Hall of Fame horseman Carleton Brooks has once again been named to the judging panel for the 2021 Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championships, the nation’s premier championship for show hunter sport.
Brooks will be one of six judges to make up three panels at the event, which has not been held since 2019 following its forced 2020 cancellation due to the ongoing global pandemic. Brooks last judged the event in 2018, when Victoria Colvin rode to her second (of now three) victories in the Championship aboard Private Practice. The week prior, Brooks will also serve as Official Clinician for the Pony Finals Modeling Clinic series during USEF Pony Finals.
The USHJA International Hunter Derby was created in “to bring the tradition and art of horsemanship back to the show ring stronger and better than ever,” with a 12-month series and annual championship. Set for August 19-21 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, the 2021 Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship will be held over a total of three days and consist of the Official Jog, Classic Hunter Style Round, Handy Round and Derby Challenge. Combinations are judged on quality, movement, jumping style, manners and way of going. Pace and brilliance are also rewarded.
“I’m honored to have been selected to judge another Derby Championships,” Brooks said. “It is without a question a highlight on the calendar and never disappoints when it comes to producing top-level sport. After last year’s unfortunate cancellation, it’s going to be an exciting atmosphere at the Kentucky Horse Park, and I am certain that I, along with my fellow judges, am going to be faced with some difficult decisions. I look forward to the challenge!”
Brooks, who was inducted into the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame in 2019, is a respected “R” judge and has officiated at many of the country’s most prestigious shows, from the Devon Horse Show, to the National Horse Show, Washington International Horse Show, Pennsylvania National Horse Show, and more. He is also a sought-after clinician, trainer and accomplished rider, owning and operating the California-based Balmoral alongside his wife, Traci.
“After facing so many cancellations in 2020, 2021’s calendar is quickly filling up, and I am looking forward to a great season ahead, in the judges’ booth and on the ground giving clinics and working with the exciting group of horses and riders that Traci and I have at Balmoral,” Brooks said. “It’s an exciting time for our sport.”
About Carleton Brooks
Carleton Brooks, best known as “CB”, is one of the most respected and recognized horsemen in the country. A member of the Show Hunter Hall of Fame, Brooks’ successful career spans three decades of coaching, judging, training, riding and competing. A hands-on professional with an exemplary reputation, Brooks operates Balmoral alongside his wife Traci in West Los Angeles and Agoura Hills, CA.
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