Kristen Bumpus has another ‘Inspired’ win in the $10,000 Devoucoux Hunter Derby at HITS Ocala
February 22, 2026
OCALA, FL (February 22, 2026)-Bumps and bruises can’t stop Bumpus! Kristen Bumpus, who’s won the $10,000 Devoucoux Hunter Derby on Hannah Curran’s Inspired two weeks in a row, shows crutches on the show grounds when she’s not showing for blue ribbons at HITS Ocala.
“It doesn’t hurt when I ride,” said Bumpus, of Concord, Massachusetts, who has a hole in her Achilles tendon. “It’s when I walk that it hurts.”
Bumpus was last to go in the first round of Sunday’s $10,000 Devoucoux Hunter Derby which included an element where the rider and horse go outside of the ring and then return to take the last jump of the course. Showing against an impressive class of 50 riders, Bumpus wasted no time in becoming the leader of the class with a first-round score of 85.
“You train them for years and years not to go outside of the ring, and now you’re trying to convince them – Yes! You’re really going outside of the ring!” said Bumpus. “Today, I just wanted to take my time and make it as smooth as possible. I didn’t want him to anticipate the sharp turns and movements that I wanted to do in the handy.”
Bumpus was also last to show in the second round and scored an 84, for a combined score of 169 for the win. “I didn’t even see anyone go in the second round – I just had a plan, and stuck to it,” she said.
With back-to-back wins, Bumpus and Inspired are now the ones to beat in $10,000 Devoucoux Hunter Derby.
“This is the reason why we brought him to Ocala,” said Bumpus, who is showing Inspired in the Derbies for the owner, Hannah Curran of Arrowhead Farms in Concord, Massachusetts. “He shows in the Adult Hunters as well and when we found out the Derbies would be offered, we knew it would be perfect for him to compete in.”
Taking second place was Chase Boggio of Canton, Georgia on Graphiq, who scored an 82.25 in the first round, and an 86 in the second round, for a combined score of 168.25. Boggio was also second in last week’s Devoucoux Derby aboard his sister’s mount, Alamo.
Placing third was David Connors of Ocala, Florida on Nadia, who scored an 83 in the first round, and an 84 in the second round, for a combined score of 167.
Presenting the awards was Greg Sadovic of Devoucoux. “We are very excited about the turnout for this fantastic class,” said Sadovic. “We are happy to support the hunters and the level of competition they bring to the horse show.”
Devoucoux is a sponsor of all HITS shows and title sponsor of the popular Devoucoux Hunter Derby. Located on-site in the vendor area at HITS Ocala, Devoucoux showcases its fine saddles and tack and is always available for consultation and customization.
This year, the all-new Devoucoux Hunter Derby will be a featured event at both the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit and the HITS Desert Circuit in Thermal, California, and represents the 13th division to count for points in the Marshall & Sterling League. In addition to the $10,000 classes at HITS winter shows in Ocala and Thermal, qualifying classes for the Devoucoux Hunter Derby will also be offered at the HITS Culpeper and HITS Saugerties shows this spring and summer. HITS has also invited a select number of additional horse shows in the Northeast to add the Devoucoux Hunter Derby to their show schedules in order to facilitate the growth of the class and to provide further qualifying opportunities for the Marshall & Sterling League National Finals. The Devoucoux Hunter Derby Finals will be offered at the 2010 Marshall & Sterling League National Finals on September 16-19 in Saugerties, New York. For a complete list of horse shows offering the Devoucoux Hunter Derby for Marshall & Sterling points, please click here.
Show Jumping continues on Tuesday, February 23, with the Ocala Masters. A full lineup of exciting classes and special events will highlight the week, including the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, on Thursday, the $10,000 Devoucoux Hunter Derby, and the $75,000 Strongid C 2X Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, on Sunday as the road to the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix continues.
In order to qualify for the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix, a rider must compete in eight or more HITS Grand Prix classes. The top 40 riders, based on money won by horse/rider combination, will be eligible to ride for the Pfizer Million. For more detailed information on the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix, please visit our website at HitsShows.com.
HITS, Inc. produces high-quality, international-level hunter/jumper horse shows. Based in upstate New York in the village of Saugerties, HITS has been producing shows since 1982 and is now a nationwide company with world-class circuits in California, Florida, Arizona, New York and Virginia. In 2010, HITS will take the industry to new heights when it hosts the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix in Saugerties on September 12.
For more information and a complete schedule of classes and events, visit www.HitsShows.com.
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