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 (March 8, 2010) — It was starting to feel like Florida again as the warm weather arrived just in time for Callan Solem and Allison, owned by Quiet Winter Farm/BJ Maghan, to win the $50,000 Ring Power Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, for their third Grand Prix victory this winter at HITS Ocala.
“She’s [Allison] a good girl,” said Solem of New Jersey, who took second in Thursday’s $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health. “I thought the first round was really smooth – Allison just loves this sport so much, she knows when it’s Sunday and gets very excited.”
Starting the class that featured 24 competitors on a course designed by Danny Foster, was Maryland native Tracy Magness and Tarco Van Ter Moude, owned by Mr. and Mrs. John Bartko. Magness set the bar high with a clean round to earn the first spot in the jump-off.
Four rounds later, Aaron Vale of Morriston, Florida, and Paparazzi, who were the winning team of Thursday’s $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, followed Magness to the jump-off with a clean round.
Without a moment to waste, Solem and Allison showed next with a clean round, as the jump-off continued to grow with the biggest names of High-Performance riders at HITS Ocala.
OCALA, FL (March 9, 2010) — Jennifer Alfano was both fantastic and fabulous on Fantabulous, as they beat out 51 other horse-and-rider pairs to win the $10,000 Devoucoux Hunter Derby on Sunday at HITS Post Time Farm in Ocala, Florida.
“We’re thrilled!” exclaimed Alfano, of Buffalo, New York, who stood next to Fantabulous’ owner, Michelle Shaulinski. Fantabulous, a nine-year-old Dutch warm blood with the nickname “Fred”, is a First Year horse.
“This was Fred’s first Derby,” said Alfano. “It was a really nice course and he handled it perfectly – even with jumping outside the ring he did really great and I’m very excited for him.”
On the course designed by Jamie Alder, Alfano and Fantabulous had the highest score in the first round with an 89.
Second place winner Callan Solem and Barbara Scott’s Cinderella followed closely with a first-round score of 88.
Ocala Grand Prix riders in the top of the Pfizer Million Standings, Devoucoux Derby crowns a new champion, while the Marshall & Sterling Child/Adult Jumper Classic draws 67 riders and a huge cheering crowd!
OCALA, FL (March 3, 2010) — HITS Post Time Farm in Ocala, Florida wrapped up its third week of AA-rated show jumping on Sunday after an exciting series of classes and special events highlighted another fantastic week on the road to the Pfizer Million.
The week saw HITS Ocala’s 2009 Leading Grand Prix Rider Tracy Magness make her anticipated return to the winners’ circle when she captured Thursday’s $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, aboard Mr. and Mrs. John Bartko’s Tarco Van Ter Moude.
New Grand Prix Winners Emerge, 50 Show in the Devoucoux Derby, While the Social Scene Is Buzzing in Ocala
OCALA, FL (February 24, 2010) — The second week of show jumping at HITS Ocala wrapped on Sunday with warm weather and exciting action, proving that the ‘Horse Capital of the World’ is also the ‘Land of Opportunity,’ as the Grand Prix Arena saw some new faces emerge in the winner’s circle.
In Thursday’s $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, Lacy Morrone-Cramer from Pittstown, New Jersey earned her first Grand Prix win of the season riding Ulysses Van De Krekebeke, owned by Equi Sport, LLC. The duo bested 36 pairs and, according to Morrone-Cramer, it was all thanks to a last second decision. “From the triple bar to the triple combination everyone was jumping the line in the eight,” explained Morrone-Cramer. “When I was out there it was a last second decision, but I decided to jump it in the seven and it worked!”
Sunday’s $50,000 Charles Owen Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, marked the first-time victory for Grand Prix newcomer Full A’s, shown by Matthais Hollberg of Apex, North Carolina. Owned by APEX Equestrian Center, it was only the fifth Grand Prix the horse has ever competed in. “He’s won a few ribbons but this was the first time he’s ever jumped clean in a Grand Prix, let alone win,” exclaimed a very happy Hollberg after the class.
Finishing alongside Hollberg in the top three were Hugh Graham on Executive Privilege 3E and Kristen VanderVeen on Bull Run’s La Bamba.
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