Rock Angel Shines with Lexy Reed in $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby

Hunter riders took center stage in Friday’s $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby during ESP October. The week’s highlight hunter class saw Lexy Reed of Ft Lauderdale, FL, and Rock Angel, owned by Horselux LLC, set the bar high after receiving a classic-round base score of 84 that put them in the lead going into the second round, and then received a handy-phase score of 86 to secure the victory with a total score of 170. “[Rock Angel] just arrived from Europe this week. He’s seven years old and was jumping some jumper classes over there but we bought him to be an equitation horse, so today was his first introduction to his new life in America,” explained Reed. “At home, we work on all sorts of different training with the horses, but it’s so important for them to have a really good brain and for him to just fly over here and come to his first horse show and win a derby like this is huge. I’m very happy with him and his mentality, and I am excited to see what’s in his future. I think he’ll definitely go on to the finals in the major equitation classes.” Hunters had their chance to shine on the grass field of the Derby Annex once again in Saturday’s $1,000 Equestrian Team Apparel 2’6”/2’9” Hunter Derby, which is the newest addition to the ESP Fall Series. Taking the blue rosette was Kim Farlinger of Wellington, FL, and Dennis the Menace, owned by Alexis Clelan-Liskey, with a total score of 167. The pair received a classic-round score of 81 that put them into third going into the second round and improved to a handy score of 86, moving them right to the top of the scorecard. Farlinger bookended the top-three with her ride on Catomine Farm’s Le Chat Noir with a total score of 163. The duo received a classic-round score of 81 and a handy score of 81. In the Performance 3’3” Hunter division, presented by Gold Coast Feed & Supply, Chaz Harpman of Wellington, FL, and Margot Hirsch’s Evolutionary earned the championship ribbon after earning three first-place prizes and a second-place result.