Harford Horse Shows Association, Inc.
presents the 

HHSA Open Horse Hunter Derby
and HHSA Open Pony Hunter Derby

Sunday, October 6, 2024

608 N. Tollgate Road, Bel Air, MD 21014
secretaryhhsa@gmail.com

Pre-entries ONLY will be accepted until 8pm Thursday, October 3rd. NO ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DEADLINE OR THE DAY OF.


Checks can be made out to HHSA. Payment must be via check or cash.

GENERAL INFORMATION & CONDITIONS 

Entry Fee: $50.00 per entry

Pre-entry is required by the posted deadline.
No entries will be accepted post deadline or the day-of. No exceptions. No scratch fee.

The HHSA Open Hunter Derbies will be held following the conclusion of all annual HHSA Medal Finals divisions in the lower Ring 3 of the Bel Air Equestrian Center. HHSA Medal Finals exhibitors are also eligible to exhibit in the HHSA Open Hunter Derbies.


The HHSA Open Hunter Derbies are open to all Junior, Amateur, and Professional riders. Riders need not be members of HHSA in order to participate.

Proper show attired required. Formal attire highly encouraged.

The HHSA Open Hunter Derbies are open to all horses and ponies for their respective division. Ponies must present a measurement card or have one already on file with HHSA. Horses/ponies need not be registered with HHSA in order to participate. A horse/pony may only enter derby with one (1) rider. 


At the conclusion of the HHSA Medal Finals, the ring will be open for 30 minutes hacking only for HHSA Open Hunter Derby exhibitors. No schooling over fences will be permitted - jumping any of the jumps will result in immediate elimination from the Open Hunter Derbies. Horse/pony may only be hacked in the ring by its exhibitor. There will not be a course walk prior to the Open Hunter Derbies. 

The ring will be open to all HHSA Medal Finals exhibitors and Open Hunter Derby exhibitors in the until 7:20am for all course walks. There will also be an open 15 minute course walk offered at the conclusion of the HHSA Open Adult Medal Final.

The HHSA Open Horse Hunter Derby will begin promptly at the conclusion of the 30 minute schooling break, followed by the HHSA Open Pony Hunter Derby. There will be a posted order of go for each derby division. 
JUMP HEIGHTS OFFERED

HHSA Open Pony Hunter Derby
2’ (2’3” high option)  •  2’3” (2’6” high option)  •  2’6” (2’9” high option)

HHSA Open Horse Hunter Derby
2’ (2’3” high option)  •  2’6” (2’9” high option)  •  3’ (3’3” high option)

 


JUDGING & SPECIFICATIONS


The 2024 HHSA Open Hunter Derbies will be conducted in a "Hunt and Go" format. This format consists of two phases – one (1) Classic Hunter Round and one (1) Handy Hunter Round jumped consecutively. All participants will complete both the Classic and the Handy portions even if penalties (rails, refusals, etc.) are incurred. Major penalties (falls, 3 refusals, off course, etc.) will result in elimination.

The Classic Hunter Round, consisting of seven ot eight (7-8) fences with two (2) high options, shall be judged on quality, movement, jumping style, manners and way of going.

After the completion of the Classic Hunter Round, horses will pass through a set of markers to begin their Handy portion of the class. Riders are not permitted to walk or pause between rounds. The Handy Hunter Round, consisting of five to eight (5-8) fences with at least two (2) high options, shall be judged on jumping style and efficiency while maintaining style and form, way of going, and overall flow. A horse/rider may not jump decorations or other obstacles in order to create a shorter track.

There will be a single score for each designated Classic Hunter Round and consecutive Handy Hunter Round, in addition to the bonus points of one (1) point per high option jump that will be added to each score. The scores, with optional bonus points, from each round will then be added together to determine a total score and placement.

The optional bonus score of one (1) additional point for each higher height option fence jumped must be awarded even if there is a refusal, rail down or loss of good jumping style at that higher height option fence, providing that the horse-and-rider combination does jump the higher height option fence. 

Round 1 Hunter Classic Course – To be shown over a classic hunter course consisting of at
least 8 fences. No handy option fences are to be jumped in this round. A numerical score will
be given by the judge. To be judged on quality, movement, jumping style, manners, and
way of going. Pace and brilliance are to be rewarded.
Round 2 Handy Hunter Course – To be shown over a handy hunter course consisting of at
least 8 fences. The course will include a minimum of two (2) handy option fences. The top
12 from Round 1 will return in reverse order for Round 2. In addition to the base numerical
score, the judge will award each horse/rider combination with one bonus point for every
high option fence jumped without major fault as well as a handy bonus score for the round,
between zero (0) and ten (10) points.
Scores from Round 1 and Round 2 for the Top 12 horse/rider combinations will be
combined to determine overall placings of 1 st through 10 th . In the case of a tie in the overall
placings, the higher Round 2 score will be used to break any ties.
Round 1 Hunter Classic Course – To be shown over a classic hunter course consisting of at
least 8 fences. No handy option fences are to be jumped in this round. A numerical score will
be given by the judge. To be judged on quality, movement, jumping style, manners, and
way of going. Pace and brilliance are to be rewarded.
Round 2 Handy Hunter Course – To be shown over a handy hunter course consisting of at
least 8 fences. The course will include a minimum of two (2) handy option fences. The top
12 from Round 1 will return in reverse order for Round 2. In addition to the base numerical
score, the judge will award each horse/rider combination with one bonus point for every
high option fence jumped without major fault as well as a handy bonus score for the round,
between zero (0) and ten (10) points.
Scores from Round 1 and Round 2 for the Top 12 horse/rider combinations will be
combined to determine overall placings of 1 st through 10 th . In the case of a tie in the overall
placings, the higher Round 2 score will be used to break any ties.

In the event of a tied score, the higher score in the Classic Hunter Round will be the tiebreaker.