©ESI Photography. Tracy Fenney and MTM Timon jump to the top in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix.
OCALA, FL – (February 20, 2014) – Tracy Fenney and MTM Farm of Flower Mound, Texas are on a hot streak at HITS Ocala with two crowd-pleasing grand prix jumper stars, MTM Timon and MTM Centano. The streak has strung together an impressive four grand prix wins to date – two for each horse – in a quest to qualify for the Great American $1 Million Grand Prix. Fenney notched her win this week in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, while competition heats up for the million-dollar showdown in the Ocala Horse Properties Stadium on March 24.
Tracy Fenney is the consummate professional, jumping with impressive style to the blue on MTM Timon, a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, with a time of 31.51 seconds against a field of 29 contenders.
“I enjoyed the course. It was well laid out and the fences flowed nicely. It was not really a difficult course, but a nice break for the horses to enjoy and restore their jumping confidence,” stated Fenney. “Timon likes a job and loves to jump. He is a perfect gentleman in the ring, but can be antsy if left too long in his stall.”
With trainer Michael McCormick looking on from the sidelines, Fenney also jumped to the red ribbon on MTM Farm’s equally talented grand prix jumper MTM Centano with a time of 32.62 seconds.
With 81 seconds the allowed first round time, course designer Jack Robson of Coronado, California challenged riders by offering thirteen fences with sixteen jumping efforts. The triple combination at fence eight, an oxer-oxer-vertical, and the oxer at fence thirteen, the last fence on the course, produced the most faults and heartbreak of the day with multiple downed rails.
Riders must have found what they wanted in their course walk as eleven returned to the jump-off, taking on the clock and seven fences, including the number four double combination with the time allowed set at 42 seconds.
Riding the first of two he qualified for the jump-off, professional rider/trainer Aaron Vale of Williston, Florida piloted Nicholas for owners Old Barrington, LLC to jump off first. They answered the call with the Great American Time to Beat in 32.70 seconds. Ultimately, the two-time 2014 HITS grand prix winner proved good enough for a third-place finish.
Fourth place went to rider/trainer Harold Chopping of Southern Pines, North Carolina for owner Kendra Bullington with a fault-free round and a solid effort in 37.46 seconds. Denise Wilson of Dousman, Wisconsin rounded out the top five for Blue Gate Farm, LLC with a time of 38.89 seconds.
Long-time partners, Fenney and Timon are a perfect fit. She concluded, “I’ve been with him since bringing him to Ocala six years ago and now we know one another pretty well. He was awesome today.”
There will be more great grand prix action on Sunday in the new stadium as the HITS VI Ocala Masters continues with the $50,000 Strongid C 2X Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis. The excitement is starting to build for the first-ever Great American $1 Million Grand Prix, which will debut as the second jewel in the HITS Triple Crown of Show Jumping Monday, March 24 in the Ocala Horse Properties Stadium.
About SmartPak
SmartPak powers healthy horses and happy riders. The patented SmartPak Supplement Feeding System makes it easy for riders across the country to take the best care of their horses. Founded in 1999, with the purpose of simplifying the administration of nutritional supplements and medications to horses, the system has been adopted by thousands of barns and horse owners across the country, who value knowing that their supplements will be fed correctly.
About Zoetis
Building on 60 years of experience as Pfizer Animal Health, Zoetis delivers quality medicines and vaccines, complemented by diagnostics products and genetics tests and supported by a range of services. They work every day to better understand and address the real-world challenges faced by those who raise and care for animals in ways they find truly relevant. Zoetis produces a comprehensive range of safe and effective products, including equine vaccines, dewormers and sedative analgesics, to help professionals and individual horse owners keep their animals healthy. Both veterinarians and horse owners know and trust the Zoetis will help their horses live longer, healthier lives.
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