Lexington, Ky.—Aug. 14, 2026— Hunters continued to rule the ring during the Bluegrass Classic Horse Show as the $268,830 Platinum Performance / USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship got underway in the Rolex Stadium on Friday afternoon. A record-breaking 97 elite horse and rider combinations gathered for the Classic Round at the Kentucky Horse Park, in Lexington, Kentucky, to vie for a spot in the top 30 to advance to Saturday’s Tier One Handy Round. At the end of the day, Jennifer Hannan and Cellestino topped the field with a score of 293.5 after earning scores of 94, 93.5, and 94 combined with all four high options. Victoria Colvin and Golden Road followed in second place, just 1.5 points behind Hannan with an overall score of 292. Rounding out the top three was Jennifer Jones aboard Levi VDL with a score of 289.
“I thought today went beautifully,” smiled Hannan after her win. “Honestly, the course had a great flow to it and it really suited our style. I was able to gallop a bit and it was really a great experience for us.”
Jennifer Hannan and Cellestino. Photos by Winslow Photography
After Friday morning’s Green Hunter Incentive Championship, course designers Meghan Rawlins and Tom Hern reset the ring for the afternoon’s International Hunter Derby competitors. With 13 jumping efforts and four high option fences that flowed through the expansive Rolex Arena, the course was set for the judges David Beisel, Archibald Cox, Virginia Edwards, Troy Hendricks, Bobbie Reber, and Chris Wynee to sort the 97 competitors and determine the top 30 to return for Saturday’s Handy Round.
As the 24th in the order of 97 horses, Colvin of Loxahatchee, Florida, in Zone 4, set the early score to beat with Golden Road, a 10-year-old Selle Francais gelding owned by John & Stephanie Ingram, LLC, and trained by Thomas Wright. The duo were smooth and consistent throughout the course, and their effort was rewarded with scores of 93, 94, and 93, plus bonus points for jumping all four high options, for a total Classic score of 292.
“Golden Road went around really well today,” noted Colvin. “All of the horses were showing a lot of quality today, so I thought we did our best. The course was beautiful and the jumps were stunning. Golden Road is typically pretty handy. I’ve never done a night class on him, but he did do it last year, so hopefully we’ll be ready.”
Victoria Colvin and Golden Road
It was not until midway through the order that Colvin saw her lead slip as Hannan of Wakefield, Rhode Island, in Zone 1, took her turn over the track aboard 2025 Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Reserve Champion Cellestino. The talented 11-year-old Warmblood gelding is owned by Stephanie Bulger and Hannan has been riding him for two years. The duo showcased brilliance and style over each of the fences and had a lovely pace that won over the judges as they announced scores of 94, 93.5, and 94, plus high option bonus points, for a total score of 293.5, which would be good enough to claim the victory headed into Saturday’s Tier I Handy.
“Last year was my first Derby Finals on him and he was doing the First Years,” explained Hannan. “Cellestino has become a really consistent partner. I was second here, which was a huge win in my book. That was great. He’s also had some great results this year. We won in Aiken, second in Devon, won in Wellington – so he’s been very successful. He’s great in the handies. He’s really game for anything at all, so my plan for tomorrow is just to be smooth and have a great round!”
At the end of the class, the only other combination that came close to catching the leaders was Jones of Ocala, Florida, in Zone 4, on Levi VDL, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion owned by John Kimmel. Their beautiful round over the Classic course was rewarded with scores of 92, 94, and 91, plus bonus points, for a total score of 289.
“Levi VDL is incredible,” said Jones. I got him in March and he’s been solid every single time I’ve shown him. He was second in the International Derby at Devon, and a couple of weeks ago he won an International Derby in Saugerties. I can depend on him for anything. He’s scopey, he’s brave and he’s a beautiful jumper.
The seventeenth annual Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship will conclude on Saturday, August 15, with the Tier I Handy Hunter Round. The top 31 horse-and-rider combinations from the Classic Round will return to navigate a shortened, technical course and compete for 80 percent of the Championship purse.
As part of the program’s Rider Ranking System, the top 11 Tier II horse-and-rider combinations from the Classic Round, consisting of riders ranked 41st or lower on the 2025 Rider Money Won list, will also return to vie for the Tier II Championship title. Riders who qualify for both the Tier I Handy Hunter Round and the Tier II Championship will jump their horse only once, with their score counting toward both sections and making them eligible for prize money in each. Currently leading the Tier II standings and sitting thirteenth overall is Eleanor Rudnicki of Conroe, Texas, in Zone 7, aboard Vex Freedom, owned by Vex Sporthorses, LLC.
New this year, the International Hunter Derby Championship Classic Round also featured the inaugural Team Competition. Each team consisted of three riders: one Tier I rider, one Tier II rider, and one Junior, Amateur, or Tier II rider ranked 100th or below. The three riders’ Classic Round scores were combined to determine the team standings. The Makoto Magic claimed the first-ever Team Competition title among 10 teams. The winning team consisted of Jones aboard Levi VDL; Augusta Iwasaki of Morriston, Florida, in Zone 4, aboard Small Fortune, owned by Iwasaki & Reilly; and Jacob Pope of Columbia, Maryland, in Zone 3, aboard Malito, owned by Mia Holstead. The team topped the leaderboard with a combined score of 822.5 and earned $22,800.
Top Three Teams
“I think that this is a really good thing for the hunters,” expressed Pope. “I think it’s really fun.The prize money is a major factor, especially keeping owners that want to buy horses for the hunters, so it’s a really great addition. Tthanks to Liz Reilly for putting Jenny, Augusta and me together.”
The USHJA thanks the sponsors who help make these championships possible, including Title Sponsor Platinum Performance and Official Sponsors Herm Sprenger, Nutrena, Parlanti International, and Stridefull. Thanks also go to Official Broadcast Provider ClipMyHorse.TV; Championship Official Sponsor Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital and Pharmacy; Livestream Presenting Sponsor Windsor Stables; and Supporting Sponsors GumBits, Essex Classics, RingSide Pro, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, Human Touch, Horseflight, and Texas Super Series.
The USHJA also thanks the donors whose support helps make these championships a continued success and an unforgettable experience for exhibitors, including Diamond Donor Mark Dorfman; Challenge Round Supporter Douglas Wheeler; Gold Donors Louise Riggio and Rivers Edge’s Ken Berkley and Scott Stewart; Silver Donors Ceil and Ken Wheeler; Exhibitors’ Party Supporters John Ingram and Laura Karat; and Bonus Award Supporters Oakwell Farms, DS Holdings, LLC, Colleen McQuay, Peter Pletcher, Patrick Rodes, Ron Danta, and Danny Robertshaw.
Special thanks go to Show Manager Hugh Kincannon and the entire Kentucky Horse Shows team for their support of the Platinum Performance/USHJA Hunter Championship Week.
Wall-to-wall live streaming coverage is available at no additional cost to members at ClipMyHorse.TV. Additional coverage will be available in the upcoming issue of In Stride.
For more information about the Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship, visit ushja.org/DerbyChampionship. For online results, visit ushja.org/competition/hunter-week-championships.