Jennifer Alfano guided Sting to his comeback in the $5,000 Devoucoux 3'3" Hunter Prix at HITS Ocala I. Photo By: ESI The Digital Place
Ocala, FL – February 8, 2012 – The first week of SBS Farms’ six-week stay at HITS Ocala was filled with nothing but success as professional rider and trainer Jennifer Alfano guided Sting to his comeback. The talented team executed the $5,000 Devoucoux 3’3″ Hunter Prix with consistency and precision, riding to the coveted championship spot. Alfano also rode numerous mounts to the top awards in the hunter divisions, while student Grace Weidner exhibited Castell in the Large Junior 16-17 Hunters, leaving the ring with high scores across the board.
It seems as though Sting, after taking some time to recuperate, is finally hitting his stride in the new 2012 year. Alfano and Sting took control of the $5,000 Devoucoux 3’3″ Hunter Prix, taking the course with a smooth ease. “He was really good, the courses were nice and he jumped great,” Alfano described. “It was so nice to have Sting back after having him out for a while. He was really smooth going around, everything matched, he’s such a fun horse and I am so happy to have him back.”
OCALA, FL (February 7, 2012) – As the Ocala Premier celebrated its first full week of rated show jumping at HITS Post Time Farm in Ocala, Florida, hunter riders were treated with another gorgeous day to showcase the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix. Jennifer Alfano of Buffalo, New York, one of the nation’s top hunter riders, enjoyed a successful day after she captured the blue ribbon in Sunday’s main hunter event aboard Helen Lenahan’s Sting.
Doug Russell of Ocala, Florida designed a first round course for 35 competitors and welcomed the top 12 scores to return for a second round to determine the overall winner. Alfano and Sting posted the best first round score of 87 to lead the way and followed it with a second round high-score of 89 to earn her the decisive victory.
Alfano is no stranger to the winner’s circle, and throughout her illustrious career has won many top place finishes at nearly every major horse show and year-end finals in the country.
OCALA, FL (February 1, 2012) – Charlene Graham of Fairport, New York proved this week that consistency pays off as she and her own Capricette collected three top-five finishes to clinch the Marshall & Sterling Children’s/Adult Jumper Championship at HITS Ocala. After four legs of competition and a Bonus award, $20,500 in prize money was awarded to Children’s/Adult jumpers.
Graham sat in second place overall after the first two legs held during the first pre-circuit week of competition, then rode to fourth place in the Friday’s third leg and second place in Sunday’s final leg to secure the overall championship. She edged Wendy Libert of Hughesville, Maryland and Mr. & Mrs. John Bartko’s Papillion Peanut by just one point for the win with 112 total points.
“This was the first time I’ve seriously competed in the jumper ring,” said Graham. “I got this horse back in July and it’s been so much fun competing with her – she’s been fantastic. The entire series was a blast. I really enjoyed the format and the amount of prize money offered was great.”
OCALA, FL (January 23, 2012) – The weather was beautiful in Ocala, Florida on Sunday as 26 competitors embarked on the first $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, of the winter season. It also served as the first qualifying class for the 2012 installment of the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix. Derek Petersen of Archer, Florida and his own Via Dolorosa captured the blue ribbon to highlight the end of the first unrated week of competition at HITS Post Time Farm.
“It was a great win,” said Petersen. “Today’s terrific score was a result of a very nice and friendly Grand Prix course, which was just perfect for warming up the season.”
Course designer Jerry Dougherty of Bokeelia, Florida designed a course which saw seven clear efforts in the first round. Sharn Wordley of Ocala, Florida was third to go aboard Filip Amram’s Cedrick and conquered the course fault free. At the end of the first round, five pairsjoined Wordley and Petersen in the jump-off.
Photo by HITS Staff. Riders and sponsors alike mingle at the start of the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit at HITS Post Time Farm. From left to right: Christine Vanneck, Katie Kurtz of CWD, Dylan Thomas of Judy's Tack Shop and Shawn Mac.
Ocala, FL – January 19, 2012 – HITS Ocala competitors beat the winter blues and settled in at Post Time Farm yesterday for two pre-weeks of showing, followed by seven weeks of rated competition. Coupled with special events and awards, as well as serious prize money, HITS Ocala competitors are in the right place to get a lead on qualifying for the historic offerings at HITS’ 2012 Championship Weekend, scheduled for September 7-9 at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York.
New for 2012 HITS Ocala is operating at full steam ahead in 2012 with an all-new week of A-rated competition, bringing the circuit to nine weeks of non-stop hunter/jumper action. The added week fills what used to be the off-week between the pre-circuit shows and the rated circuit. The pre-circuit, unrated weeks run through January 29 and the rated circuit runs February 1 – March 18, with the first week being A-rated, and Weeks II-VII AA-rated.
“I’m super excited to see new and familiar faces, watch great show jumping and show off my newly expanded store at HITS [Ocala],” said Ardie Hastey of Blueberry Hill out of Montreal, Canada. “I opened up my business last year at HITS Ocala, so it’s great to be back and to have an expanded presence.”
OCALA, FL (December 14, 2011) — HITS, Inc. is pleased to announce that Platinum Performance has expanded its sponsorship with HITS Horse Shows and will present the Leading Grand Prix Rider Award at HITS Thermal, HITS Ocala and HITS Saugerties during the 2012 season.
“We are proud to be a sponsor and we have a great deal in common with the competitors at HITS – high expectations, impeccable quality and a desire to constantly improve,” said Amy Quintana of Platinum Performance.
The competition among High-Performance riders is sure to be action packed this winter as some of the top riders in the world ride for the coveted Leading Grand Prix Rider Award at HITS Thermal and HITS Ocala.
The 2012 HITS Desert Circuit will offer 16 Grand Prix events, including four FEI World Cup Qualifiers. On the East Coast, HITS Ocala will also boast 16 Grand Prix classes. In addition, every Grand Prix class at HITS Horse Shows in 2012 is a qualifier for the $1 Million Grand Prix that will take place at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York in September.
SAUGERTIES, NY – November 1, 2011 — HITS, Inc. is pleased to announce that the complete prize list for the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit has been mailed and is now available on-line at HitsShows.com, featuring class listings, schedules, and entry blanks.
Kicking off HITS’ winter competition on the East Coast, show jumping action at all levels will get underway at Post Time Farm in Ocala, Florida on January 18. New this year to HITS Ocala is an added week of A-rated competition, bringing the circuit to nine weeks of non-stop hunter/jumper action. The added week fills what used to be the off-week between the pre-circuit shows and the rated circuit. The pre-circuit, unrated weeks run January 18-29, and the rated circuit runs February 1 – March 18, with the first week being A-rated, and Weeks II-VII AA-rated.
The 2012 HITS Ocala winter show season will be the first stop on the road to the world’s richest weekend in show jumping, scheduled for September 8-9, 2012 at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York.
WAYNE, IL – October 26, 2011 – The Marshall & Sterling League Mid-West Finals were held September 13-18 at the Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Illinois. This regionally-located Final took place during the Showplace Fall Classic and featured a total of 92 hunter, jumper and equitation riders.
Child riders have been the cornerstone of the Marshall & Sterling League since its inception as they compete all year for a chance to show at the Finals. The $2,500 Marshall & Sterling Children’s Jumper Championship and $1,000 Marshall & Sterling Children’s Hunter Championship saw two rising stars achieve top honors.
The $2,500 Marshall & Sterling Children’s Jumper Championship featured 18 horse-and-rider combinations as Ryan Goodman of Vernon Hills, Illinois took home the Championship aboard Adrienne Marciano’s Pulsatilla W.
“She [Pulsatilla W] and I have an amazing connection,” said Goodman of his 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood. “She is always there to help me out when necessary. The class was a great opportunity for me, especially being so close to home.”
CULPEPER, VIRGINIA (October 7, 2011) — Six weeks of show jumping, which started in April at HITS Commonwealth Park, concluded this past Sunday with big prize money, record-breaking entries and tons of exciting year-end show jumping at the Culpeper Finals. The final show week of the year for the HITS calendar delivered and set a promising precedent for next year’s show jumping opportunities.
After the 2011 Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix drew crowds to HITS-on-the-Hudson as the top Grand Prix and Hunter riders from around the world rode for serious prize money, momentum was building for the Culpeper Finals. Riders caught Pfizer Million fever and transitioned from HITS-on-the-Hudson to Culpeper with ease to get a jumpstart on qualifying for the 2012 $1 Million Grand Prix. Commonwealth Park attracted impressive numbers for last week’s special year-end classes, serving as a strong finish to the HITS’ show jumping circuits.
$25,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper High Classic Junior and Amateur-Owner Jumper riders were rewarded with a $25,000 purse in the High Classic on Sunday as a field of 18 competed over a course designed by Olaf Petersen Sr. of Paehl, Germany. Amateur rider and seasoned Grand Prix veteran Laura Linback of Mundelin, Illinois took home the blue ribbon after posting the fastest double-clear effort aboard Woodrun’s Casino.
CULPEPER, VIRGNIA (October 3, 2011) – After posting a top-twenty finish in the 2011 Pfizer Million, Tracy Fenney of Flower Mound, Texas wasted no time in preparing for next year’s $1 Million Grand Prix. On Sunday, she and MTM Farm’s MTM Centano rode to victory in the $40,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at HITS Culpeper to clinch the first qualifying opportunity for 2012’s richest day in show jumping.
HITS wrapped up a successful 2011 circuit at the Culpeper Finals last week as Olaf Petersen of Paehl, Germany set the course for the final Grand Prix of the year. Thirty-one pairs took to his first round, which offered 13 jumping efforts, including a triple combination at fence five and double combination at fence eight. The time allowed of 78 seconds proved to be trouble for several riders as ten picked up time faults, keeping two clear rounds from advancing to the jump-off.
“I knew this was going to be one of the more competitive Grand Prix I have jumped all year since Olaf was the designer – he always makes it a challenging course and it was,” said Fenney. “He left little room for error and I thought he made it smart.”
Twelve advanced to the jump-off, which saw three go double clear. It was Fenney, however, who posted a time of 40.081 seconds – well within the 48 seconds time allowed – to capture the win.
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