John Bragg Takes 4th Devoucoux Win on Social Hour

Thermal, California (February 22, 2015): John Bragg claimed his fourth $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix win this year on Sunday at HITS Desert Horse Park on Social Hour, owned by Laura Strasburg.

Bragg won first and third place in Sunday's Devoucoux Hunter Prix, John French, who was the recipient of last week's Charles Owen Leading Hunter Rider Award, took second and fourth.

Bragg earned scores of 89 and 88 on Social Hour, earning a total of 177 to take the blue ribbon. French, on Sochi, owned by Lee Kellogg Sadrian, scored 87 and 89 to total 176. Right behind, Bragg scored 86 and 88 on Pamela Mollenhoff's Lukatoni to total 174. In fourth, French scored 84 and 83 to total 167 on Elizabeth Gabler's Soldier.

The $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix is a qualifier for the $500,000 Diamond Mills Hunter Prix Final at the HITS Championship in Saugerties this September 2-6.

(c) ESI Photography
John Bragg and Social Hour win the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix Sunday, February 22, 2015, at HITS Thermal.

(c) ESI Photography
John Bragg and Social Hour take home the blue ribbon in the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix Sunday, February 22, 2015, at HITS Thermal.

$5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix

Place	Horse	Owner	Rider	Prize	Rd. 1/2	Total
1	Social Hour	Laura Strasburg	John Bragg	$1,500	89/88	177
2	Sochi	Lee Kellogg Sadrian	John French	$1,000	87/89	176
3	Lukatoni	Pamela Moellenhoff	John Bragg	$700	86/88	174
4	Soldier	Elizabeth Gabler	John French	$500	84/83	167
5	Coffeetalk	Gabriella Cinquini	Gabriella Cinquini	$400	81/84	165
6	Welcome	Gemma Geist	Gemma Geist	$325	79.5/81	160.5
7	Faraon	Pavla Nygaard	Tanya Levorchick	$300	79/76	155
8	Academy Award	Mary-Kathryn Dick	Mary-Kathryn Dick	$275	80/74	154

Polly Sweeney Wins Platinum Performance Hunter Prix on Duet

Polly Sweeney took first place in the Desert Circuit V $1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix on her own Duet with scores of 88 and 83 to total 171 in Sunday's class.

"It was one tough class. I felt it was a magic moment - it really truly was," she said. "It was a lovely flowing course that just was inviting. You just take a deep breath and enjoy it all as you go along. It felt good that I hit all my distances. When I got my score I almost fell off."

In second place, Leila Templin scored an 82 and 86 on Ellen Brown's Maple Bay. Rounding out third -- and also taking fourth -- was Amy Brubaker who scored an 83 and 84 on Estelle Harris' Gideon Sharonne and an 83.5 and 82 on Rory Ingels' Popular J.

Sweeney, of Pasadena, California, is a regular competitor at HITS Thermal and won two of last year's HITS Thermal Platinum Performance classes. She has her eye on this year's $250,000 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix Final at the HITS Championship. "I'm looking forward to Saugerties, I hope to make it that far," she said.

Sweeney, who took a two decade hiatus from riding to work as a professional violinist and raise her children, returned to her childhood sport about 15 years ago. "The whole riding world changed in that period of time," she said, of her time off. Sweeney now trains under Archibald Cox III, of Brookway Stables. She got back into riding when her daughter, actress Alison Sweeney, developed an interest in the sport.

"She started begging to ride," she said. "That was my cue to get back into it. Here I am. I think it’s easier to come back if you’ve ridden as a child. I’ve been lucky, it’s kept me young."

(c) ESI Photography
Polly Sweeney and Duet win the Desert Circuit V $1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix Sunday, February 22, 2015, at HITS Thermal.


(c) ESI Photography
Polly Sweeney and Duet win the blue ribbon in the Desert Circuit V $1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix Sunday, February 22, 2015, at HITS Thermal.

$1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix

Place	Horse	Owner	Rider	Prize	Rd. 1/2	Total
1	Duet	Polly Sweeney	Polly Sweeney	$450	88/83	171
2	Maple Bay	Ellen Brown	Leila Templin	$300	82/86	168
3	Gideon Sharonne	Estelle Harris	Amy Brubaker	$200	83/84	167
4	Popular J	Rory Ingels	Amy Brubaker	$150	83.5/82	165.5
5	Beach Drive	Bill Ulmer	Bill Ulmer	$125	81/83	164
6	Castle Hill	Stephanie Ray	Stephanie Ray	$100	86/72.5	158.5
7	Capria	Emily Hutson	Emily Hutson	$100	78/80	158
8	Lausbub	JH Sporthorses	Eliza Foster	$75	79/73	152

 

About Devoucoux
Devoucoux, maker of fine French saddles, is proud to be the title sponsor of each and every qualifying Hunter Prix leading up to the phenomenal Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final. Devoucoux offers a wide range of saddles in many colors and sizes and matching accessories. Devoucoux craftsmen are devoted to creating beautiful products that reflect their obsession with quality and lovingly finished work. For more information on Devoucoux, visit devoucoux.com.

About Platinum Performance
Platinum Performance provides more than 10 supplements essential to your horse’s health and conditioning in just one scoop. Platinum Performance® Equine addresses a horse's total body health from joint and hoof care to athletic performance and coat health, and is the 2014 sponsor of the $250,000 Hunter Prix Final and all qualifiers. For more information on Platinum Performance, visit platinumperformance.com.

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About HITS, Inc.
HITS, Inc. produces high quality, international-level hunter/jumper horse shows. Based in upstate New York in the Village of Saugerties, HITS has been producing shows since 1982 and is now a nationwide company with world-class circuits in California, Florida, Arizona, New York, and Virginia.

While hosting the richest weekend in show jumping at HITS-on-the-Hudson, HITS also formed the Triple Crown of Show Jumping. This includes the AIG $1 Million Grand Prix, presented by Mortgage Call, in Thermal, California, the Great American $1 Million Grand Prix in Ocala, Florida, and Saugerties $1 Million Grand Prix, presented by Wells Fargo, in Saugerties, New York.

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

Media should contact the HITS Media Team at 845.246.8833 or e-mail Media_Info@HitsShows.com.