Lexington, KY – May 17, 2024 – Derby day returned on Friday afternoon for the second week of the Kentucky Spring Series at the Kentucky Horse Park. Augusta Iwasaki and Small Love showcased the wonderful partnership that they have developed over the last two years, leading the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby from start to finish. They finished just ahead of Jacob Pope and SH Legacy who placed second, while Natalie Jayne and Starstruck rounded out the top three.
“I love showing Small Love in the National Derbies,” smiled Iwasaki after her win. “It is a little smaller than the Amateur-Owner Hunters and other stuff I do. She’s still so sharp and jumps so well at this height, so it’s really fun to do her in this – plus she’s really handy!”
Augusta Iwasaki and Small Love
Friday’s highlight event featured two courses designed by Kevin Holowack. The classic round used natural fences that included four high options to gain extra points, as well as an in-and-out. The top 12 were invited to return for the handy course, where they used inside turns and direct routes to garner higher scores from the judges. The tests in the handy round included a direct canter to the first oxer, four high options and an option at the trot fence so that you could choose a more direct path to the next oxer before rolling back to the last oxer and exiting the ring at a walk.
Pope and SH Legacy were the first to enter the Stonelea Ring to kick off Friday’s main event and set the bar very high with a nearly flawless performance that was rewarded with a score of 90. It was not until midway through the class that his score was topped, as Iwasaki and Small Love narrowly edged them out with a score of 90.5. Pope had another beautiful round during the handy, earning a 92 and 182 total score. Iwasaki was prepared for the challenge though and executed their plan perfectly for a score of 93.5 for a total score of 184 and the day’s winning title.
Jacob Pope and SH Legacy
“She hasn’t done much lately, so I wasn’t trying to catch her by surprise at all,” explained Iwasaki. “The trot jump right in the middle, she’s very careful, so I didn’t want her to think that something was happening on the backside, so I just tried to angle her to the right a little bit. The rest, I just was as tidy as I could be.”
Small Love is an 11-year-old Hanoverian mare by Chacco Blue that Iwasaki has been riding for over two years. “She’s the most amazing hunter I would say that I’ve probably ever had,” expressed Iwasaki. “She’s so kind, she really wants to do everything right, and she’s so talented as well, which just makes her very special.”
Iwasaki has been competing at the Kentucky Horse Park since she began showing in Pony Finals and was thrilled to be back for the Kentucky Spring Classic. “I think the facility is amazing,” she concluded. “The horses love it here and we love it here too.”
Hunter action will continue on Saturday as junior riders showcase their mounts during the $1,500 USHJA Pony Hunter Derby. For more information on Kentucky Horse Shows LLC and the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows, please visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.