Georgia Hunt (CAN) and Paddington brought more than the bare necessities to the Jr/Am/Green Canadian Hunter Derby at Thunderbird Show Park’s Western Family on Thursday, posting a commanding score of 193 to secure the win in the 55-horse field.
Katrina Klimach (CAN) and A’int He Special finished second with a score of 187, while Isabella Ferrara (CAN) and Seville rounded out the podium in third with 184.
Hunt, who has yet to finish outside the top five in a derby with Paddington this season, credited the horse’s remarkable rideability for their success.
“He’s just so brave and so easy to turn that the handy options came up nicely for him,” she said.
The Hunt & Go Derby format is a single-round competition that seamlessly blends the Classic and Handy hunter rounds into one uninterrupted trip, rewarding handiness, adjustability, and boldness. Hunt and Paddington navigated the winding 13-effort course designed by Hailey Rogge with seamless flow, showcasing smooth inside turns and executing both high options.
Owned by Ellen Brown, the 2018 Canadian-bred gelding by Cool Crack Z out of Elan de la Cour was an unexpected find in Montreal. “We kind of stumbled upon him and couldn’t be more happy with how he’s turning out,” Hunt shared. “He’s so comfortable, he’s so simple.”
Like his namesake, Paddington is a teddy bear in the barn.
“He’s literally the sweetest horse ever,” Hunt said with a laugh, adding that the horse’s original French name translated to “horse of hell” for one that is anything but. “We said that he looks like a little bear, that’s how we got the [new] name. He couldn’t be more sweet and easy.”
When asked about long-term derby plans for the gelding, Hunt remained open-minded. “I guess we’ll have to see as we go. He was bought for his owner, Ellen Brown. So we weren’t really planning to do too much more than the 3′, the 3’3″ with him. But we’ll just take it year by year.”
Over in the Onni Telegraph Trail Arena, Karen Rogers CAN) and Stanley Cup took top honours in the 2’9″ Betker Family Jr/Am Hunt & Handy Derby with a score of 170, followed by Claire Nesbitt (CAN) and Zen (165) in second, and Kailyn Coffman (USA) and Afternoon Tea (158) in third.
The Canadian Hunter Derby returns to tbird in August for the Summer Fort Welcome.
$7,500 Jr/Am Green Canadian Hunter Derby
| Rank | Horse | Rider | Nation | Owner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PADDINGTON | GEORGIA HUNT | CAN | ELLEN BROWN | 193 |
| 2 | A’INT HE SPECIAL | KATRINA KLIMACH | CAN | SHENAE JOHNSTON | 187 |
| 3 | SEVILLE | ISABELLA FERRARA | CAN | ISABELLA FERRARA | 184 |
| 4 | EVERMORE V | KATRINA KLIMACH | CAN | FAY VINTCENT | 181 |
| 5 | ROSALITA | HAZEL MCLEAN | CAN | HAZEL MCLEAN | 176 |
| 6 | TRIBECA | AUBREY JACKSON | USA | LOLA SULLIVAN | 170.5 |
| 7 | NALTAIRE | LINDSAY IACOVIELLO | CAN | KAREN IACOVIELLO | 169.5 |
| 8 | BELLINI S | LAYKE MORLEY | CAN | STEPHANY POWERS | 169 |
| 9 | SPECIAL EDITION RW | ELIZABETH GINGRAS | CAN | KAREN ROGERS | 168.75 |
| 10 | ENCANTO | HAZEL MCLEAN | CAN | HAZEL MCLEAN | 166 |
Photo credit: Kady Dane Photography
