In the upcoming November 2009 issue of Practical Horseman, we have a feature with John French on his winning strategies with Rumba at the inaugural 2009 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals. If you've been following this "new" concept at all, what are your thoughts about it? Do you think this is the future of the hunter sport? Why or why not?

 I don't know a bunch about this concept but from what I have seen it looks like fun. I feel like Hunters has become dull (I ride Hunters so I'm not just being rude) and i don't know about others, but when someone pulls out a new, funky jump to go over I get excited. At one of the shows this year there was a wishing well jump and I giggled every time I got to go over it. Maybe I'm just a dork that way. I think it would be cool if we started to see more of this. I like that it's based on an old tradition. Also,maybe it's just because I'm in the lower classes that the jumping is super boring (i.e. single fence to outside line to diagonal to outside line, etc.), but I think these Derby courses look like they are more technical, which I think is a positive thing as well.

I like the concept, but am afraid the classes wont make it down to the local level.  Although I strive to make the big shows (AA), I'm not there yet.  I echo the other comments that classes are boring - please give the locals (B and A) some interesting classes! 

I quit hunters because I was bored to death and have zero interest in loping slowly around a course that never varies in appearance or sequence.  But if it became all hunter derbies (see, we eventers DO have some good ideas about fun jumps!) I would definitely find it substantially less boring and I think the spectators would too.

I was lucky enough to be able to attend one of the hunter derbies in Wellington last winter and I was very pleased to see that the hunter division is finally getting back to its roots. Somehow, the entire division was dumbed down over the years, with overly simplistic courses that were not challenging to either the horses or the riders. And the judges started rewarding the ambling, plodding horses who showed no pizzaz. Hunters are supposed to present the kind of horse that one would want to ride while out in the field on a hunt. Now, I've never been fox-hunting, but I do know that it involves some pretty scary-looking obstacles and many hard miles over rough terrain -- for that, you need a bold, handy horse that has its own motor. The derbies test the horses and riders over a course that is much closer to a hunt field than the previous outside line/angle line/outside line/angle line courses of the regular hunter classes. And, as others have mentioned, watching a hunter derby class is much more exciting for the spectators. It's like watching a hunter/jumper hybrid class. Due to the overwhelmingly positive reception, I do believe that hunter derbies will change the division for the better.

Yes! Brings back the days of the forward pace, big more solid looking obstacles which require the bolder ride and the big jumping horse! Fun to watch as well.