THERMAL, CA (February 17, 2011) — Kyle King (Ocala, Florida) celebrated his birthday with a bang when he rode Corrine Super’s Capone I to a triumph in Sunday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at the HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, California.
Winning Sunday’s feature class was extra remarkable for the birthday boy, who won the Grand Prix with the largest starting field to date at the 2011 HITS Desert Circuit. They were the top horse-and-rider combination out of the 49 horses that challenged International Course Designer Florencio Hernandez’ (Mexico City, Mexico) first-round course which featured 12 obstacles and 15 efforts, including a trio of double combinations in a time allowed of 79 seconds.
Thirteen riders took a shot at Hernandez’ first-round course and failed until accomplished equestrian Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (Westlake Village, California) and Octavia Farms’ Lancaster 144 made it all the way home clear. Three trips later, Mexico’s John Perez (Cruz Manca, Coajimaipa, Mexico) and his own La Cantera Catrin wowed the crowd watching the action in the Strongid C 2X Stadium with a clear round of their own to force a jump-off.
Continue reading HITS Thermal Mid-Circuit Report: Kyle King’s Birthday Ride
