MYAKKA CITY, Fla.--Amanda Derbyshire of Great Britain won both the $65,000 FEI 1.45m Grand Prix and the $20,000 1.35m National Prix at TerraNova on Saturday, Feb.17.
Amanda Derbyshire on Otto BH winning the Grand Prix (Photo by EQ Media)Derbyshire on Otto BH had their second victory after winning the $65,000 Grand Prix on Saturday following their win in Friday’s $32,000 Welcome Speed, and she also placed third inn the Grand Prix on Destine To Be
In the next class, Derbyshire placed both first and second in the $20,000 National Prix.
Bernardo Costa Cabral of Postugal set the CSI2* Grand Prix course of 15 fences for 25 competitors in the Lakeside Arena.
“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 has been riding Otto B, a 12-year-old Zangersheide stallion, for about a year.
“I gave them an easy turn to the first in the jump-off, so they don’t speed so quickly to start the jump off,” Costa Cabral said. “They needed a little speed to the liverpool oxer. That’s always nice so they have to be careful with the front rail. And then the turn to the double, they have to slow down a bit, and then zigzag like a chicane, to use Formula One language, between two verticals. It’s always thrilling for the public to watch, it was very close to the stands. Then the classic gallop to the last oxer.”
A chicane is a tight sequence in a circuit used to slow cars down in a race.
DERBYSHIRE on 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.”
As the third-to-last to go, Alberto Michan of Israel on Joint de Canabis van de Doornhoeve came close to catching Derbyshire’s time, finishing in 38.10 to place second in the Grand Prix.
With Otto BH leading the class, Derbyshire knew the track to follow with Destine To Be, and she was clean in 38.18 to place third.
“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 1.35m National Prix was held shortly after the $65,000, 1.45m Grand Prix.
Run in Table II, 2(b) format, the combinations remained in the ring after a clear round for an immediate jump-off course.
Derbyshire was first and second in the 1.35m National Prix.
First in the ring with Renkum Oriana, Derbyshire was clean in the jump-off in 39.744.
Adam Prudent on Labalou was clean in the jump-off in 40.012, eventually placing him third.
As the last to go, Derbyshire, this time on Charlie Be Good Z, had the advantage of knowing how the course rode.
Stopping the timers at 39.65, Derbyshire and “Charlie,” as he’s known in the barn, placed first beating her earlier ride on Renkum Oriana.
“We’ve only done a couple of shows since we got them, they’re pretty new to us,” Derbyshire said. “It was a great show to bring them along. Charlie jumped his first ranking class yesterday. We sped it up a bit today, and the horse I was second on, Renkum Oriana, she’s an English-bred horse, and she was also really fast.”
“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.”
