Amanda Derbyshire (GBR) and Otto BH galloped to their second weekend win to take home the blue ribbon in the $65,000 Galati Yacht Sales FEI 1.45m Grand Prix. Derbyshire sealed their victory while spectators eagerly watched from TerraNova’s VIP Pavilion. This win follows their triumph in Friday’s $32,000 The Estates at TerraNova FEI 1.45m Welcome Speed.
Twenty-five horse-and-rider combinations jumped around Bernardo Costa Cabral’s (POR) CSI2* course of 15 fences in the Lakeside Arena. Maxing out the CSI2* height of 1.45m, Cabral placed a triple combination on the Pavilion side, a two-stride oxer to vertical lake side and a few bending lines for the riders as they wound their way around the multi-colored course.
“There are a lot of good riders with young up-and-coming horses to jump, so it’s not a massive, scopey course,” Costa Cabral said. “It’s delicate, (the) ride is demanding but very fair for the horse.”
Derbyshire and Otto BH (Norton d’Eole x D-Armel Van’t Kamerveld), a 12-year-old Zangersheide stallion owned by Gochman Sport Horse LLC, have been partnered for about a year. They jumped a double clear in the first round to earn a spot in the short course.
Derbyshire and Otto BH jumped the two single verticals at an angle, shaving off valuable seconds to cross the timers at 37.74.
“Otto was my winner yesterday,” Derbyshire said. “It was fast today, there were 13 in the jump off, so I knew speed was going to matter. I think I did one less to the double. I was pretty fast there. He’s got a big stride and he’s careful. I think it all worked out in my favor.”
With Otto BH sitting at the top of the class, Derbyshire knew the track to follow with Destine To Be (Diamant de Semilly x Sonora), David Blake and her 8-year-old warmblood gelding. They stopped the timers at 38.18 for third place.
“My other horse, Destine to Be, this was his first FEI week,” Derbyshire said. “I’m very, very excited. It was a good week for him to step up for the first time, and he was a fast double clear, so I’m really happy.
“It’s been really nice for the younger horses to jump in a beautiful ring with a lot of atmosphere, with a facility like this. We’ve really enjoyed ourselves.”
A new addition for the 2024 TerraNova Winter Series, the $20,000 Michael Saunders & Company 1.35m National Prix was held shortly after the $65,000 Galati Yacht Sales FEI 1.45m Grand Prix. The course in the Lakeside Arena was rebuilt with distances changed and heights adjusted for the national prix. Run in Table II, 2(b) format, the combinations remained in the ring after a clear round for an immediate jump-off course.
Staying true to her winning ways this weekend, Amanda Derbyshire (GBR) earned the top two podium spots in the $20,000 Michael Saunders & Company 1.35m National Prix.
“It’s always nice to do the national prix after the grand prix because it always looks smaller,” Derbyshire said. “We’d already had a little go around. The jump off had some harder turns than the grand prix jump-off, which was good for the young ones to learn. They have to constantly look for the next jump. I thought it was a great course to end our week, and I’m very happy.”
