Some partnerships take a short time to build a strong connection. That was the story in the combined Grand Hunter Ring and Dina Happy Hunter Arena at Thunderbird Show Park’s Summer Fort Classic, as two relatively fresh horse-and-rider combinations delivered veteran performances to capture the Open and Jr/Am divisions of the $6,500 Country Lane Farm USHJA National Hunt & Go 3′ Derbies.
Nicole Bourgeois (USA) piloted Coralina to victory and a 186 score in the Open division with a smooth, confident round that belied the fact it was their first derby together. In the Jr/Am division, Kelsey King (USA) and Champagne Problems proved that a partnership forged just a few months ago can look like years in the making, topping the field with a score of 181.
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. The Lynn Mullins’ designed course featured 13 fences with two high options in both the Classic and Handy sections. A key decision point came at fence 11, where riders could choose their lead for the rollback to fence 12 before a hand gallop to the final fence.
For Bourgeois, the win was a testament to trusting her mount.
“I thought the whole round was actually really smooth. She is a very seasoned national derby horse, so I knew that she knew what she was doing and I’ve been told she’s really good at the handy [rounds], so I just kind of winged it and she was fabulous,” smiled Bourgeois, noting that she appreciated the optionality built into the course.
“I really liked the option at the end of the ring to the hay bales that you could turn either way on the landing. I thought that was really nice of the course designer to give us a little choice without making our brain hurt too much.”
Coralina is a new ride for Bourgeois, but the frequent derby winner had inside information working in her favour.
“She’s a sweetheart. She just moved to us a couple weeks ago from my good friend Lindsey Gardner, so I’m lucky that I have all the insider information. But at the end of the day, she is a lovely horse and I’m very lucky to have gotten to ride her.”
King’s victory aboard Champagne Problems (aka, Henry) was the culmination of a partnership that only began in April. King started a summer lease on the horse when his owner became pregnant—a decision that has clearly paid dividends.
“Henry was super brave and really confident, and he was just right there with me from the start to finish,” King said. “I thought the first couple of bending lines were a bit technical, there’s a lot of different options in terms of the number of strides you could get. We stuck with our plan and he was just right there and happy to do it. I’m just super proud of him.”
King credited the support system around her for making the opportunity possible.
“We’ve only been working together for a few months now and our partnership has just grown so much. I’m so grateful for everyone at Goodwin [Horses] and for his owner, Kalli [Heffner Gray], for giving me this opportunity.”
Describing her partner’s personality, King couldn’t help but smile.
“Henry is very silly. He can be kind of spooky at home. He doesn’t love the white boxes, but he’s a very good boy. He’s very loving. He’s very sweet. He’s just a goofy guy.”
Thursday’s derby classes conclude the 2026 Country Lane Farm USHJA National Hunter Derby series. Georgia Hunt and Paddington won the overall series, earning a Butet hunter bridle, martingale, and girth based on accumulated scores.
$6,500 Country Lane Farm Open USHJA National Hunter Derby Hunt & Go 3’0″
| Rank | Horse | Rider | Nation | Owner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | CORALINA | NICOLE BOURGEOIS | USA | KATE CHURCHFIELD | 186.0 |
| 2nd | CASUAL | ISABELLE GRAY | USA | MARIA VAIL | 183.5 |
| 3rd | REPUTATION | DUSTIN GOODWIN | CAN | KALLI HEFFNER GRAY | 182.5 |
| 4th | HOMECOMING | DUSTIN GOODWIN | CAN | MELANIE KUECHLE | 177.0 |
| 5th | CALL ME | KASSIDY KEITH | CAN | DIRECT GROUP SPORT HORSES | 176.25 |
| 6th | CENTRAL CITY | OLIVIA BUFFONI | CAN | CHANNAY LLOYD | 176.0 |
| 7th | SPECIAL EDITION RW | ELIZABETH GINGRAS | CAN | KAREN ROGERS | 175.0 |
| 8th | DIPLOMAT | CHELSEA MCNEILL | CAN | LINDSAY MORRISON | 169.5 |
| 9th | A’INT HE SPECIAL | KATRINA KLIMACH | CAN | SHENAE JOHNSTON | 169.0 |
| 10th | QUSTOM Q | HEATHER MACDONALD | USA | ELLE HUBER | 168.0 |
$6,500 Country Lane Farm Jr/Am USHJA National Hunter Derby Hunt & Go 3’0″
| Rank | Horse | Rider | Nation | Owner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | CHAMPAGNE PROBLEMS | KELSEY KING | USA | KALLI HEFFNER GRAY | 181.0 |
| 2nd | SEVILLE | ISABELLA FERRARA | CAN | ISABELLA FERRARA | 179.0 |
| 3rd | KING OF CHEERS | AUDREY SMITH | USA | ALLISON SMITH | 178.0 |
| 4th | DOLCE’ DACAPO | LISA WILLIAMS | CAN | LISA WILLIAMS | 176.0 |
| 5th | ZHILLO | SYDNEY ROOTMAN | CAN | HEATHER ARCHER | 175.75 |
| 6th | LA BOHEME | AMY BAUTISTA | USA | A&B BAUTISTA, LLC | 174.5 |
| 7th | DARLING SHERLOCK | REID TAPP | CAN | REID TAPP | 171.5 |
| 8th | RECORD YEAR | LISA PLEASANCE | USA | LISA PLEASANCE | 169.25 |
| 9th | CASSIONATUS | ELLIE AITCHISON | USA | STACEY LUCKO | 168.75 |
| 10th | OCHO | DENIM SCHNEIDER | USA | MARIA VAIL | 168.0 |
Photo credit: Viola Mitchell Photography
