John French and Milagro Win WEF Premiere $25k USHJA Worldwide Hunter Derby

John French & Milagro. Picture © Sportfot.

John French set a excessive bar for the 2023 hunter season at Wellington Worldwide with Milagro on Friday. The pair jumped round effortlessly to steal the win within the $25,000 USHJA Worldwide Hunter Derby throughout opening week of the Winter Equestrian Competition (WEF) in Wellington, FL.

Thirty mixtures got down to conquer the basic derby format class as a spotlight to skilled, newbie, and junior hunter competitors throughout WEF’s 2023 debut.

Proper behind French got here Michael Britt-Leon and Bacchus, a 2013 Hanoverian gelding owned by Kelly Sims, in second place, adopted by Greg Crolick and Zanziebar R Z, a 2008 Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Jon Cotton, in third place.

French and Milagro, the approaching eight-year-old gelding owned by Kent Farrington, LLC, claimed the derby victory over an fascinating course plan in entrance of two panels of judges.

“The course was totally different; it wasn’t your typical turns, so that you needed to actually take note of the place you have been going. There have been instances you thought you’d be going left, however actually you have been turning just a little sharper to the fitting,” he mentioned after posting a first-round mixed rating of 186. “Typically you do this within the helpful, however there have been much more turns in the present day. It was positively a real derby course and never your regular hunter course.”

Tomas Yofre Has What It Takes in Bainbridge 1.40m Pace Problem

Argentina’s Tomas Yofre is off and working at WEF with a victory within the Bainbridge 1.40m Pace Problem on Friday using Eliante Z, a 2013 Zangersheide mare by Ermindo W. From a beginning area of 62 over a course designed by Eric Hasbrouck USA, Eliante Z proved she had the pace to prime all of them for proprietor by Stellium Sport Horses LLC.

“I’m so grateful to Olivia Broder and her household for trusting me with this particular mare,” mentioned Yofre of the mount he’s solely been partnered with because the finish of the 2022 season. “She will get higher and higher. She is tremendous cautious and aggressive, and I feel she will win any class she needs.”

Sweeping the remainder of the rostrum, Eire’s Darragh Kenny took second on California Pie, owned by Oakland Ventures, and third aboard Cicomein VDL for owned HKC Assortment LLC.

Communications and Media Relations
information@wellingtoninternational.com
Wellington Worldwide | (561) 793-5867
www.wellingtoninternational.com