Tag Archives: HITS

Jumping Jayne! Charlie Jayne and The London Group’s Athena Capture the $31,000 HITS Welcome Classic at HITS Thermal

© Flying Horse Photography. Charlie Jayne and The London Group's Athena on course in Thursday's $31,000 HITS Welcome Classic.

THERMAL, CA (February 4, 2011) — Charlie Jayne and The London Group’s Athena showed exactly why they finished second in last year’s Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix when they took top honors in Thursday’s $31,000 HITS Welcome Classic, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at the HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, California.

Jayne (Elgin, Illinois) and Athena are newcomers to the HITS Desert Circuit. They were the best of the 41 horse-and-rider pairs that challenged International Course Designer Bernardo Cabral’s (Lisbon, Portugal) first-round track and the nine pairs that advanced to the seven-obstacle jump-off. The atmosphere in the indoor arena was electric as an enthusiastic crowd lined the tent on all sides, including a raucous group that watched from the beautiful Charles Owen VIP Club.

“I came to Thermal for a couple of reasons,” said Jayne. “I was so grateful to HITS and the sponsors for last year’s Pfizer Million that I wanted to come here and try to get a head start on qualifying for this year’s class. I really loved being in Saugerties. The hotels and restaurants were great and the facility was very horse friendly. There isn’t much not to like about Saugerties.”

Continue reading Jumping Jayne! Charlie Jayne and The London Group’s Athena Capture the $31,000 HITS Welcome Classic at HITS Thermal

HITS Ocala Pre-Circuit Comes to a Close with Veterans Tracy Magness and Betty Oare Leading the Way

© ESI Photography. Tracy Magness and Tarco Van Ter Moude in the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health.

OCALA, FL (January 31, 2011) – The HITS Ocala Pre-Circuit came to an end on Sunday with another beautiful day in the sun, as top riders took home the victories in the two feature classes of the day. Grand Prix superstar Tracy Magness and Hunter veteran Betty Oare walked away with the top honors to close out the highly-successful Pre-Circuit at HITS Post Time Farm as now all eyes turn to the six-week, AA-rated circuit which begins on February 8.

Maryland’s Tracy Magness and her longtime sport partner Tarco Van Ter Moude, owned by Mr. and Mrs. John Bartko, won the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, as they once again embark on the road to the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix.

“This was a great course for the Pre-Circuit,” commented Magness, who found her way back to the winner’s circle early. “It’s just the beginning of the season and the horses are getting back into the swing of things. I thought it was inviting and fair enough to set the pace for the winter.”

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Canadian Olympian John Pearce Scores a One-Two Punch in Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, Presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at HITS Thermal

© Flying Horse Photography. Canadian Olympian John Pearce rides Son of a Gun in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health.

THERMAL, CA (January 29, 2011) — Canadian Olympian John Pearce made it clear that he is determined to make a return trip to the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix when he scored both the blue and red ribbons in Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at the HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, California.

Pearce, of Bermuda Dunes, California, and Forest View Farm’s Chianto took the victory gallop in the Friday’s feature class after he got the best of the 33 starters that challenged Canadian Course Designer Danny Foster’s first-round course and the 13 pairs that advanced to the jump-off to secure $7,500 in first-place prize money.

“Danny (Foster) did a beautiful job on the course,” said Pearce. “For the first Grand Prix of the circuit, he hit it right on the money! He couldn’t have done it any better.”

Continue reading Canadian Olympian John Pearce Scores a One-Two Punch in Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, Presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at HITS Thermal

Adequan Hunter Highlights Competition at All 2011 HITS Horse Shows and the Marshall & Sterling League

©ESI Photography. HITS' Kristen Vale and Mary Moeller congratulate Katie Milton and If You Say So after winning the Adequan Hunter Championship at the 2010 Marshall & Sterling League National Finals.

SAUGERTIES, NY (January 28, 2011) — HITS, Inc. is pleased to announce that Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, Inc., manufacturers of Adequan (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan), the only FDA-approved disease modifying osteoarthritic drug treatment for equine non-infectious degenerative joint disease, will once again sponsor the popular Adequan Hunter Division at all HITS horse shows nationwide.

Luitpold Animal Health believes that the demands on show horses, particularly at the top performance level, require attention to details and a solid plan for maintaining soundness.

Adequan i.m. is the flagship equine product from Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Unlike corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which only ease the source of pain and decrease inflammation of the synovial membrane, Adequan i.m. breaks the destructive disease cycle associated with osteoarthritis. It helps to restore the natural cycle of “wear and repair” within a joint and blocks the enzymes that damage joints and restores synovial lubrication within the joint. The treatment regime of 1 intramuscular injection every 4 days for 7 treatments protects cartilage structure, inhibits cartilage damage and stimulates the natural cartilage repair process. It also decreases inflammation and relieves the pain associated with DJD.

Continue reading Adequan Hunter Highlights Competition at All 2011 HITS Horse Shows and the Marshall & Sterling League

2011 USEF Junior Hunter National Championships – East Coast Returns to HITS-on-the-Hudson

©Lili Weik Photography. Taylor Ann Adams is congratulated after winning the 2009 Essex Classics/USHJA Hunterdon Cup at HITS Saugerties.

Wildcard Berths for the Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final to Be Awarded to Champion Riders from Each of the Four Junior Hunter Sections

SAUGERTIES, NY (January 28, 2011) — HITS, Inc. is pleased to announce that the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has selected HITS-on-the-Hudson to be the host site for the 2011 Junior Hunter National Championships – East Coast, marking the return of the event to HITS facility for the sixth time in the past seven years.

The 2011 USEF Junior Hunter Championships – East Coast will be held August 1-3, between HITS-on-the-Hudson V and VI, at the HITS-on-the-Hudson show grounds in Saugerties, New York. The Championships will feature competition for all four sections of Junior Hunters: Small Juniors 15 and Under, Large Juniors 15 and Under, Small Juniors 16-17 and Large Juniors 16-17. Also held during this competition is the popular and prestigious Hunterdon Cup, which offers an exciting equitation championship for junior riders. Equitation classes will kick things off with the USEF/Pessoa Hunter Seat Medal, the ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship Medal, and the WIHS Equitation Classic taking place the first day of competition.

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HITS-on-the-Hudson Will Host the 2011 National PHA Medal Finals at the Marshall & Sterling League National Finals

© Richard Killian. PHA President Mary Jane Mitchell, 2010 National PHA Junior Medal Champion Emma Schauder, and Ann Grenci.

SAUGERTIES, NY (January 26, 2011) — HITS, Inc. is pleased to announce it will host the 2011 National PHA Medal Final on Saturday, September 17 at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York as part of the Marshall & Sterling League National Finals. The joining of HITS and the National PHA Medal Finals is a perfect match since the HITS-on-the-Hudson venue is a show-jumping hub for the entire North East.

The Professional Horsemen’s Association of America, Inc., otherwise known as the PHA, is a self-contained benevolent organization and consists of 16 Chapters throughout the United States with over 900 Professional members. The PHA gives aid and sustenance to needy horsemen, and has a scholarship fund which provides financial assistance to further educate the children of professional members. The PHA also continues to promote and foster the care and protection of horses through education at the local, state and federal levels.

Originally, the National PHA Medal Class Champion was decided annually based on the number of points equitation riders accumulated throughout the year with awards going to the six highest scoring junior riders. Presentations were made at the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden. Back in 1984, HITS’ own Francesca Mazella was the PHA Medal Champion, based on points won in PHA Medal classes throughout the year. Starting in 1995 the format was changed to a Medal Final, where the top 30 junior riders who accumulate the most points during the season compete in the National PHA Medal Final. The Final features a course of eight or more fences at 3’6” in height, with at least one combination including an oxer and two changes of lead after the first fence. The judge will insert two tests into the original course (USEF Tests 1-18). Further testing of the top riders is optional. The top eight placed finalists receive scholarship awards, in addition to their ribbons and trophies. In 2010, Emma Schauder of Greenwich, Connecticut was the winner of the National PHA Medal Final held at Old Salem Farm.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=13051

The $25,000 HITS Grand Prix and $2,500 Devoucoux Hunter Prix Highlight Competition for Opening Week at HITS Ocala

© ESI Photography. Andres Rodriguez and Davinci in the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health.

OCALA, FL (January 24, 2011) – The Ocala January Classic came to an end on Sunday and was highlighted by the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, and the $2,500 Devoucoux Hunter Prix, the first qualifiers of 2011 for the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix and the Diamond Mills $500,000 3’3″ Hunter Prix Final, respectively.

Andres Rodriguez of Boca Raton, Florida, and Andres Olivares’ Davinci took home the victory in the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health. The class saw 33 starters take the field on a course designed by Jerry Dougherty of Bokeelia, Florida, that produced six clear rounds for the jump-off.

The first clear round of the class came early, when Paul Halpern of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and Amanda Weaver’s Sevastian K, second in the order, jumped clean. Two trips later, eventual winner Rodriguez and Davinci forced a jump-off with a clear effort of their own. The next 20 trips saw team after team fail to overcome the course with rails down across the field.

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Cynthia Mulvaney and Dory Tuohey Selected as Cover Artists for 2011 HITS Thermal and HITS Ocala Official Show Programs

'A League of Its Own’ oil on linen by Cynthia Mulvaney adorns the cover of the 2011 HITS Thermal Official Show Program.

SAUGERTIES, NY (January 24, 2011) — HITS, Inc. is pleased to announce that submissions from Cynthia Mulvaney and Dory Tuohey were selected to be the cover art for the 2011 HITS Thermal and HITS Ocala Official Show Programs.

Each year HITS issues an open call for artists to submit their equine-themed work to be considered for the program covers. This year’s submission produced lots of exceptional artwork to choose from, with Mulvaney’s and Tuohey’s work, winning out over 50 submissions.

Mulvaney’s ‘A League of Its Own’, an original oil painting on linen, was selected as the artwork for the HITS Thermal Official Show Program. This highly-detailed piece captures the power, energy and movement of a horse cantering while turned out, providing a beautifully realistic image for the cover of this year’s show program.

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High Five! FarmVet to Sponsor Level 5 Jumpers at HITS Horse Shows in 2011

© ESI Photography. FarmVet returns as a sponsor of HITS Horse Shows nationwide in 2011.

SAUGERTIES, NY (January 12, 2011) — HITS is pleased to announce that long-time sponsor FarmVet will return as a nationwide sponsor of HITS Horse Shows for the 2011 show jumping season that is set to kick off in the next couple of weeks at HITS Ocala, HITS Thermal and HITS Arizona.

This season, FarmVet will again be the title sponsor of the FarmVet Level 5 Jumper Division and has expanded its sponsorship to each HITS venue. This popular jumper division features fences set at 3’11” which is perfect for riders to move their horses up through the ranks.

Last winter, the FarmVet Level 5 Jumper Division featured some of the top jumper riders in the country, including Aaron Vale who was Reserve Circuit Champion at HITS Ocala. “The FarmVet Level 5 Jumper Division is crucial to the development of young horses and up-and-coming riders,” said HITS’ Account Executive for Corporate Sponsorship Lisa Engel. “We appreciate FarmVet’s support of HITS and its commitment to the development of both horses and riders in this important division.”

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12944

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum Returns to California to Train & Compete at HITS Desert Circuit

© Richard Michaels. Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, her husband Markus Beerbaum and their daughter Brianne Victoria will all journey to Thermal, California for the 2011 HITS Desert Circuit.

THERMAL, CA (January 10, 2011) — In two weeks time, show jumping action returns to Thermal, California for the 20th Anniversary of the HITS Desert Circuit. As entries continue to flood the corporate office, HITS is looking forward to welcoming international show jumping icon and California native Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum “home” to Thermal for the 2011 show season.

Michaels-Beerbaum is a three-time World Cup Champion and 2010 WEG Team Gold Medalist with a very long resume of show jumping achievements. Her first trip to Thermal was in 2009 when she led a riding clinic for the West Coast Active Riders in Thermal’s beautiful indoor arena. That trip left an impression on the California native and this season will be her first competing at the circuit. She will be traveling to Thermal with her husband Markus Beerbaum and their beautiful daughter Brianne Victoria, who will celebrate her first birthday on February 27 during the circuit.

“I’m very excited to come back to California and see my family, some old friends, and colleagues,” said Michaels-Beerbaum, who hasn’t competed on the West Coast since leaving more than 20 years ago. “Markus and I have a couple of students from California competing in Thermal who asked us to join them. After considering the options, we decided to come for the entire circuit and to bring some of our young horses to help develop them and prepare for the European summer schedule. I love doing something new and different, so I’m looking forward to being based out of Thermal for the winter. It will be a great opportunity for me, my family and our students.”

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