May 11, 2024 – Burbank, CA – Jamie Sailor and Salito 13 have been knocking on the door of a USHJA International Hunter Derby win, and they got it done on Friday, May 10, at Blenheim EquiSports’ San Juan Capistrano International, held this year at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, CA.
Sailor and the 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding were the penultimate pair to take on the Hunt & Go formatted class in the Hap Hansen Arena, and up to that point, the high score over the Michael Roy Curtis-designed course had been set at 176 by Natalie Rae Sibert and Archie Cox’s Carlson.
With a score of 88.5 in the opening portion of the course and an 88 over the second, handy portion, Sailor and Salito 13 earned a 176.5 total score, narrowly edging out Sibert and Carlson for the win. Sailor also took home the third-place honor with an overall score of 171 aboard her first entry in the class, Fire Flash Toltien, owned by Carolyn Mittler.
For the victory, Sailor was presented with an Equitex cooler, sponsored by Katie Cook and treats from Harlow’s Heavenly Horse Treats. As the winning trainer, Stephanie Haney received a beautiful pillow from Nick Byassee of the Equestrian Design Group.
“This is exciting!” said Sailor of Salito 13’s first International Derby victory. “We were a close second [at the Desert International Horse Park] with him, but this is his first win here, so it’s exciting to have it done here at Blenheim.”
For Sailor, who regularly competes at Blenheim EquiSports’ events in San Juan Capistrano, CA, it was extra special to get the win during the first Blenheim EquiSports’ show held at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.
“It’s exciting to be here in my hometown – the LA area,” said Sailor, who is based just outside of Los Angeles. “I’m really lucky to be here. It’s so fun to see Blenheim here at the LAEC really. I can’t believe it!”
Sailor has been partnered with her winning mount Salito 13, owned by Berman Sport Horses LLC, for less than a year, but the pair hit it off right away after the striking gray gelding was imported to the U.S. Presently, they lead the USEF national standings in the 3’9” Green Hunters, and Salito has proven to really shine in the derby ring.
“[Salito] is just my love; he’s so sweet in the barn,” said Sailor, who owns and operates her own Sailor Sport Horses. “He is fairly new to the hunter idea. He knows when it’s time to perform.”
Sailor concluded, “He goes in the ring, and he really wants to be a competitor – especially from his jumper days. Sometimes, I have to tell him that he has to slow down a little bit because he likes to show jump. He really perks his ears and looks for the jump. He loves the handy round, which, so do I. So, we get along that way. He’s really keen on what you want out of him. The jumps are beautiful here, so he jumped really well – especially the last oxer I was super happy about.”
While Sailor got the win and Sibert finished in second in the USHJA International Derby on Friday, Sibert got her turn in the winner’s circle in the very next class, the $5,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby – Hunt & Go. Sibert piloted Jennifer Berman’s Quaint to scores of 87 and 88 to take home the win with an overall score of 175. Second place in the National Derby, with a score of 171, went to Chad Mahaffey and Balou Boy, owned by Logan Levant.
For full results of both derby events, click here.
Blenheim EquiSports competition at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center continues next week with the Surf & Turf Classic, running May 15-19. To learn more, visit ThePlaceToJump.com.
