Lexington, KY – July 27, 2025 – Hunter action continued on Sunday during the Kentucky Summer Horse Show as professional and junior/amateur riders gathered to compete in the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby in the Stonelea Ring at the Kentucky Horse Park. Michael Desiderio had a dominating performance during the highlight event, claiming the top two spots. He led from start to finish with Cocolores, and moved up the ranks aboard Imperial’s High Altitude during the handy round to place second. Junior rider Kenzie Smith rounded out the top three aboard Sundown.
“I’ve been lucky to have Cocolores the last four years and now I know him like the back of my hand,” smiled Desiderio after his victory. “He likes a nice forward, even ride, and he’s listening to everything you’re asking. He’s brave, he’s even leaded, he’s got a huge stride – he’s everything you want in a horse.”
Sunday’s beautiful courses were designed by Joseph Carnicom, and the welcoming first round allowed riders to showcase their horses’ brilliance over the fences. The handy round included four high options, a trot fence, an in-and-out and the opportunity to take several inside turns to garner extra points.
Cocolores, an 11-year-old Warmblood gelding owned by Debbie Bianco, and Desiderio earned the leading score in the first round with a flowing pace and brilliant effort over each that was awarded a score of 92. When they returned for the handy round, they were able to match that effort while taking inside turns without being too risky to earn a score of 93 with all four high options. Their total of 185 topped the leaderboard, and they returned to lead the lap of honor at the end of the day.
“It was a good derby,” noted Desiderio. “There were a lot of options with the inside turns and everything. I took some of them, but I opted to play a little bit of a conservative route in the second round. He’s super handy and he’s good with his leads, so it worked out for us.”
Michael Desiderio & Imperial’s High Altitude
Desiderio’s second mount, Imperial’s High Altitude, had a strong showing in the first round to earn an 89.75, which was ranked fourth. When he returned for the handy round, Desiderio opted for a bolder track on the new mount to try and move up the ranks. The effort was rewarded with a score of 92 and a total score of 181.75 for the second-place prize.
“Imperial’s High Altitude is a new horse for us,” explained Desiderio. “Debbie just bought him about two months ago, and we are just getting to know him. He’s 7 years old, and this is the third derby I’ve done with him. He’s just learning the ropes, but he’s super brave and he’s got a huge stride. My goal was to be a little bit more aggressive with his handy to try to make up some ground. We came back fourth into the second round, so I just wanted to be a little bit more aggressive with his handy to hopefully be able to move up a little bit.”
It was a great week for Desiderio, who also won the $25,000 Kentucky Summer Classic on Thursday in the Rolex Stadium. “It’s amazing here,” he concluded. “The jumps are great, the staff here is amazing and it’s beautiful. It’s Kentucky – everyone wants to come to Kentucky. You’ve got plenty of space to ride and the horses love it.”
Kenzie Smith & Sundown
As the youngest rider in Sunday’s $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby, Kenzie Smith earned the third-place prize with Sundown, a 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding owned by Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright. The duo earned a score of 91.75 in the classic round, and then returned for a score of 85 in the handy for a 176.75 total.
Hunters will take center stage again next week during the Kentucky Summer Classic, which will feature a $7,500 Open USHJA National Hunter Derby and a $7,500 Jr/Am USHJA National Hunter Derby. For more information on Kentucky Horse Shows LLC and the Kentucky Summer Series, please visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.