Upperville, Va. – September 19, 2026 – The $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, sponsored by Laura Karet and Glade Run Farm, took center stage Saturday afternoon at the 2026 Middleburg Classic Horse Show. Hometown hero Evan Coluccio delivered a dominating performance with Luna Van De Neerheide Z, earning scores in the 90s from each judge in each round, claiming the top call for the second year in a row after winning in 2025 with Simba De Vinck. Ryan Kenny and Outshine took home the second place prize, while Victoria Colvin and Golden Road rounded out the top three. 

“It feels amazing to win tonight,” expressed Coluccio “I'm so happy for Luna that she won because she deserves it. She is a winner. Last year I won with Simba, and Luna and Simba were my dynamic duo in Europe. They were best friends – boyfriend and girlfriend. They traveled next to each other and went to all the shows together. I won this with him last year, so I thought it would be really cool to win it with her this year. She's unbelievable – when she goes in and locks into the zone, there's nothing like her.”

Evan Coluccio & Luna Van De Neerheide Z. Photos by: Erin Gilmore Photography

The class opened with a flowing classic round, which started over a vertical on the diagonal and continued with four high options, including the final oxer. Following the classic round, riders returned for the handy round where they could showcase their mount’s brilliance. They began by cantering to a single high-option vertical directly from the gate. The course continued with rollback to the trot jump before making two more inside turns and galloping to final high option vertical.

Coluccio led from start to finish, earning a 187 in the first round with Luna Van De Neerheide Z, a 10-year-old Zangersheide mare owned by Hidden Ridge. With a commanding eight point lead, Coluccio was able to lay down a beautiful handy round, still taking all of the high options and navigating the rollbacks with ease. The duo was once again rewarded with scores in the 90s for a second round score of 201 and an overall total of 388. 

Evan Coluccio & Luna Van De Neerheide Z

“I had such a big lead that I knew I could take my time and play it safe, which was actually nice,” noted Coluccio. “I was never really in much of a hurry. I'm always usually the one that's making ground in the handy, so that's my thing. But today I didn't have to do that.”

Coluccio continued, “Luna is naturally quiet, but she's so aware and she's so intelligent. She requires a lot of leg, but she’s so powerful and has such a big stride – she stays so smooth. Luna is just a dream to ride and she tries her heart out.”

Growing up in Middleburg, this show has always held a special place for Coluccio, making Saturday’s highlight event all the more meaningful. “I love it,” he concluded. “I wish this facility could get used more. It is such a great place to show, and it’s so nice having these evening classes with the sunsets in the mountains. These are special memories, and that’s hard to find special venues like this these days.”

Watch Evan Coluccio & Luna Van De Neerheide Z's winning round

The highlight event on Friday afternoon was the highly anticipated $5,000 Middleburg Classic Derby, sponsored by Windsor Stables/Chess and Michael Britt-León. Top horses and riders gathered to compete in the “hunt and go” style event, where Riverland Z, owned by Robinson Ridge, showcased his brilliant and powerful jumping style with John French, executing a brilliant handy phase that garnered a 92 from the judges. They finished on a total score of 183, just two points ahead of second-place’s Clayton Farrell and Romeo. Victoria Colvin rounded out the top three aboard Pelé.

“It's just nice to be able to get out and do a fun class like this,” said French after his win. “The course was great. We had the handy, and we had to make some inside turns. He did it really well, and he jumped up really high.”

John French and Riverland Z

French continued, “Riverland Z is special because he has a slow way of cantering around, but then his jump is super powerful. He makes a great shape, and he has a really pretty canter between the jumps.”

The 2026 Middleburg Classic will continue on Sunday with the final Grand Hunter Championship awards, marking the conclusion of this unique one-week hunter event. Make sure to check out the silent auction located at the hospitality tent before it ends at 11am, with all proceeds benefiting the Piedmont Environmental Council. 

For more information about the Middleburg Classic Horse Show please visit www.MiddleburgClassic.com.

Support Maria Garcia After Food Truck Fire

The Middleburg Classic community is rallying around local food truck owner Maria Garcia, whose food truck was lost in a fire during the show. The truck was Maria’s sole source of income, and its loss has left her without the income she relies on to support her family and cover day-to-day expenses. Donations will help Maria with immediate needs as she works toward purchasing a new food truck and rebuilding her business. Those wishing to support Maria can contribute to her fundraiser or help by sharing it with others here: https://gofund.me/07196866d

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