Johnson and the 16-year-old gelding save their best for the handy round to top an 18-entry field at Flintfields Horse Park
Traverse City, MI — September 4— Blue Monday doesn’t particularly care for practice. Victory laps, apparently, aren’t high on his list either. But give the 16-year-old gelding a hunter derby and something interesting to do, and Hillary Johnson knows she’ll have his attention.
Johnson and Blue Monday topped Friday’s $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby at Flintfields Horse Park, scoring an 87 in the opening round before continuing with a class-high 90 in the handy for a winning total of 177. Jessica Chen and Tangelina finished second on 174, while Greg Crolick and Zanziebar R Z took third with 172.5 from the 18-entry field.
“He loves the handies,” Johnson said. “The harder you make it for him, the more fun he has and the more he tries for you.”
That proved useful Friday. Instead of finding one particular place to make her move, Johnson said the second round just came together. “It just kind of ended up all flowing and riding nicely,” she said.
Blue Monday has been owned by Stephanie Battershall of Meadowview Farms for five years, with Battershall riding him during the week and Johnson taking over for his derby appearances. According to Battershall, Blue has developed some fairly strong opinions about that arrangement.
“Blue is a little bit of a conundrum because he thinks he’s really good,” she said. “He never wants to practice. He just knows he’s it.”
Battershall and Johnson have worked together for 20 years, a longstanding partnership that now includes sharing the ride on Blue Monday. Between derbies, there won’t be much drilling.
“He’ll probably trot around, up and down the hills, on the trails a bit between his Friday derbies,” Johnson said. “That’s Blue’s life. He does his one class a week.”
“Lots of sleeping for him,” Battershall added.
Then, when the next derby arrives, Blue Monday will be asked to switch back on.
“Tomorrow he will nap,” Battershall said. “And then next Friday, he’ll get a bath before his derby. That’s his life.”
For Johnson, starting the Tournament of Champions with a win aboard a horse she enjoys riding made Friday’s result particularly satisfying.
“It feels great,” she said. “He’s always so much fun to ride, and I really appreciate and am grateful for the ride.”
Friday’s hunter competition also crowned champions as part of USHJA World Championship Hunter Week. Joshua Graves and Eastside earned the Performance Hunter 3’3” championship, with Graves also taking reserve aboard Fitzgerald. In the Performance Hunter 3’6”, Halie Robinson and Swing Easy claimed the championship, while Luciana Gonzalez So and Springsteen finished reserve.
Blue Monday will get his preferred quiet week before returning next Friday for another $10,000 Brookside Pine Farm USHJA National Hunter Derby at Flintfields Horse Park. Next Friday’s schedule will also feature several championship classes, including the THIS NHS Adult Area Championship and ASPCA Maclay Regional Championship Region 4, alongside the second Friday derby of the Tournament of Champions.
Find daily sport coverage, results, photos, schedules, and more throughout the Tournament of Champions at TraverseCityHorseShows.com and the TCHS Mobile App.
