Woodside Spring Classic Photo Essay

For the second week in a row, Kelly McKnight and Zan Chin (Jane Hind, owner), sponsored by Circa, topped the $2,500 1.20M Open Speed Derby. The pair raced around the course in a leather halter, and no one could catch them. Meagan Rawlins (CAN) built a typical speed derby track that offered a variety of options and utilized all of the natural features of The Horse Park at Woodside’s Grand Prix Ring, such as the bank complex, grob, and water jump. This new class is rapidly becoming a hallmark of the Woodside shows, as it is the only facility in Northern California—and one of just a few in the West—that has all the features necessary for a true speed derby course.

For Kelly’s part, he loves derbies and is excited to have them at Woodside this year. He credits the win to his quick and nimble mare, as well as having a little help on the rail. “Having two legacy trainers helping me in the warm up ring each week, Michael Traurig in week one and Ronnie Keller in week two, couldn't have hurt,” he said. “This class is a lot of fun. Let's do it again in June!”