48/ MAY 2023 THE RIDER


Jef Lauwers and Hallpass Conclude Pin Oak Charity Horse Show with Victory in $30,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby


April 13, 2024 – Katy, TX – Jef Lauwers and Hallpass ended the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show the same way that they started it: with a USHJA


Hunter Derby victory. After having earned the


win in the $30,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, sponsored by Augusta Pines Farm, during Pin Oak Week I, Lauwers and Hallpass re- turned to also take home the top spot in Friday’s Week III $30,000 USHJA Interna- tional Hunter Derby, spon- sored by Memorial Park Hunters. This time, the competi-


tion moved indoors under the lights of the Main Ring at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, TX, where 30 entries took on the first-round course de- signed by Meghan Rawlins. As the 13th pair in the


International


order, Lauwers and Hallpass shot straight to the top of the leaderboard with scores from the two judging panels of 86 and 87 – plus four high-option bonus points added to each score – for a first-round total score of 181.


Coming the closest to


Hallpass’ score in the first round was Ivy League, owned and ridden by Jen- nifer Alfano. Alfano and the 7-year-old Warmblood geld- ing earned scores of 83 and 85, plus two high-option bonus points, for a first- round score of 172. Sitting in third place at the end of the first round, with a score of 167, were Alwaleed Al- rashid and Versailles, owned by Lyla Brady. With the top 12 return-


ing in reverse order of their standings for the handy round, the top three spots ul-


timately remained com- pletely unchanged. With Versailles, Alrashid earned scores of 81 and 87, plus three high-option bonus points, for a second-round score of 174 and an overall third-place total of 346. Alfano and Ivy League


also earned a second-round


score of 174, giving them a total score of 346 and ce- menting their second-place finish. As the last to return,


Lauwers and Hallpass only further


lengthened their


lead. Scores of 87 and 88, plus all four high-option bonus points, gave them a second-round score of 183 and the win with an overall score of 364. “[Hallpass]


is my


knight in shining armor,” said Lauwers of the 11-year- old Hanoverian gelding, owned by Sue Copeland. “He just comes out, and he starts jumping. He jumps better and better and better. He’s a great derby horse. That’s why we have him here.”


When not in the show Jef Lauwers and Hallpass. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography


ring with Lauwers, Hallpass can be found at home with Copeland, who keeps the horse fit on the flat and over smaller jumps before turn- ing him over to Lauwers for derby classes. “He doesn’t


really


travel with me,” explaind Lauwers. “He stays here, and he loves Texas. He loves his mom. She rides him every day, and then I get to ride him here at Pin Oak. It’s been really cool to have a horse like that that just comes out and steps up and does his job.” Lauwers continued, “I


Jef Lauwers and Hallpass were presented as the winners of the $30,000 USHJA Inter- national Hunter Derby, sponsored by Memorial Park Hunters. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography


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love it here [at Pin Oak] be- cause it feels like it’s one big family. I think the Texas people really stick together. We all come together, and we have different stories to share [from the winter spent on different circuits]. It feels like a community to come back to. It’s nice to have a hometown show where we all have fun. The ambiance is great, so it’s just fun to be here.”


Following a successful


three weeks at the 78th an- nual Pin Oak Charity Horse Show, Lauwers will now spend a few weeks at home in Magnolia, TX, with PJP Farm before setting his sights on his summer goals. “I think I’m going to


try to take [Hallpass] to


Derby Finals this year,” said Lauwers. “He’ll probably come and meet me up north maybe [at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival in Tra- verse City, MI]. We’ll warm him up there, and then we’ll get ready for Derby Finals. It’s fun to have a horse like that that you know and that you can count on. He just al- ways is the same. He comes out super. At the beginning of the week, he comes out like, ‘Ugh, you’re not my mom! Why are you kicking me!’ But then he loosens up and his jumping great. It’s like autopilot; you can just cruise over big jumps.” Also recognized during


the $30,000 USHJA Interna- tional Hunter Derby was this year’s Best Turned Out Derby Horse award recipi- ent, C’est La Vie, ridden by Emma Rupinski. For the


honor, C’est La Vie’s team was presented with the Paula Sparks Perpetual Tro- phy.


To view full re-


sults of the $30,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, click here. To learn more about the Pin Oak Charity Horse


Show, PinOak.org.


About the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show Recognized as a US


Equestrian Heritage Com- petition, the Pin Oak Char- ity Horse Show is one of the oldest and most prestigious horse shows in the United States. Today, the show fea- tures three weeks of top-cal- iber hunter/ jumper events and one week of breed show competition at the Great Southwest Equestrian Cen- ter in Katy, TX.


visit


C’est La Vie, ridden by Emma Rupinski, was presented with the Paula Sparks Perpetual Trophy as the Best Turned Out Derby Horse. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography


Second place went to Jennifer Alfano and Ivy League. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography


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