Edited Press Release
The wins started coming in May and haven’t slowed down for Amanda Derbyshire (GBR) and Cornwall BH. To end opening week of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF) on Sunday afternoon, the pair sped to the win in the $138,600 Meijer CSI3* Grand Prix.
“I’ve had him since he was eight years old and he’s always been a great horse,” Derbyshire said of the 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Con Air x Cambridge) owned by Gochman Sport Horses LLC. “For some reason, in the last six months we’ve gotten fast. The pair has won two grand prix qualifiers in the past two months and capped off the week with the horse’s first grand prix victory.
One of nine to jump clear over Catsy Cruz’s (MEX) first-round course, Derbyshire sped to a time of 38.73 seconds in the tiebreaker to take the win. Just off the pace was Margie Engle (USA) and Dicas, who crossed the timers in 39.63 seconds, and Casall and Ali Wolff (USA) rounded out the podium in 40.12 seconds.
“I’m absolutely thrilled,” Derbyshire continued. “He’s jumped double clear in lots of grand prixs but was always third or fourth. He used to be a little cheeky and could run out so I always tried to play it safe.”
Derbyshire admitted she wanted to stick to her instincts with Cornwall BH and play it safe in Sunday’s class, but changed her mind as it was her turn to jump off. “I actually was a little defeatist before I went in and was going to just go for a medium clear,” she said of her original plan. “I thought Ali [Wolff] was very fast and a couple of the rollbacks didn’t really suit him. When I saw Nick [Dello Joio ] go, I was like, ‘I’m going to give it a go.’ I think I was a little faster to the in-and-out. He’s so careful that I didn’t really have to slow down for the double of verticals.”
“We love Traverse City,” Derbyshire remarked on her time at Flintfields Horse Park. “We’ve been coming for the last eight years. We’ve been able to do some boating in the afternoons. The restaurants are great. The show every year is better and better. We’re happy this year that we’re finishing earlier and getting to enjoy the city outside the show.”
With her top horse for the past two years, Derbyshire will be strategic in her plan for Cornwall BH and choose the classes he competes in wisely, but will surely contend for more top victories in coming weeks at GLEF.
“The wins we put down speak to a magnificent team behind us,” Derbyshire concluded about Baxter Hill’s week in Traverse City, which included CSI3* victories for herself and student Mimi Gochman (USA). “All our staff supports one another. Sophie [Gochman] has been away in college and she came and joined us and got to win a class, so we all won. It’s a testament to the team behind us.”
Final Results: $138,600 Meijer CSI3* Grand Prix
1. CORNWALL BH: 2008 HOLST gelding by Con Air x Cambridge
AMANDA DERBYSHIRE (GBR), Gochman Sport Horse LLC: 0/0/38.73
2. DICAS: 2009 RHEIN gelding by Diarado x Cassini I
MARGIE ENGLE (USA), Gladewinds Partners, LLC: 0/0/39.63
3. CASALL: 2005 HOLST gelding by Casall x Capitol I
ALI WOLFF (USA), Blacklick Bend Farm: 0/0/40.12
4. CORNET’S CAMBRIDGE: 2012 OS gelding by Balou Du Reventon x Cambridge
NICK DELLO JOIO (USA), The Berry Group LLC: 0/0/40.23
5. CARISSIMO 25: 2013 HOLST gelding by Cascadello x Clinton
MAVIS SPENCER (USA), Georgy Maskrey-Segesman: 0/0/41.59
6. MIMOSA VD ROLLEBEEK: 2012 BWP mare by Castelin VD Helle x Toulon
MCKAYLA LANGMEIER (USA), Linda Langmeier: 0/4/38.76
7. MORRIS HORTA: 2012 BWP stallion by Eldorado VD Zeshoek x Vigo D’Arsouilles STX
MARTIEN VAN DER HOEVEN (USA), Luccirelli International, LLC: 0/4/40.29
8. ICE ZOETENDALE Z: 2013 ZANG gelding by Iceberg ZT x Burggraaf NV
FRANCISCO GOYOAGA MOLLET (ESP), Spencer Smith: 0/4/45.94
9. ICARUS: 2008 BWP stallion by Douglas x Sioux de Baugy
FRANCISCO GOYOAGA MOLLET (ESP), Strasburg Moring Inc.: 0/8/56.29
10. FABREGAS: 2010 KWPN gelding by Zambesi TN x Nairone
ALEXANDRA SMITH (USA), Ashland Farms: 1/76.16
11. FOR GOLD: 2011 HOLST gelding by For Fashion x Heraldik
ALEC LAWLER (USA), Lawler Show Jumping LLC: 4/70.57
12. FLOTYLLA: 2011 PZHK mare by Alvaro 121 x Bajou Du Rouet
CATHLEEN DRISCOLL (USA), Donald Stewart: 4/70.9
