Category Archives: HITS

Horseshows In The Sun

Lauren Hough and Ohlala Are Victorious in Great American $1 Million Grand Prix

(C) ESI Photography. Lauren Hough and Ohlala.

Ocala, FL (March 27, 2017): Spectators filed into the grandstand at HITS Post Time Farm to witness a world-class line-up of national and international riders battle for the blue in the fourth annual Great American $1 Million Grand Prix, sponsored by Great American Insurance Group. Just one week after the AIG $1 Million Grand Prix in Thermal, California, the richest prize purse in show jumping returned to the Horse Capital of the World in Ocala, Florida.

With a bustling grandstand, thousands watching from a live webcast on HITS TV, two sold out VIP tents, and the grass berm surrounding the stadium filled to capacity, it was a day packed with family-friendly fun and world-class show jumping competition.

The final lineup was stacked with previous HITS $1 Million Grand Prix winners, but the team to beat was USA equestrian Lauren Hough and Ohlala, owned by The Ohlala Group. Hough returned to HITS Ocala after competing for Team USA at the FEI Nations Cup™ earlier in February. Hough also placed fourth in the Great American Million in 2015 and 2016. They topped the leaderboard, and 49 other show jumping stars, to take home the day’s top honor by less than a one-second margin over second place finisher Aaron Vale and Finou 4, owned by Thinkslikeahorse and Don Stewart.

“I was lucky enough to come back to Ocala after the Nations Cup, and I was so impressed with how the footing was,” said Hough. “My horse is happier here, and so I really made coming back a priority in my schedule.”

Coming back to HITS Ocala certainly paid off for the decorated equestrian of Wellington, Florida. Hough’s round held up over the 14-horse jump-off, going seventh in the order, right in the middle of the pack. Vale was not far behind, finishing less than one-second behind Hough for second place.

“Everything I did with my horse this winter was aimed at this class,” said Vale. “This second place finish is worth more money than any win I’ve ever had, so I’d say it was a pretty good day!”

Third place went to Germany’s Andre Thieme, winner of the inaugural 2014 edition of the Great American Million.

“This Million dollar class is a very good thing that HITS does for our sport,” said Thieme.  Thieme also won the 2011 Saugerties $1 Million Grand Prix.

Thieme rode Conthendrix to the third-place prize in just one second behind Vale for the yellow ribbon and his slice of the million dollar pie.

Forty-nine riders, including World Cup champions, Olympic Gold Medalists and Grand Prix stars tested a course of 17 fences set at up to 1.60 meters. The meticulously decorated course, designed by Werner Deeg of Germany would yield 14 clear rounds ensuring a competitive jump-off.

“Here in Ocala we have the best footing, and it’s amazing how well the horses jump here,” said Deeg. “We had some top riders here, like the ones sitting next to me [at the press conference]. We also had some less-experienced riders at this level, so I built this course being aware of everybody.”

First of the top five to challenge the shortened course was Great Britain equestrian, Ben Maher, piloting Don Vito, owned by Poden Farms. They set down a fault-free trip in 50.874, which would ultimately slide them into fourth place.

American rider, McLain Ward, was next to try his luck in the jump-off riding HH Callus, owned by Double H Farm. Ward, a two-time HITS Million Grand Prix winner, competed alongside Hough in the FEI Nations Cup™ Ocala earlier this season, and both were a part of the winning Team USA at Nations Cup Ocala last year.

Ward steered his mount through the course with precision and skill. To the sound of cheers from the crowd, they crossed the timers clear in 51.379, eventually settling them in the final spot of the top five for the fifth-place prize.

Hough and Ohlala followed Ward. They took to the course at an all-out gallop, zipping through the turns.  The excitement from the crowd grew throughout the round and cheers erupted as they crossed the timers in a blazing fast 48.966, setting the Great American Time to Beat and topping the rankings, where they would remain for the eventual win, an impressive feat going in the middle of the order of 14 challengers.

“I was not feeling very confident in actually winning the class, because there were seven more behind me [in the jump-off],” said Hough in the post-victory press conference. “I rode the fastest round that I could with [Ohlala], and tried to keep the pressure on the ones to follow – and of course, you always hope to have a bit of luck on your side at events like this. I had all of the above.”

Andre Thieme was next of the top five to complete his jump-off round. He and Conthendrix valiantly fought for speed towards the finish. As they crossed the timers in a cool, clear 50.086, they stepped up the leaderboard over Ward, but were not quite quick enough to overtake Hough.

“I watched Lauren’s round at the gate, and I knew her horse was very fast, and my horse is not so quick across the ground,” said Thieme. “He’s an amazing horse and partner, but I know him well enough that if the jump-off starts to get really quick, I will probably not win it. So with that in mind, I did everything that I could and am very happy with this result.”

(C) ESI Photography. Aaron Vale and Finou 4

When hometown hero, Aaron Vale, stepped into the ring with Finou 4, he had his eyes on the prize. He laid down a speedy ride through the jump-off course, galloping at every opportunity to shave time off the clock. The talented pair crossed the timers clean, but they were unable to catch Hough’s time as they finished in 49.442, good enough for the coveted, second-place payout.

“Following Lauren, I got to watch the first seven go, so I had an idea of what my horse could do,” said Vale of his jump-off round. “I was hoping to get one less stride from the first fence to the second, which I did, and I almost got exactly what I wanted the whole way, aside from one extra stride in the middle. I felt like I made up for it in the turn to the last line, and leaving out a stride to the last jump. I got the best round that I think I could have, it just wasn’t quite good enough today.”

Several big contenders followed in the jump-off including Todd Minikus, winner of the 2014 Saugerties Million riding Valinski S, owned by Michael Dorman and Wyndmont, Inc.  Although he had the fastest time in the jump-off, 46.660, a rail and four faults earned him in sixth.

Last to go in the jump-off was last weekend’s AIG $1 Million Grand Prix winner, Mandy Porter and Milano, owned by Abigail Weese.  As she started the course, it looked like she might be the first back-to-back Million Grand Prix winner, and she carried a clean round all the way to the last fence getting the crowd to their feet to cheer. The stadium let out a collective sigh as the last rail came down for four faults, giving Porter the purple ribbon for seventh.

It was unanimous amongst the top finishers that the prize purses offered by HITS are remarkable and HITS President and CEO Tom Struzzieri gave full credit to the event’s title sponsor.

“We’re fortunate to have one of the best sponsors in the world, Great American [Insurance Group], and lucky to have them again for the fourth consecutive year,” said Struzzieri. “The fact that we can host two $1 Million classes back to back, for several years in a row, speaks volumes as to what HITS does, and that caliber of competition will certainly carry into the future.”

As ten weeks of show jumping competition at HITS Ocala came to a close with a $1 Million Grand Prix to remember, riders are already looking ahead to the HITS Championship in Saugerties, New York later this year. Boasting the richest weekend in show jumping and with the Saugerties $1 Million Grand Prix returning as an FEI CSI-5* class, riders from around the globe await another opportunity for their chance at international bragging rights and the quintessential prize purse.

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David Beisel Wins First and Fourth in $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix at HITS Ocala

(C) ESI Photography. David Beisel and Ammeretto.

Ocala, FL (March 18, 2017): Week IX at the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit continued on Thursday with the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix in the Ocala Horse Properties Stadium at HITS Post Time Farm.

David Beisel has been quite successful in Grand Prix this season at HITS Ocala, including two wins so far $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, making this week’s victory his third of 2017. Beisel rode Ammeretto, owned by Equine Holdings LLC., to the win in a 12-horse jump-off, where seven would go clear in contingency for the blue.

Beisel would take hold of lead going eighth in the order over the shortened course designed by Anderson Lima of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Beisel also garnered the fourth place ribbon with Call Me Hannes, owned by Harlow investment Enterprises, LLC.

First to claim a clear round in the jump-off was Emanuel Andrade riding Bon Jovi. They clocked in with a fault-free 35.898-second round right out of the gate, and their round would eventually settle them in third place. Andrade would also claim second place in the class aboard Reus De La Nutria with a thrilling ride as the second-to-last in the order.

The next clear round came third in the order with Hyde Moffatt of Canada and Granturo, owned by Western Sales & Development. They valiantly chased Andrade’s temporary lead, stopping the clock in 39.892, which would ultimately settle them into fifth place.

A few rounds would pass before another fault-free trip was delivered by Kelley Robinson, also of Canada, entered with Blue’s Yer Daddy seventh in the order. They snagged a clear round, but their time of 40.349 could not edge out the rest of the pack, putting them in seventh.

Following Robinson were the victors David Beisel and Ammeretto. They stormed through the course, taking each fence with force. The crowd cheered as they passed the timers in a cool, clear 34.755, a full second ahead of the leading time, where the lead would remain.

Melissa Rudershausen followed with Charmeur Ask for another clear round, and their time of 40.239 put them ahead of Robinson for the ultimate sixth place position.

There were only two left in the starting order, but only one chance to take the win away from Beisel, as he had one more horse left to show.

It was all down to the battle of the quickest between Andrade and Beisel. Andrade went first with his second mount of the jump-off, Reus De La Nutria. They came in hot, stopping the clock in 35.607 to step into second place.

The win was Beisel’s, but he still had one more ride. He followed with Call Me Hannes, putting in a clear round, but their time of 37.213 was not enough to overtake Andrade’s second and third place trips, settling them into fourth place for the white ribbon.

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Aaron Vale Flies to the Win in the $41,200 HITS Jumper Classic

(C) ESI PHOTOGRAPHY. Aaron Vale and Quality on Top.

Ocala, FL (February 19, 2017): The CSIO4* Week continued at HITS Post Time Farm on Saturday with the $41,200 HITS Jumper Classic. Riders from several countries, including USA, Venezuela, Mexico, Canada, El Salvador, Colombia and the recent winners of the $100,000 FEI Nations Cup™, Ireland, took their turn over the course set by Marina Azevedo of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The rider to beat would be hometown hero, Aaron Vale riding Quality on Top, owned by North Face Farm. They would indeed finish on top by an impressive three seconds. Third place rider from Venezuela, Pablo Barrios, made Vale work for it though, entering immediately before Vale in the jump-off order, setting down a time Vale had to chase.

“My horses have jumped great all circuit; I just haven’t had luck on my side. Today, it was,” said Vale. “This was this horse’s first ribbon in an FEI class, and for it to be a blue one is pretty special.”

The course was winding and included two roll-back turns and two exciting galloping points that riders could hustle across the ring to shave the seconds off of the clock.

First to return to the shortened course was McLain Ward riding Quinta, a 10-year-old Holsteiner mare he co-owns with Francois Mathy. They laid down a clear round right out of the gate, clocking in at 42.48 to set the tone for the class. The trip would ultimately settle them in sixth place, with the remaining contenders, aside from Vale, all finishing within a few fractions of a second of each other.

Pablo Barrios grabbed the next clear round of the eventual top five placings, going fourth in the jump-off order aboard Zara Leandra, owned by ZL Group, Inc. Cheers rang out from the Venezuelan team supporters as they watched them laid down a cool, clear round in 41.17.  They’d ultimately take home the third-place prize.

Vale followed next, taking care to ensure the lead did not stay in Barrios’ hands for long. Vale and Quality on Top powered through the course, flying across the arena from the fifth fence on course to the combination, which required riders to gallop to the opposite end of the ring then change direction.

“I got to watch McLain go, and I thought he was quite fast so I knew I had to be especially quick,” said Vale. “There were a couple of spots early in the course where I could have been faster, but I wanted to be careful too.”

The crowd gasped as they zoomed toward the finish, the lead imminent by their quick speed. They passed the timers in 38.43, a time no other could catch.

“We had a rub in the combination and I actually thought we had had a rail down.  I looked up at the scoreboard a couple of times waiting for the 4 [faults] to come up, but it didn’t – so then I just went as fast as I could to the last few jumps.  My horse is fairly quick-footed, so that really paid off.

Emanuel Andrade and Mattias Tromp both put in valiant efforts to catch Vale. Andrade, another speedy Venezuelan rider, powered home to a fault-free 41.33-second ride for the eventual fourth place, riding his bay gelding, U.

Tromp, entered behind Andrade in the order piloting Avon, owned by Swede Ventures, LLC. They put the pedal to the metal in the course, trying with all of their might to catch Vale’s leading time. Their finish in 40.33 would settle them in second place.

Ali Wolff would round out the top five riding Quirie, co-owned with John Wolff. They put in a clear round in 41.90 for fifth place.

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Isabelle Lapierre and Cesha M Win $50,000 HITS Grand Prix

(C) ESI PHOTOGRAPHY. Isabelle Lapierre and Cesha M.

Ocala, FL (February 14, 2017): Week IV at HITS Post Time Farm included plenty of excitement and riders and horses of all ages, levels and states gathered to compete. The week culminated with the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix on Sunday.

$50,000 HITS Grand Prix

Canadian equestrian Isabelle Lapierre took home the blue-ribbon title in the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix in Ocala riding her own mare, Cesha M. Interestingly, Lapierre and Cesha M took home the exact same title last year during Week IV of the Ocala Winter Circuit – first place in the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix.

Lapierre and Cesha M returned to stake claim to their title in a lightning-fast jump-off round, where they took the top spot on the leaderboard with a three-second lead. The pair was third in the order of the nine-horse jump-off, and their fault-free time of 40.763 held up through the rest of the field.

Many of the contenders in Sunday’s Grand Prix have been competing against each other for the entirety of the Ocala Winter Circuit, and the order of go was stacked with talent – it was a class of veteran Grand Prix riders no doubt, with some fresh faces in the top 12 as well.

Scott Keach was the seventh in the order to challenge the abbreviated course piloting Chicco W, owned by Edith Rameika. The Australian equestrian and his mount sped through the course, stopping the clock in 43.065 for the eventual second-place finish.

The last contestant in the jump-off was Kim Farlinger aboard Caprice Van De Brouwershoeve, owned by Kim Farlinger Stables, Ltd. They chased Lapierre’s leading time and zoomed through the course, taking each fence by storm and leaving the rails up. They finished in 43.074, only one-hundredth of a second behind Keach’s round, settling them into third place.

Devin Ryan took home the fourth place prize with Cooper as the quickest four-fault jump-off round in 39.122. Rounding out the top five was Mattias Tromp piloting Avon, owned by Swede Ventures, LLC. They too would be foiled by a single rail to finish the course with four faults in 40.497.

Hayley Waters Wins the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix

Local rider Hayley Waters took home both first and third place in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix during Week IV of the Ocala Winter Circuit, marking her second Grand Prix victory at HITS Ocala this season.

(C) ESI Photography. Hayley Waters and Dorella

The twenty-year-old equestrian took home the prestigious placings in contention for the win among a field of seasoned Grand Prix riders, including Aaron Vale, Tracy Fenney and many more. Not to squander Waters’ fire, the young talent has seen the victory circle in many Grand Prix at HITS Ocala and HITS Saugerties, including a blue-ribbon in the $250,000 Jr/A-O Jumper Classic at the HITS Championship in 2015.

Waters took home the first $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix win this year during Week I at HITS Ocala, and there seems to be no sign of slowing her down. Week IV’s victory came aboard Dorella, owned by Seth Vallhonrat. The third-place prize was with Qurint, owned by Chuck and Dana Waters.

In a four-horse jump-off, there were no clear rounds to be seen. Waters would have the only round with all of the rails intact with two time faults, clocking in with a time of 46.560.

Second-place Devin Ryan and Cooper were the quickest of the four-fault rides with a time of 37.718. Following Ryan in the placings was Waters’ and Qurint. They too would finish with only one rail in a time of 40.029.

Scott Keach was the final rider to place of the jump-off rounds, in fourth, with Chicco W, owned by Edith Rameika. Rounding out the top five was Lisa Goldman riding Sovereign, owned by Barbara Disko. They were the quickest of the four-faulters in the first round to secure fifth place.

$1,500 Platinum Performance

Junior and Amateur riders were able to show in the big Ocala Horse Properties Stadium at HITS Post Time Farm for the $1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix during Week IV of the Ocala Winter Circuit.

Holly French would be the rider to beat aboard Chestnut Hill, owned by Marissa Dolan. The two captured the highest scores in both rounds, a consistent 82 for a grand total of 164 and the winning title.

Second in the ribbons went to Leigh Gallagher riding Eternity, owned by Tibri, LLC. They were awarded a first-round score of 81, followed by an 80 in the second round to total 161.

MacKensie Bowles and Bittersweet Symphony were third among their peers, garnering an 80.5 in the first round, combined with their second-round score of 77 for a total of 157.5.

Fourth place went home with Annie Walsh and Erosmith. Walsh and Erosmith moved up the ranking from a fifth-place finish last week. They earned scores of 77 and 79, respectively, for a total of 156.

Rounding out the top five was Rachel Griffin and Jasmin De Bornival 2, owned by Nelson Pessoa. The pair was awarded a score of 77 in the first round and a score of 79 in the second round.

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Ocala Hunters Take It to the Top in Week III

(C) ESI PHOTOGRAPHY. Hunt Tosh and Casanova.

Ocala, FL (February 8, 2017): Horses and riders descended on HITS Post Time Farm for a shot at winning the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix or the $1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix. It was the third week of competition at HITS Ocala and riders were hungry to place atop the best of the best.

$5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix

Hunt Tosh of Alpharetta, Georgia grabbed his second win in the Devoucoux Hunter Prix of the 2017 HITS Ocala Winter Circuit. Last week, Tosh won the class aboard Gotham, owned by Dr. Betsee Parker, in addition to a third place prize with Wiser, owned by Ceil and Kenny Wheeler.

This week, Tosh claimed the victory with Casanova, another winning ride owned by Dr. Betsee Parker. They won the class with scores of 86 and 89 for a total of 175. Tosh would claim another ribbon with Wiser, this week in sixth place.

Second in the ribbons went to Amanda Steege of Bedminster, New Jersey riding Loxley, owned by Finale Partners, LLC. They were awarded a first-round score of 87 and a second-round score of 85 for a total of 172. Steege also took home fifth place with Zidane, owned by Susan Darragh.

Aiken, South Carolina equestrian Daniel Geitner brought home the third-place prize riding Sky Pilot, owned by Allison Wolfe Mills. The judges gave the pair scores of 84 and 85, respectively, for a total of 169.

Fourth place was Caitlyn Shiels of Hampshire, Illinois riding Cassius, owned by Don Stewart. They earned scores of 84 and to secure a total of 167.

$1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix

A supremely talented crop of riders turned out to challenge the course and prove who the ultimate in hunter style was.

(C) ESI Photography. Melissa Marshall and Valiant

Melissa Marshall of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania won aboard her own mount, Valiant. The pair received eighth place in the Platinum Performance Hunter Prix during Week II and they jumped their way up the standings to claim the blue ribbon victory in Week III.

Marshall and Valiant took the lead in the first round with a score of 83; combined by a second-round score of 79, they brought the win home with a total of 162.

The second-place prize belonged to Lauren Lindner of Warren, New Jersey and Quantonius, owned by Nicole Peterson. They earned a 79 in the first round, improving to an 81 in the second round to total 160.

Williston, Florida equestrian Samantha Perlman piloted Willow Bay, owned by Ann Cohen Farm, to the fourth place ribbon. The earned a total of 159, combined by scores of 80 and 79, settling them just behind Lindner.

Fifth place belonged to Grafite, owned and ridden by Madison Pan-kita. Their scores of 80 and 77.5 earned them a total of 157.5 to round out the top five.

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Lisa Goldman Takes the Lead in Week III JHT Welcome at HITS Ocala

(C) ESI PHOTOGRAPHY. Lisa Goldman and Morocco.

Ocala, FL (February 3, 2017): The HITS Ocala Winter Circuit is in full swing and Week III kicked off with the $5,000 Johnson Horse Transportation Open Welcome. Riders and horses turned out for a shot at scoring the first featured win of the week, but only one could lay claim to the victory.

The team to beat was Lisa Goldman riding Morocco. They would claim the win with a lightning-fast round by a full two seconds in a six-horse jump-off. The course was designed by Mark McGowan of Kilmarnock, Great Britain.

“Morocco is my tried and true ride, and he is incredibly fast across the ground,” said Goldman. “The course rode quick; I thought it was well designed and it was a nice course for a shorter, speedier horse, like ‘Cowboy’.”

Grand Prix titan Aaron Vale of Williston, Florida was first to return to the jump-off. He set the tone for the remaining field with a quick, clear round aboard Darling GR, owned by Troy Glaus. They stopped the clock at 37.892, a time that would hold up until Goldman entered four rounds later; they would ultimately go home with second place.

Following Vale was Tracy Magness of Baltimore, Maryland piloting Intenz Van HD. They put down a valiant ride, chasing Vale’s currently leading time. They clocked in fault-free in 38.750, eventually giving them the third-place prize.

Milford, New Jersey equestrian, Morgan Ward, was next to test the abbreviated course. She and Diacord, owned by Daniel Bluman, powered through the course to finish in 39.385, ultimately settling them in third place.

Goldman was the fourth to test the jump-off, and she knew she’d have to put the pedal to the metal to overtake Vale’s quick time.

“Cowboy is naturally fast, but I have to keep things level-headed,” said Goldman. “We took 1, 2 and 3 quickly and shaved off a few strides in a few different places on the course to save time.”

They finished in a speedy 35.530 for the eventual win. None would surpass the time including fifth place finisher, Brandie Holloway riding Dublin, owned by Hays Investment Corp. They suffered an unfortunate rail at the second fence on course. The final contender in the jump-off was Debbie McCarthy Connor and Zim, owned by Connor & Ebetino Jumpers, LLC for sixth place.

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Seven Teams Confirmed for the 2017 FEI Nations Cup™ CSIO-4* at HITS Ocala

(C) Scott Miller – FEI.

Ocala, FL (February 2, 2017): HITS, Inc. is pleased to officially announce that seven teams from across the globe will turn out for the 2017 FEI Nations Cup™ CSIO-4* at HITS Ocala, February 14-17. The seven teams: U.S.A., Mexico, Canada, El Salvador, Ireland, Venezuela and Colombia will battle it out for global fame in the Ocala Horse Properties Stadium at HITS Post Time Farm, and the prestigious event is not to be missed. Click here for tickets to the Friday, February 17, FEI Nations Cup™.

“We are looking forward to the third consecutive year of the FEI Nations Cup™ at HITS Ocala being the best yet,” said HITS President and CEO Tom Struzzieri. “The setting for the event, the Horse Capital of the World, could not be more fitting. The Ocala/Marion county community is rallying behind the honor to host the FEI Nations Cup™, and several community events are lined up to create the atmosphere of global sportsmanship.”

Ocala Main Street, Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC), and the Ocala/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership (CEP) are coordinating “Jump Downtown”— a special event featuring the Inaugural Parade of Nations Horse Celebration on the Downtown Square in Ocala on Wednesday, February 15th at 6 PM.

The Parade of Nations will honor and welcome this year’s seven teams from around the world that are in Ocala to compete in the extremely prestigious Nations Cup, and showcase many of the breeds that make Ocala the Horse Capital of the World. Sponsored by the City of Ocala, this family-friendly event is free and open to the public, making it a can’t-miss opportunity to cheer on world-class athletes and enjoy the equine side of the community.

“They say the third time’s the charm, and we are certain the 2017 event will live up to the expectation of excellence that HITS is recognized for,” said Struzzieri. “We are looking forward to witnessing which team will be the winner this year.”

Throughout the Nations Cup Week at HITS Post Time Farm, HITS will offer an upgraded hospitality experience in the Overlook VIP Club featuring ringside seating, as well as beer and wine service and the culinary art of Executive Chef Giuseppe Napoli of The Tavern at Diamond Mills in Saugerties, New York. VIP tables are expected to sell out and reservations are encouraged.

For Overlook VIP Club information and bookings, contact Chris Mayone at Chris@HitsShows.com. Day VIP will also be available for purchase which includes reserved, ringside seating, lunch with beer and wine service. To purchase Day VIP, please contact HITS at 352-368-2449.

The Ocala Winter Circuit runs for 10 weeks, January 17 – March 26. The week immediately after Nations Cup will be FEI CSI-2* on February 21-26. The Circuit culminates with the Great American $1 Million Grand Prix on Sunday, March 26.

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Lisa Goldman Conquers the $50,000 Equioxx Grand Prix at HITS Ocala Week II

(C) ESI PHOTOGRAPHY. Lisa Goldman and Hindsight.

Ocala, FL (January 30, 2017): Elite competition resumed in the Ocala Horse Properties Stadium on Sunday with the $50,000 Equioxx Grand Prix. Thirty-seven riders turned out for the grand finale of Week II, and everyone had their eyes on the prize.

Oscar Soberon from Monterrey, Mexico designed a challenging course for Sunday’s crop of riders, comprised of 16 jumping efforts. Nine would advance from the first round to the jump-off where only two would go clear in contingency for the win.

Lisa Goldman of Hawthorn Woods, Illinois garnered the blue-ribbon victory aboard Hindsight, marking the horse’s first Grand Prix win. They entered as the first competitors the jump-off and laid down a solid round that would stand the test of the entire class — not an easy feat for a class of this caliber.

“The course was big and technical,” said Goldman. “There are a lot of very good horses and riders here, so I thought [Oscar] designed the course well. The time allowed was tight but the course was the right amount of challenging for the riders here.”

They clocked in fault-free in 44.120 for the eventual win. Eight more followed Goldman, but none could match her speed.

Venezuelan rider Emanuel Andrade immediately followed Goldman in the order, but an unfortunate rail at the B element of the combination would settle them with the eventual fifth-place prize.

The only other clear round of the jump-off would be Manuel Torres of Colombia, riding Christofolini H, owned by Andrea Torres Guerreiro. With many top five finishes and wins at HITS Ocala, as well as several classes competing against Goldman, Torres knew what he had to do to compete — be quick, be clean and shave the time off the clock.

They zoomed through the course as the clock ticked and the crowd cheered.  They powered toward the finish, passing the timers clear with a time of 44.242, just one tenth behind Goldman’s time for the ultimate second place.

Eliza Lehrman of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania took home third place riding Fenom Van Klapscheut, owned by Five Way Farm, LLC. As the final pair in the jump-off, they nearly turned in a clear round, but their time of 51.164 gave them two time penalties.

Tracy Fenney and MTM Reve Du Paradis, owned by MTM Farm, have been on fire at this year’s Ocala Winter Circuit. They returned to Sunday’s class after winning the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix on Thursday with another winning goal to set.  Unfortunately. a rail at the second-to-last fence kept them from topping Goldman on the leaderboard, but their speedy time of 43.006 earned them fourth place with the quickest round with four faults.

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Competition Continues during Week II at HITS Ocala

(C) ESI Photography. Tracy Fenney and MTM Reve Du Paradis

Ocala, FL (January 28, 2017): The second week of horse shows at HITS Post Time farm is in full swing and riders and horses are hunting for the win in all of the classes the Ocala Winter Circuit has to offer. On Wednesday and Thursday, riders tested their skills in the $5,000 Johnson Horse Transportation Open Welcome and the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, but only one pair could go home with the win in each class.

$5,000 Johnson Horse Transportation Open Welcome

David Jennings and Carmina, owned by Woodrun, took home the first, featured win of Week II with a victory in the $5,000 Johnson Horse Transportation Open Welcome. It was a competitive jump-off, with 12 exhibitors scoring double-clear rounds, leaving the winning round all up to speed.

Jennings and Carmina captured the win with a clear jump-off in 41.157. Following behind in second place was Emanuel Andrade aboard Inne Van De Plantaan. They clocked in exactly .01 seconds behind Jennings in 41.167. Andrade would also garner fifth place aboard U.

Harold Chopping and Basje, owned by Kendra Bullington, were third in the ribbons with a clear round in 42.392 seconds. Fourth place was Francois Lamontagne piloting Chanel Du Calvaire with a clear round in 42.958 seconds.

Tracy Fenney Wins $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix

The popular SmartPak Grand Prix proved to be a very challenging class for the 36 horses and riders that were in attendance, and everyone was hunting for a slice of the prize.

Course designer Tim Hott of Cummings, Iowa designed a terrific course of 15 jumping efforts for Thursday’s Grand Prix, but only one would go home victorious – and that was Flower Mound, Texas equestrian Tracy Fenney aboard her winning mount MTM Reve Du Paradis, owned by MTM Farm.

In a 10-horse jump-off, they powered to the finish to win the class with a 39.621-second jump-off round to follow their successful showing in last Sunday’s $50,000 Equine Couture/Tuff Rider Grand Prix where they placed third.

Manuel Torres and Christofolini H, owned by Andrea Torres Guerreiro, placed second among their peers, stopping the clock in 41.886 with all of the rails up. Third place was Kyle Timm riding Can Fly 12, owned by Apex Equestrian Center. They flew passed the timers in 43.031.

Isabelle Lapierre captured fourth place in the standings with her mare, Cesha M, and rounding out the top five was Juan Manuel Gallego riding Coulash Van De Broy Z.

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

The 2017 FEI Nations Cup CSIO-4* at HITS Ocala Is Drawing Near

(C) ESI Photography.

Ocala, FL (January 5, 2017): HITS, Inc. is pleased to officially announce that the Ocala Winter Circuit will once again play host to the 2017 FEI Nations Cup™ CSIO-4* for the third consecutive year. The inclusive show schedule will continue to give additional opportunities to National and International competitors during February 14-19, 2017, the fifth week of the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit. The week immediately after Nations Cup will be FEI CSI-2* on February 21-26.

“We are honored to host the Nations Cup for the third straight year,” said HITS President and CEO Tom Struzzieri. “It truly speaks for the quality of the event in Ocala for the past two years. We are very excited to have the support of the community to further evolve the event for spectators and teams alike in the Horse Capital of the World.”

Ocala Main Street, Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC), and the Ocala/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership (CEP) are coordinating “Jump Downtown” — a special event featuring the Annual Parade of Nations Horse Celebration on the Downtown Square in Ocala on Wednesday, February 15th at 6 PM.

The Parade of Nations will honor and welcome this year’s teams and equestrians from around the world that are in Ocala to compete in the extremely prestigious Nations Cup, and showcase many of the breeds that make Ocala the Horse Capital of the World. Sponsored by the City of Ocala, this family-friendly event is free and open to the public, making it a can’t-miss opportunity to cheer on world-class athletes and enjoy the equine side of the community.

“With loyal support from Marion County and the City of Ocala, in addition to Ocala Main Street, IHMS and the CEP, HITS will once again welcome show jumping’s biggest players to Ocala to exemplify our continued commitment to growing the sport for exhibitors and spectators alike,” continued Struzzieri.

The Nations Cup Jumping series is equestrian sport’s oldest and most prestigious team challenge, with national teams from around the globe competing for one of the most coveted prizes in this Olympic-level discipline.

Last year, the 2016 Nations Cup at HITS Ocala garnered over 5,000 on-site spectators, as well as an unprecedented figure of national and international media attention. The 2015 event was ranked as the second highest in national and international media interest for its overall division in the official 2015 FEI Nations Cup™ Media Report.

“Now, with two years of experience, we can continue to make Nations Cup Week an extraordinarily special week for both the exhibitor and the loyal spectators of Marion County,” continued Struzzieri.  “They say the third time’s the charm – and we are certain the 2017 event will live up to the expectation of excellence that HITS is recognized for.”

Throughout the Nations Cup Week at HITS Post Time Farm, HITS will offer an upgraded hospitality experience in the Overlook VIP Club featuring ringside seating, as well as beer and wine service and the culinary art of Executive Chef Giuseppe Napoli of The Tavern at Diamond Mills in Saugerties, New York. VIP tables are expected to sell out and reservations are encouraged.

For Overlook VIP Club information and bookings, contact Chris Mayone at Chris@HitsShows.com. Day VIP will also be available for purchase which includes reserved, ringside seating, lunch with beer and wine service. To purchase Day VIP, please contact HITS at 845-246-8833.

The Ocala Winter Circuit runs for 10 weeks, January 17 – March 26. A total of two FEI events will be held, including the Nations Cup, from February 7 – March 5. The week immediately after Nations Cup will be FEI CSI-2* on February 21-26. The Circuit culminates with the Great American $1 Million Grand Prix on Sunday, March 26. For the complete schedule, please click here.

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