In just his second start in a derby ring, Encanto proved he’s a quick study. The striking gelding, piloted by Chelsea Brittner, topped the 3′ Country Lane Farm Open USHJA National Derby Hunt & Go at the Odlum Brown BC Open with a winning score of 175.5. It was one step up from his April derby debut at tbird, where he finished second.

“He was so excellent and so fun,” Brittner said of the horse she only rides at horse shows. “I’m so happy to see he’s just made even that much more improvement. He’s really a special horse.”

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. Brittner tested the waters to start, unsure how the 10-year-old Warmblood would handle the double rings of tbird’s Grand Hunter Arena, while still executing all four high options, a tidy rollback after the trot jump, and the inside turns.

“I wasn’t sure what his energy would be like when I trotted in, and it was the big both rings, so I was kind of feeling it out a little in the beginning,” Brittner said. “I just took it a little bit tentative the first few jumps. Then once I jumped number four, I was like, ‘Oh, okay, he feels so solid.’ I think I can just relax and loosen up.”

By the time the round shifted into the handy portion, Encanto was locked in. “He was so with me. I really loved the handy part of it—that was, I think, my favorite. He felt so focused and followed my lead. I’m so happy with him.”

Off the course, Encanto has a well-documented motivation. “He’s a hungry, hungry hippo,” Brittner laughed. “He is such a lover and such a foodie. Definitely motivated by treats. He is also my son’s absolute favorite horse. My kid usually is the one that gives him all the cookies, and we have to separate them at some point because otherwise it’s too many cookies.”

Despite her impressive derby win record, Brittner admitted to pre-derby nerves—a feeling she knows well. “I get really nervous in the hunter ring, more so than in the jumper ring. I always want to make sure I do everybody proud and do the horses proud. I have to definitely take a beat and take a deep breath. Hopefully it doesn’t show, but often before a derby or something, I am shaking a little bit.”

$7,500 Country Lane Farm Open USHJA National Derby Hunt & Go

Full results here.