Thermal, CA – January 31, 2025 – After Friday, Mark Kinsella and Emma Tangen have at least two things in common. The professional and junior rider both took home $15,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby victories, and they both earned those wins aboard mounts that are new to them.
For Kinsella, his win on January 31 at the Desert International Horse Park came aboard Totally in the $15,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby – Open, sponsored by Renaissance. In the $15,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby – Junior/Amateur, sponsored by Cavalor, it was Tangen’s turn to take the win aboard Sinatra.
In the Open Hunter Derby, Kinsella and Teddi Mellencamp’s Totally were one of 27 entries to take on the course in the Main Hunter Ring, and, at the end of the first round, they sat in second place on a score of 91. Holding the lead with a score of 92 were Nina Alario and While Away, owned by Middlepath Farm LLC.
With only one point separating them, it very much came down to the handy round, and there, Kinsella and Totally edged out the win. They earned a second-round score of 93 for a winning total score of 184. Alario and While Away took home second place by less than a point, finishing with a handy score of 91.25 and an overall score of 183.25. Rounding out the top three was Jessica Gleason who rode Ocho to a score of 178.75 (89.75 + 89).
“He’s a really cool horse,” said Kinsella of Mellencamp’s 11-year-old Westphalian gelding that he just began riding a week ago. “He’s a beautiful horse. He has lots of quality; he has very big step. Honestly, he’s a pleasure. In the middle between my first round and the handy, he went to Ring 2 and did the [Amateur-Owner Hunters] with Teddi, and I believe he scored an 88, so he’s a very versatile horse.”
While Kinsella can more frequently be found in the jumper ring, he is happy to have the opportunity to spend more time in the hunter rings with Totally.
“I just do the show ring riding with [Totally], and I’m having a lot of fun,” said Kinsella. “I really like the bigger hunter days. I think it’s good to cross over a little bit the two sports as well. For the mental aspect, it’s very good because the hunters keep our mind and body a little bit slower. I think as a training style it makes a lot of sense.”
For Tangen, her time aboard her winning horse Sinatra began roughly a month ago – and her first ride on the gelding did not go nearly as well as Friday’s hunter derby.
“The first time I sat on him, I did not ride him very well!” explained 17-year-old Tangen. “It was just an adjustment. I thought, ‘I can’t really ride this horse, but I love him!’ My second time I rode him, everything clicked. I figured him out and then it was just right.”
It certainly looked “just right” on Friday as Tangen and Sinatra led the 34-horse class from beginning to end. The pair kicked things off with a strong score of 93 in the first round, and they followed that up with an 85.25 in the handy round to take the win with an overall score of 178.25.
Finishing about as close as one can get for second place was Ella Delgado who earned a score of 178 aboard Sazerac, owned by Bending Line Farm. Third place with scores of 90 and 87 for a 177 total went to Lauren Kay and Newsflash.
“I was definitely nervous. I’ve never really been on top of a derby before!” said Tangen of coming back for the second round in the lead. “Everything came up very nicely… He’s just such a great horse. You have to put your leg on at first, and then once he’s going and he sees the jumps, it’s so easy. He just takes you to the jumps. Everything is just auto; he has perfect changes. His jump is so special. He just pulls his knees up and jumps so great.”
For complete results from the $15,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby – Open, click here, and click here for the full results from the $15,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby – Junior/Amateur.
