Tosh and Lonestar Victorious in $100,000 International Hunter Derby Finals

2009 WCHR Pro Finals winner Hunt Tosh rode Lonestar to claim the victory in the 2010 $100,000 The Chronicle of the Horse/USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals. All Photos ©Diana De Rosa Photography

August 21, 2010 – Lexington, KY – Hunt Tosh waited in anticipation after his final round. He’d dominated the first round and after a powerful second round he thought there was a chance this night could be his.  It wasn’t until the scores went up that he knew he’d become the winner of the second annual 2010 $100,000 The Chronicle of the Horse/USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals.

It was August 21, the night everyone had been anxiously waiting for, and there were only two more rounds to go before Tosh’s victory was secured. Being held in the lovely venue of the indoor arena at the Kentucky Horse Park only added to the thrill and for a touch of class and tradition, black tie dress was asked.

Those who placed in the top 25 after the qualifying round, held August 20, battled it out in a Classic Hunter round to determine the top 12. Winner of the qualifier Scott Stewart, 2nd place Jennifer Alfano, and 3rd place Liza Boyd were among the few showing. The high scores these riders obtained in the previous round would not help them here.  At the start of the second round all points were erased. Everyone started with a clean slate.

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Tags: equestrian competitions, equestrian disciplines, Hunt Tosh, Hunter Derby Finals, hunter/jumper, Kentucky Horse park, USHJA

After Round One Scott Stewart and Summer Place Leads the Way in the 2010 Hunter Derby Finals

Scott Stewart and Summer Place with presenters (left to right) Roy Burek (Charles Owen, Inc.), Shawna Dietrich (Dietrich Insurance), Lauren Maruskin (director of marketing Chronicle of the Horse), Ron Danta (USHJA High Performance Hunter Chairman), and Bill Moroney (USHJA president). Diana De Rosa Photo

August 20, 2010 – Lexington, KY – “It has a mini World Cup feel to it,” said USHJA president Bill Moroney after Scott Stewart of Wellington, FL topped the leader board in the qualifying round for the 2010 $100,000 The Chronicle of the Horse/USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals August 20 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

Stewart led the way with an impressive ride on Summer Place, an 8-year-old, grey, Sachsen-Anhaltiner gelding owned by Fashion Farm, giving him a score of 377. “Once you qualify, you’re good to go,” added Moroney.  Stewart agreed, saying, “It’s stressful today because you are just trying to qualify, but tomorrow will be fun.”

Those who qualified will move on to the second round August 21, starting at 6:30 p.m. Riders will navigate in reverse order through a classic hunter course, and from there be cut to the top 12, who will then compete in the final showdown.

Coming in close behind Stewart with a score of 375 was two-time series champion Jennifer Alfano, Buffalo, NY, on SBS Farm’s Jersey Boy, an 8-year-old, chestnut, Warmblood gelding.  In third was Liza Boyd, of Camden, SC aboard Brunello, a 12-year-old chestnut Hanoverian gelding co-owned by Boyd and Janet Peterson, scoring 374.

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Tags: equestrian competitions, equestrian disciplines, Hunter Derby Finals, hunter/jumper, Jennifer Alfano, Kentucky Horse park, Liza Boyd, Scott Stewart, USHJA