Press release from The Hampton Classic Horse Show

Two-time Olympic gold medalist and 2018 WEG team gold medalist McLain Ward claimed victory in the $15,000 Speed Derby Friday afternoon, his second win this week with new mount Silberrose. The Derby course included the natural obstacles which the Classic’s grand prix ring is known for: the bank, the open water and the beautiful trimmed hedges.

Ward had not tested his new mount over Derby-style obstacles prior to competing at the Classic, but explained that as in life, a positive attitude can take you a long way.

“She’s really a game, brave, competitive mare and she was really on form today,” said Ward of Silberrose. “I knew she had jumped the water before, but I didn’t know how she would be to the bank.

“With a Derby course, if you have a horse that you know you can count on not to be afraid of those different fences, that’s always a great benefit. Even in those places, you can shave a bit of time by taking more risk. Today we saw some of the riders really taking time and setting up the natural fences. It helps that she’s also just a really fast horse. She doesn’t waste a lot of time. She doesn’t have a huge stride but the way the lines were set up today, I could do the same number of strides as the bigger horses without slowing down.”

Ward and Silberrose stopped the clock in 60.199 seconds with Ireland’s Richie Moloney and Shane Sweetnam taking second and third positions with times of 62.759 and 63.316 seconds respectively. Moloney rode Boriena H and Sweetnam rode Kecho Du Sud.