Edited Press Release
It was a stellar derby Sunday for Lauren Mutch, finishing off her week strong with a win in the 2’6”-2’9” Sandhaven Farm Child/Adult Hunt & Go Derby to conclude Desert Circuit III. Mutch piloted the 9-year-old Oldenburg gelding around an accurate hunt phase and a nifty handy phase. It’s safe to say she nailed it, as the judges displayed consistently high scores for her, totaling to 164.
“I recently started leasing [Trending] about two months ago,” Mutch explained. “My trainer’s sister, Brandy Bemoll, owns him. I needed a move-up horse, and I didn’t really know what I wanted. He was already in the barn, so my trainer [paired] me with him.
“At first, we didn’t get along very well, because he was pretty green and I was pretty green,” she continued. “But this is only our second rated show together.”
Mutch had a crystal clear plan in her head, but some quick last minute decisions proved fruitful. “For my hunt phase, I said I was going to go on the rail to the first jump, and get him in my hand to start the round,” Mutch explained. “He still is pretty green, but I decided when I got in the ring that I was going to use the quarter line and go to my oxer.”
As all of the jumps came up perfectly in stride, Mutch made the decision to let loose in the handy phase, opting for some tight turns and maneuvering around the handy phase. Landing her leads had come easy for the pair in the hunt phase, stylishly shown through Trending’s flashy changes.
Mutch is grateful for opportunities to show in the variety of derby classes offered at DIHP. “It’s really nice to have a derby like this to hopefully better understand the National [Hunter Derby] level and what that’s like,” she reflected.
As Mutch and Trending walked out of Hunter 3 on her way to the Amberway Equine Winner’s Circle, she received plenty of congratulations from well-wishing bystanders. “Everyone at Desert Horse Park is really supportive,” she concluded. “All the people around were great, wishing me congratulations.”
This Post Brought to You by:
The Pacific Coast Horse Shows Association (PCHA)
The Pacific Coast Horse Shows Association (PCHA), a non-profit corporation, has as its main purpose the promotion and development of the sport of horse showing, primarily in the Hunter/Jumper, Western and Reining disciplines. These objectives are accomplished by setting the standards for showing on the West Coast and approving shows that meet these criteria.
Founded in 1946, the Pacific Coast Horse Shows Association promotes the interests of owners and exhibitors, cooperates with exhibitors, officials, and management of competition, publicizes and advertises PCHA sanctioned shows, encourages and assists owners, exhibitors, and breeders of horses to maintain, develop and improve the quality of horses of the Hunter, Jumper, Western and Reining divisions.
