Guy Cambria and Figure of Speech Capture $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby at Lexington Premiere

Lexington, Va. – April 25, 2025 – Spectators lined the Sandy Gerald Ring Friday morning as top horse-and-rider combinations competed for top honors in the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby at the Virginia Horse Center. The class marked the first of three derbies featured on Triple Crown Derby Day, a weekly highlight of the Festival of Champions, presented by Attwood Equestrian. Guy Cambria and Figure of Speech captured the judges’ attention as soon as they stepped in the ring, and with two flawless rounds they earned impressive scores of 91 and 89 to take home the winning title. Katherine Schmidt Butler and Diaro followed closely in second place, while 13-year-old Kenzie Smith and Mirage earned the third-place award.

“Figure of Speech is one of the best horses in the barn,” smiled Cambria after his win. “He’s just easy to ride and always willing to do what you ask him, and he really likes to show off when he gets in the ring. He’s got a great canter and rhythm that he holds all the way around the course.”

The format for all of the derbies was a Hunt-and-Go where riders start with their classic round, and continue straight to the handy, which began with a rollback to a log trot jump, before finishing with a hand gallop to the final oxer towards the gate. There were also four high options, which allowed riders to showcase their mounts’ brilliance while also earning additional points. Figure of Speech showcased flawless style over each fence with Cambria for owner Amy Squier Perez and topped the standings with a combined score of 180. They also took home the title of Leading Professional for their performance.

Butler and Diaro were not far behind Cambria, as they topped the handy portion of the class with a score 90, and an overall total score of 176.5 to place second for owner Doug Longest. Smith was the youngest rider in the class, but she expertly navigated the course with Charlotte Rossetter’s Mirage, earning scores of 84.5 and 88 for a two-round total of 172.5 and the third-place prize. They also earned the Leading Junior Award, presented by TowneBank. The winner of the Leading Amateur Award, sponsored by Christian & Barton, was Reilly Canard aboard Carry On, who placed sixth overall.

Cambria was thrilled with Figure of Speech’s performance, saying, “When I walked the course this morning, I just wanted to keep the same canter and allow the horse to get to the jump and let him show off his style at the jump. With a hunt and go format, I just wanted to keep the same style. Then during the handy portion, there were a couple of spots that you could stay inside, be tidy to the jump.”

The Festival of Champions is always on Cambria’s calendar, and he was thrilled to be back at the Virginia Horse Center. “We come every year and this year the new footing and all the upgrades they’ve done have been great,” he concluded. “We spend four or five weeks here a year at all the horse shows. It’s nice to see all of the improvements – the footing has been riding great. The team has done an excellent job of maintaining it and it’s just been great to show!”

The next event in the Sandy Gerald Ring was the $1,000 Virginia Festival of Champions (VFOC) 2’9″/3′ Hunter Derby, where Peyton McCluskey earned the top honors with Quidal. Alyse Black and I Spy placed second, while Carter Carleigh and Bon Voyage rounded out the top three.

The day concluded with Dabney Napolitano winning the $1,000 VFOC 2’6″/2’3” Hunter Derby aboard Dubai. The second-place prize went to Grace Gallo with Penten’s Icy, and third-place honors were earned by Sarah Thompson and Monopoly.

The Lexington Spring Premiere will continue through April 27 at the Virginia Horse Center. Saturday evening’s highlight event will be the $25,000 Rockbridge Grand Prix. Next week, riders will return for the Lexington Spring Encore, the second event in the 2025 Festival of Champions, presented by Attwood Equestrian.