him. I’m pretty thrilled to be in second place behind him.”
Nick realized he had to step it up if he wanted to finish near the top in the class, so he went for an inside turn on Estimated Prophet.
Nick Haness with his dog, Hunter (love that name!) and John French. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I think it did pay off for me and I moved up, I think, a spot. The harder I make it for Estimated Prophet, the better he is. That’s the risk you take in the handy. The first three jumps came up real quick…the horses ddin’t quite get into the groove until after that third jump and then you could really gallop.”
click here for results
