Tracey Epp and the striking Czech Warmblood stallion Heartvit ZH are no strangers to the winner’s circle in the Amy Brattebo Real Estate Open 3’6″ Canadian Derby series. At this week’s April Season Opener, they started the 2026 season the same way they did in 2025—with a win.
The pair cleared four of the five high options in Chris Jones’s Hunt & Go derby course to post a commanding score of 101, securing victory by a seven-point margin. It’s just the latest example of the seamless transition Heartvit has made from high-performance show jumping to the hunter ring. The 13-year-old stallion (Forever van de Noordheuvel x Caesar) formerly competed up to the three-star level before switching disciplines in 2024. Since then, he has become a fixture in the Canadian Hunter Derby series at tbird, claiming his first win in 2024 and adding two more in 2025.
Channay Lloyd and Imothas HS finished second with a score of 94, while Patty McKenna aboard Case in Point took third on 88.
For Epp, the partnership with Heartvit has been nothing short of extraordinary—even when the circumstances have been less than ideal.
Last year, the pair qualified for the Canadian Hunter Derby Final at the Royal Winter Agricultural Fair in Toronto, ON based largely on their results at tbird. Despite a serious setback, Heartvit delivered a career-defining performance.
“I went to Toronto last year and he was a superstar,” Epp said. “Unfortunately, I got in a bad accident and went there with 11 broken ribs. But he was phenomenal and he ended up second in the final day.”
With that experience behind them, Epp and Heartvit are setting their sights on another trip to Toronto this fall.
“Our goal is to qualify again this year,” Epp confirmed.
Beyond the derby ring, Heartvit has a “full-time job” as an active breeding stallion, with offspring already making their mark in competition. Epp is quick to praise his qualities as a sire.
“His foals are quite lovely,” she said. “He stamps them with his good looks.”
The Amy Brattebo Real Estate Canadian Hunter Derby returns to tbird in May for the CSI4*/2* Odlum Brown BC Open.
Amy Brattebo Real Estate Open 3’6″ CND Hunter Derby
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time
- Heartvit ZH / Tracey Epp / CAN / Tracey Epp / 101
- Imothas HS / Channay Lloyd / CAN / Zoe Lai / 94
- Case in Point / Patty McKenna / CAN / Patty McKenna / 88
- Carlyle / Brent Balisky / CAN / Shelley Ferris / 87
- Fighting Falcon / Rhonda Thompson / CAN / Rhonda Thompson / 70
- Oxo Van de Bien / Georgia Hunt / CAN / Joanne Dixon / 62
- Carino / Natalie Adler / CAN / Natalie Adler / EL
