Nicole Bourgeois doesn’t always win the Amy Brattebo Real Estate Derby at Thunderbird Show Park, but when she does, it’s decisively.
Bourgeois and Wayfinder jumped to the top of the 3’6 section on Thursday, followed closely by her other mount, Vinco Blanco Van Overis Z in second place. In a tbird first, the American hunter rider also took first and second in the 3’/3’3 section with Connect The Dots and Stout, respectively, rounding out a clean sweep of tonight’s top placings.
Bourgeois went early in the class on her first horse, Vino Bianco Van Overis Z, and sat atop the leaderboard with a foot-perfect 101-point round—until she bested it with Wayfinder, her “go-to derby horse.” Third-last to go, they laid down an exceptionally handy trip to earn a combined score of 103.
Bourgeois and Wayfinder are no strangers to evenings in the Grand Hunter Ring at tbird, and she was confident in how he felt going into the derby despite early evening shadows on the course.
“That doesn’t make me super nervous on him—we’ve jumped a lot of night classes and a lot of evening classes, so he usually shines in those moments,” said Bourgeois.
In fact, she’s so confident in the gelding they did just a light hack to prepare for the class.
The Canadian Hunter Derby is a one-round competition judged as a handy hunter class. Additional bonus points are awarded for jumping up to five high options on courses as well as for additional handiness and high performance displayed on course. The competition also serves as a qualifier for the Canadian Hunter Derby National Championship, held at the Royal Horse Show in November.
“It runs a lot faster [than the two-round derby format]. I think it’s fun. It’s different for the horses to go in and [be handy] right away.”
For the Oregon-based professional, who runs Imagination Lane LLC with her sister, Kendall (third in tonight’s 3’6″ Open section with Tic Tac Toe), this week’s Canadian Derby is preparation for next week’s $25,000 Foxstone Stable USHJA International Derby with Wayfinder and Vinco Blanco Van Overis Z.
Then it’s well-deserved break for the Imagination Lane team before they head south for Desert Horse Park’s Sunshine Series and the USHJA International Derby Regional Championships.
$3,000 Amy Brattebo Real Estate Canadian Derby 3’6″ Open
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Score
1. Wayfinder / Nicole Bourgeois / USA / Hilary Sosne / 103
2. Vino Bianco Van Overis Z / Nicole Bourgeois / USA / Hilary Sosne / 101
3. Tic Tac Toe / Kendall Bourgeois / USA / Amy Bean / 98
4. Reputation / Dustin Goodwin / CAN / Kalli Heffner Gay / 95
5. Light My Fire / Ashley Arnoldt / CAN / Jennifer Arnoldt / 94
6. Corona OS / Charlotte Reeve / CAN / Charlotte Reeve / 86
7. Jafanola / Chelsea Brittner / USA / Janaya Torres / 78
8. Old Times LS / Samantha Smith / USA / Cecilia Wang / 71
9. Navigator / Raymond Texel / Philippa Melski / 63
10. Coralina / Lindsey Garner / USA / Kate Churchfield / 62
