DerbyCross Brings Equestrian Stars to Morven Park

By Lauren R. Giannini

Topnotch event and jumper riders competed in the third annual Virginia DerbyCross, August 16 at Morven Park. Team Wise Move harvested the $4,000 first place check, along with trophies and
lovely loot that included Ariat helmet bags from the Tack Box in Middleburg.

Team Wise Move’s three veteran DerbyCross event riders knew exactly what to expect and their fourth proved to be a vital cog in their victory. Gavin Moylan (CAN), based at Meadowville Farm (The Plains), piloted Con Air to the fastest time for MVP jumper rider honors. Jan Byyny, Surefire Eventing (Purcellville, VA) captained her second consecutive victorious team, aboard My Security Blanket. Lynn Symansky and No It Tissant (Vienna, VA), Will Coleman (Gordonsville, VA) and In Mid Air, contributed their four-star, major league experience to help score the lowest combined time of 9.02 minutes.

“I think it’s a great way to showcase our sport and get people involved and knowing who our top riders are,” says Byyny. “We have a love for horses and a love for the adrenaline rush – DerbyCross gives a basic idea of the elements of three-day eventing. I couldn’t believe how many people showed up and they really got into it. It’s a fun two-hour show, exciting to watch as well as to compete in. Plus, it’s fun to win money.”
DerbyCross scores each ride by the clock: knockdowns and refusals convert to time penalties. The course has three parts: show-jumps to cross-country to show-jumps, set appropriately for the two disciplines. Riders have the option of the bogey fence: clearing it means a bonus deduction of 10 points.

Eventers faced a big “flimsy” vertical whereas show jumpers had a two-part cross-country challenge: small log set on a hummock with a downhill approach to a narrow wooden wall. This combination stymied all the jumper riders except Moylan, who earned MVP on the strength of clearing the bogey.

“It’s a good experience for the horses,” says Lynn Symansky of Team Wise Move. “I think it asks a different question of the horses, and it’s a safe way to ask it of them. Some of the horses jump differently [on the third leg of the course] – sometimes they jump flatter and sometimes they jump better. On that second round of show jumps, rails do come down.

“The first time I did DerbyCross, I was so surprised,” she adds. “This time I knew what to expect but so did Fergus and I had a time trying to control him! [No It Tissant finished in the top 20 and won ‘Best Conditioned Horse’ at Kentucky Rolex CCI**** last April.] Essentially, it’s a good school and good mileage for the horses, and you learn something a little different about your horse. I had a great time. It was a blast. I would love to do it again next year.”

Only two riders, both eventers, went clear all day: Sharon White on the third-placed Orange Crush and Jennifer Brannigan, double gold medalist at the recent North American Young Riders Championships held in Colorado.

White and The King’s Spirit, who won their first CCI three-star at Bromont, lopped another 10 seconds off their clear round time by clearing the bogey fence, to finish on 2:53. Brannigan rode her Cooper on the Pink Panthers and shaved another 10 seconds off their score with the bogey fence, for a final score of 2:51, netting second place individually among eventers.

Doug Payne (PA), captain of the Seaview Jockeys, harvested the MVP event rider award with Happy Valley: they had two rails, offset by the bogey bonus point, for a final score of 2:45. The “Jockeys” placed second overall with the help of eventers Simone Kahn (AUS) on Balmoral Tim Tram, Bobby Meyerhoff on Legga Holly, and jumper rider Silvio Mazzoni (ARG), based at Stonegate Stables (Aldie, VA), who rode Utah B

Orange Crush placed third with White, Kristin Bachman, Allison Springer (captain) and jumper rider Pato Muente of San José Stables (Middleburg and Wellington). The Young Rider-composed Pink Panthers finished fourth: Nate Chambers (Upperville), Ashley Kehoe, jumper rider Elizabeth Eaton, and Brannigan.

The winners in closest DerbyCross contest to date: Team Wise Move (l-r): Lynn Symansky, Jan Byyny (captain) kissing Con Air, Gavin Moylan (on horse) – MVP jumper rider, and Will Coleman.

For more information, visit www.derbycross.com.