All hail the queen! Nicole Bourgeois and Mc Queen reigned supreme in Sunday’s $50,000 Foxstone Stables USHJA International Hunter Derby 3’6″, commanding the class with a two-round total of 380 to take top honours at Thunderbird Show Park’s West Coast Classic.

Bourgeois guided the Dutch warmblood mare to a dominant victory, finishing 11 points ahead of Morgan Thomas (USA) and Chocotoff (369) and her own third‑place mount, Crooner Brimbelles Z (368.5). She also took fifth on Stout (348), piloting all three of her mounts into the top five.

Course designer Lynn Mullins set the stage for a competitive two-round derby format. Following the opening classic hunter round, the top 12 returned in reverse order for the handy hunter round. Bourgeois and Mc Queen led from start to finish, earning a 189 from the judges for their classic round. 

“This is our first time out on this grass field, but we have done a couple grass derbies [at Desert Horse Park] in Thermal, so I felt pretty prepared, and she’s a very brave horse,” Bourgeois said. “She’s a seasoned international derby horse at this point.”

Leading by 12-points after the classic round, Bourgeois opted for a measured approach in the handy round rather than taking unnecessary risks.

“I definitely played it safe. I knew I was a bit ahead, so I didn’t really take any risks. I did go around a couple places that maybe I would have gone inside, and I jumped the last low one [rather than risk the rail],” she said with a laugh.

The victory ranks among the most significant of Mc Queen’s career and is the latest in a string of recent derby successes for the pair.

“It’s definitely towards the top [of her career milestones],” said Bourgeois. “But she’s been on a roll lately. I think she’s won maybe three in a row at this point, and she feels great.”

In the barn, Mc Queen has earned a reputation for preferring a life of leisure.

“She’s a total queen,” smiled Bourgeois. “She’s very spoiled. We call her the nap queen because she naps more than any horse I’ve ever met. She’s covered in shavings all the time.”

The West Coast Classic was a winning weekend for the Bourgeois sisters, who captured both of the weekend’s featured events. Just one day prior, Kendall Bourgeois won Saturday’s Langley Grand Prix 1.40m, presented by Costa Palmas.

The USHJA International Derby returns to tbird on August 13th at the Summer Fort Classic.

$50,000 Foxstone Stables USHJA International Hunter Derby 3’6″