Friday, January 24, marked an exciting milestone during the second week of the 2025 HITS Ocala Winter Circuit as the Ocala January Festival put the spotlight on junior and amateur competitors with the first $5,000 USHJA Jr/Am National Hunter Derby of the season. Amateur rider Schuyler Dayner and her exceptional partner, Talk, delivered an outstanding performance to claim victory with a remarkable combined score of 185.
Riders faced a thoughtfully designed course crafted by Brian Post, Maja Lindemann, and Tim Hott, with judges Randy Roy and Amy Ripple scoring the rounds. Featuring strictly junior and amateur athletes, each horse-and-rider pair displayed their skills in a classic first round, with the top 12 advancing to the handy round, known for its creative and challenging options.
Dayner and Talk, a 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Thunder VD Zuuthoeve x Nagano) owned by Don Stewart, shone throughout the event. Drawing on their strong foundation in equitation, the pair earned an impressive first-round score of 87, bolstered by four high-option bonus points. In the handy round, they wowed the judges with a base score of 90, plus another four bonus points, securing Dayner’s first derby win as an amateur.
“I probably should have played it safe, but I think it’s so much more fun to be as handy as I can,” said Dayner with a smile. “I did all the inside turns, and Talk was flawless through them all.”
Training with her mother, Heather Dayner, at Baxter Lane Farm in Odessa, Florida, Schuyler Dayner recently transitioned from the junior ranks after a highly successful career. The Ocala January Festival marked one of her first outings as an amateur, and now she is making the most of the pace of her new status.
“The amateur life is definitely not as intense as my junior years, so I’m enjoying that,” she said.
Even so, Schuyler Dayner still has plans for an active season at HITS Ocala, competing a few of her young horses before she sets off to Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, in the fall to join their National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) team.
“I’ve been coming to HITS since I was in a stroller,” laughed Schuyler Dayner. “They’ve made such great improvements, and all the rings look beautiful. All the staff and exhibitors are so lovely to be around, so I really enjoy it here.”
The runner-up spot went to Taylor Morrison aboard Ridgeway, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Callahan VDL x Cantos) owned by Platinum Life LLC, with a two-round score of 170. Chelsea Kasper and her 17-year-old Holsteiner mare (Cristo x Schwaermer), Miss Mo, rounded out the top three on a score of 169.
The hunter competition continued with The League Hunter Derbies, keeping the energy alive. In the $750 League Bit O’ Straw 2’6” Hunter Derby, Elizabeth Wiley rode Apostrophe, her own eight-year-old Warmblood gelding, to victory. Alexandra Wolf and her own 13-year-old gelding, Bad Wolf Bay, secured top honors in the League Bit O’ Straw 2’ Hunter Derby.
As the second week of the 2025 HITS Ocala Winter Circuit wraps up, riders and spectators look ahead to even more excitement when the Ocala Premiere kicks off on January 29.
