Damas de Tannerre didn’t have experience on his side in Friday afternoon’s $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by BluCreeq Spirits, but that didn’t stop him from taking the top spot. With Emily Williams aboard, Autumn Janesky’s 12-year-old Selle Français gelding jumped to the win during Week 4 of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), presented by MARS Equestrian.
“That’s actually the first derby I’ve ever done with him,” said Williams, who hails from North Salem, NY. “This was his first shot and he rose right to the occasion. I couldn’t be happier with him.”
Scores of 91 for the classic portion and 94.25 for the handy portion of the single-round “hunter & go” class put Williams and “Dan” into a promising position a little over halfway through the order. With some competitive pairs still to come, they ended up holding the lead and claiming victory with their 185.25 total.
“I’ve had the pleasure of getting to catch ride him over the past year and I started having him in my program and working with him full time since November,” Williams elaborated on her partnership with Dan. “We’ve taken our time rebuilding and getting to know each other. I try to do what’s best for the horse and we honestly haven’t shown him much.”
The decision was made just last week to enter Friday’s derby, knowing the horse was meant for a stage like this, with a beautiful course set by Andy Christiansen in the International Ring.
“I jumped him one class a little bigger Wednesday, then Autumn did him in the adult hunters Thursday and Friday,” Williams said of the horse’s preparation for derby day. “He literally came from the adult hunter ring over here and jumped around with me. He’s not a normal animal; he’s so good.”
While his looks set him apart, Williams believes what truly makes Dan special is his desire to be a competitor. “He’s so scopey, he has so much personality, but he gets into it,” she shared. “The bigger the venue, the bigger the jump, and the more handy, [the more] he thrives on it. He’s one of those horses that is so fun to ride because he’s just as into it as you are. If you give 100 percent he gives 110.”
Williams also had a little extra fuel to her fire as she rode four very competitive horses in the class. With each round prior not feeling quite perfect, she knew she wanted to lay it down with Damas de Tannerre.
“I was lucky to get to ride a few other horses, all lovely horses that I don’t know quite as well as I know Dan,” she said of her day in the International Arena. “They were all good but we had little mistakes and I am competitive, so by the time I was on Dan I was digging deep and had the luxury of knowing him well. I knew as long as I didn’t make a mistake he’d give me his all and he did.”
Liza Boyd took second place aboard MTM Crossed My Mind, owned by Addy Grace Anderson, with a total score of 184. Jimmy Torano and Laskano, owned by Isalou, Inc., were third with a score of 183.25, including the highest handy round score of 95.
The entire team celebrated Dan’s victory, along with his groom, Ramiro. “We have the best team,” Williams said. “We are so lucky; the guys are incredible and everybody was up here rooting for us. They don’t just care when their horse wins, everybody wants each other’s horse to do well and they love the horses. It’s fun for me to be able to give it to the grooms and team because they want it just as badly.”
Friday was one of the opportunities hunters have to shine in the International Arena at WEF, which all the riders agreed is always a fabulous opportunity. “I love getting to jump in here; it’s a bonus and the horses love it,” Williams said of being in the big ring. “I love the hunt-and-go format. One of the reasons I chose [this derby] is because it’s one round; it’s not so taxing on the horses physically and it's still just as fun.”
As for Dan, the goals are to jump the Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular during World Championship Hunter RIder (WCHR) week on WEF 6, and to aim for International Hunter Derby Championships over the summer as he gets more derby experience under his belt. He also will continue to progress as Janesky’s hunter in the amateur rings.
For full results from the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by BluCreeq Spirits, click HERE.
