©ESI Photography. Coming off a top 20 performance in the Zoetis Million, Tracy Fenney and MTM Timon kicked off qualifying for the 2014 event by winning the $40,000 HITS Grand Prix.

CULPEPER, VA (October 2, 2013) – Tracy Fenney gave new meaning to the phrase ‘on a roll’ this weekend at HITS Culpeper. With her string of horses from MTM Farm, she claimed impressive honors, including the $40,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis – the first qualifier for the 2014 Zoetis $1 Million Grand Prix as part of the HITS Championship in Saugerties, New York. Just a few weeks after riding in the coveted 2013 event, Fenney and MTM Farm’s MTM Timon kicked off qualifying for next year’s edition, as well as jump started the excitement surrounding the 2014 HITS Triple Crown of Show jumping.

“It’s great to be back on the road to the Zoetis Million,” said Fenney. “We work so hard at qualifying for the class all year long and it’s nice to have this beginning to an exciting year.”

Fenney and Timon were one of five pairs who rode clear to advance to a jump-off over course designed by Wendy Chapot-Nunn of Florham Park, New Jersey. Thirteen obstacles and 17 jumping efforts contained most of the faults to the middle of the track, which included three combinations – two doubles and one triple.

With three mounts crossing the start flags throughout the class, Fenney was first to conquer the course with MTM Farm’s MTM Centano, staging a familiar duel between her two geldings. She was later joined by Callan Solem of Glenmoore, Pennsylvania and Horseshow Trail Farm, LLC’s VDL Wizard, Leann Kelly of Valatie, New York aboard Honorway Farm, LLC’s Leander and Kama Godek of Fairfax Station, Virginia in the irons of her own Air Force One. Fenney was kept from the jump-off with her third mount, Leviticus, by one time fault in the first round.

After Fenney picked up four faults in the jump-off at the return of the triple’s b element with MTM Centano, Solem set the Great American Time to Beat with a clear round in 39.46 seconds. One trip later, Fenney answered with MTM Timon and shaved two seconds off her time, crossing the timers in 37.35 seconds. Godek was the final ride and had the speed, but clipped a heartbreak rail at the final fence of the course to collect four faults in a time of 36.54 seconds.

Solem finished second, Godek third, Fenney fourth with MTM Centano and Kelly settled for capping the top five after eight faults in the jump-off.

Just two days before riding to her grand prix win, Fenney and MTM Timon kicked off the circuit by riding to the blue in the $15,000 Brook Ledge Open Jumper Prix. She was also second with MTM Farm’s Leviticus. Culpeper local Brooke Kemper was third on her own Classified and Solem was fourth with VDL Wizard. Fenney and MTM Centano made it a book-end performance capping the top five and hinting at a big weekend ahead.

Clean Junior Amateur-Owner Sweep
HITS offered two of its biggest money classes for Junior and Amateur-Owner jumpers to end the season in Culpeper with a $15,000 Low Classic and a $25,000 High Classic highlighting the schedule.

Laura Linback of Mundelin, Illinois cashed in, winning both classes to join Fenney in dominating the jumper ring on Sunday. Linback piloted Woodrun’s 11-year-old Dutch-bred gelding HH Dauphin to the top in the High Classic. Travel woes kept Linback from arriving at HITS Culpeper until Thursday and she admitted that HH Dauphin was “fresh” in the ring on both Friday and Saturday. “By Sunday, he had settled into himself and he was brilliant,” she said. “He is the loveliest horse I have ever ridden.”

Joining Linback and HH Dauphin in the jump-off was Melissa Rudershausen of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania aboard her own Gunner and Taylor Burns of Blairstown, New Jersey on her own Cordero Zaffiro.

“My plan going into the jump-off was to do the inside turns that no one else was doing,” said Linback who returned last over the shorter course. “He is not as fast as some horses in the ring, but his stride is huge and his scope is impressive, so I knew that I could lose seconds by riding him smart.”

Linback piloted HH Dauphin to a clear jump-off ride in 37.42 seconds with Burns hot on her heels with Cordero Zaffiro. They finished clear in 39.3 seconds for second, while Rudershausen and Gunner were third. Linback was fourth on Woodrun’s Whittaker MVNZ and Barbara Ruziska of Ijamsville, Maryland capped the top five aboard Centennial Farm, Inc.’s FYI.

Linback only rode one mount into the money in the $15,000 Low Classic, but made that one ride count. She and Woodrun’s gelding Clooney, who she affectionately calls George, topped the 20-horse field and were one of only two double-clear efforts.

“The low was built big, so it suited my horse well – he is used to size,” said Linback of the nine-year-old Argentinean-bred gelding. “He did so well – he jumped out of his skin.”

Linback returned first in the jump-off with the clock on her mind. She and Clooney stopped the timers at 37.25 seconds with three to ride behind them.

Alexa Lowe-Wiseman of Upperville, Virginia followed Linback and was clear aboard Windsor Farm Sales’ Ami du Houssoit, but two seconds shy of the lead with a final time of 39.39 seconds she finished in second place. Andrea Smith of Ellicot City, Maryland rode her own Carivel to a four-fault effort for third and Sherri Jamison of Citra, Florida piloted her own Caliente Z to four jumping faults and two time faults to finish fourth. Sandra Zimmerli of Fairfax Station, Virginia and her own Apollo Mission capped the top five after one time fault in the first round.

Between competition in the Grand Prix Ring, a $10,000 USHJA Derby and a $10,000 Pre-Green Hunter Classic coupled with a full slate of hunter and jumper classes for every level, HITS Culpeper boasted a record-breaking day, giving away more than $100,000 in prize money. The big-money competition put an exclamation point on the 2013 HITS Culpeper season as all attention will soon turn to winter competition at HITS Ocala in Florida and HITS Thermal in California. While qualifying for the HITS Championship shifts into high gear during the winter months, HITS Culpeper will be well underway with a complete renovation project and HITS management looks forward to welcoming riders and horses alike back to a new and improved Commonwealth Park in 2014.

About Zoetis
Zoetis (zō-EH-tis) is the leading animal health company, dedicated to supporting its customers and their businesses. Building on a 60-year history as the animal health business of Pfizer, Zoetis discovers, develops, manufactures and markets veterinary vaccines and medicines, with a focus on both farm and companion animals. The company generated annual revenues of $4.3 billion in 2012. It has more than 9,300 employees worldwide and a local presence in approximately 70 countries, including 29 manufacturing facilities in 11 countries. Its products serve veterinarians, livestock producers and people who raise and care for farm and companion animals in 120 countries. For more information on the company, visit www.zoetis.com.

For more information and a complete schedule of classes and events, visit HitsShows.com. Stay connected with HITS: join us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter!

HITS, Inc. • 319 Main Street • Saugerties, NY 12477-1330
845.246.8833 Tel • Media_Info@HitsShows.com • HitsShows.com

©ESI Photography. Tracy Fenney and MTM Centano jump their way to a win in the $40,000 HITS Grand Prix.

CULPEPER, VA (August 27, 2013) – Top prize in the $40,000 HITS Grand Prix presented by Zoetis at HITS Culpeper came down to a speed duel on Sunday afternoon. Tracy Fenney of Flower Mound, Texas topped a five-horse jump-off with MTM Farms’ MTM Centano by fractions of a second. She returned first over the short course and crossed the timers clear in 42.60 seconds, eventually landing her the blue ribbon.

Jerry Dougherty of Bokeelia, Florida set the track for the grand prix, which included 13 obstacles and 16 jumping efforts. Three double combinations tested riders with an oxer-oxer at fence five, a vertical-oxer at fence seven and an oxer-vertical at fence 12. “The footing dried out perfectly after some rain earlier in the week and the course was difficult, but was a really nice way to get ready for Saugerties and the [Zoetis] Million,” said Fenney. “There were a couple of tall verticals that did a good job of getting the horses ready for what they will see in Saugerties.”

From a field of 23, Fenney was joined in the jump-off by Jordan Coyne of New Port Richey, Florida on two different self-owned mounts – Lazaro and Cordovo, as well as Henrick Gunderson of Wellington, Florida with his own Krake Ask and Jared Petersen aboard Derek Petersen’s Titus 2:11.

After finishing one-two in last week’s Culpeper grand prix, Petersen and Coyne were primed for a repeat. “I knew that those kids can be fast, and anyone in the jump-off could have come away with the win,” said Fenney. “Going first in the jump-off, I didn’t have much of a choice but to go as fast as I could and try and put as much pressure on them as possible.”

Coyne went second and chased Fenney’s Great American Time to Beat, piloting Cordova to a clear round in 48.43 seconds. Petersen took to the course next but had a bit of bad luck as he and Titus 2:11 clipped two rails for eight faults in a time of 44.50 seconds. Coyne returned fourth with a second chance at besting Fenney and was well on her way, but landed from the last jump two tenths of a second slower, finishing clear in 42.83 seconds. Gunderson and Krake Ask wrapped up the jump-off with four faults in a time of 47.87 seconds.

Coyne was both second and third on Lazaro and Cordova, respectively, while Gunderson finished fourth and Petersen fifth.

“Centano is a really big horse, so most people look at him and assume he is slow,” said Fenney of the gelding who has proved to be anything but slow. “His stride is deceiving and he covers so much ground. We turned really tight at the 5 A-B in-and-out in the jump-off and I think that is where we won it.”

With the wrap of the August HITS Culpeper shows, Fenney is heading north for HITS Saugerties Weeks VII and VIII. At this point, she is still unsure which mount – Centano or MTM Timon – she will pilot in the coveted Zoetis $1 Million Grand Prix on September 8. Grand prix riders still have two qualifying opportunities, plus the $30,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, on September 6 before the fourth annual Zoetis Million takes the stage at HITS-on-the-Hudson.

$15,000 Brook Ledge Open Jumper Prix
With some unknown foreshadowing, Fenney and Gunderson went to battle on Friday in the $15,000 Brook Ledge Open Jumper Prix. Fenney and Centano finished on top, while Gundersen and his own Sly were second over the 1.45m course.

Coyne rounded out the top three with Cordova and Gundersen was also fourth with his own Adlanteur.Andrea Torres Guerreiro capped the top five with Santa Catalina Farm’s Emma Du Chateau.

Brook Ledge Horse Transportation presents weekly jumper classes at HITS Culpeper. Aside from the winner’s purse, Brook Ledge Open Jumper riders also compete for the Brook Ledge Rider Bonus. The award, given at the conclusion of the circuit, includes a $1,500 shipping credit for the rider who accumulates the most points in those classes throughout the HITS Culpeper circuit.

About Zoetis
Zoetis (zō-EH-tis) is the leading animal health company, dedicated to supporting its customers and their businesses. Building on a 60-year history as the animal health business of Pfizer, Zoetis discovers, develops, manufactures and markets veterinary vaccines and medicines, with a focus on both farm and companion animals. The company generated annual revenues of $4.3 billion in 2012. It has more than 9,300 employees worldwide and a local presence in approximately 70 countries, including 29 manufacturing facilities in 11 countries. Its products serve veterinarians, livestock producers and people who raise and care for farm and companion animals in 120 countries. For more information on the company, visit www.zoetis.com.

For more information and a complete schedule of classes and events, visit HitsShows.com. Stay connected with HITS: join us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter!

HITS, Inc. • 319 Main Street • Saugerties, NY 12477-1330
845.246.8833 Tel • Media_Info@HitsShows.com • HitsShows.com