Vinton Karrasch and Coral Reef Follow Me II Top $34,000 HITS Desert Classic, presented by OSPHOS®

Thermal, California (February 5, 2015): Vinton Karrasch, of Rancho Santa Fe, California, flew 2,500 miles to compete at HITS Desert Circuit IV, the first of two Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) World Cup qualifying weeks at the HITS Desert Circuit. His effort paid off as Karrasch won the first FEI class of the week, the $34,000 HITS Desert Classic, presented by OSPHOS®, on Thursday, riding Coral Reef Follow Me II, a 10-year-old Westphalian owned by Coral Reef Ranch.

“My plan for this whole year has been the World Cup; I’ve been targeting the World Cup,” said Karrash after clinching the blue ribbon and a $11,220 prize with a time of 41.05 seconds, and taking a victory lap around the ring with the other eight jump-off riders. Three of those jump-off riders also went double-clear in the second round, out of a total 36 horses that entered the class. Karrash will take home the $11,220 prize and plans to return for Desert Circuit V, the second FEI World Cup qualifying week at HITS Thermal.

Karrash said Coral Reef Follow Me II is quicker than people estimate. “Once we got going [in the jump-off] we were really going,” he said. “He’s deceptively fast.” Karrash said the course, designed by Martin Otto of Munster, Germany, was “was pretty straight forward.”

In second place was Tamie Phillips on her own Cat Balou, to win $6,800. The pair completed the jump-off in 42.35 seconds, a full second ahead of the third place rider, Lauren Crooks on Cathy Langston’s Ziezo II in 43.81 seconds. The fourth rider to go double-clear, Jenni McAllister on Casseur de Prix, owned by Granville Equine, finished in 45.06 seconds.

Will Simpson, who won five Grand Prix in a row to start the circuit, came in fifth with a time of 41.79 seconds and four faults on Monarch International’s The Dude.

Coming up Saturday, February 7, is the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix CSI-W2*, presented by OSPHOS®, an FEI World Cup qualifier, that will be held under the lights of the Grand Prix Stadium. Then, after a one-week intermission, HITS Desert Circuit V starts February 17, bringing riders yet another FEI World Cup qualifying week at HITS Thermal, including the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix CSI-W2*, presented by OSPHOS®, on February 21. For more information, visit HitsShows.com.

Select HITS Thermal and HITS Ocala Grand Prix events are available to watch live and on-demand at USEFNetwork.com.

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(c) ESI Photography
Vinton Karrasch on Coral Reef Follow Me II, owned by Coral Reef Ranch, placed first in Thursday's $34,000 HITS Desert Classic, presented by OSPHOS®.

(c) ESI Photography
Vinton Karrasch on Coral Reef Follow Me II, owned by Coral Reef Ranch, placed first in Thursday's $34,000 HITS Desert Classic, presented by OSPHOS®.

$34,000 HITS Desert Classic, presented by OSPHOS®

Place	Horse	Owner	Rider	Prize	Round 1 Faults	JO Faults	JO Time
1	Coral Reef Follow Me II	Coral Reef Ranch	Vinton Karrasch	$11,220	0	0	41.05
2	Cat Balou	Tamie Phillips	Tamie Phillips	$6,800	0	0	42.35
3	Ziezo II	Cathy Langston	Lauren Crooks	$5,100	0	0	43.81
4	Casseur de Prix	Granville Equine	Jenni McAllister	$3,400	0	0	45.06
5	The Dude	Monarch International	William Simpson	$2,040	0	4	41.79
6	AJE Cluny	AJE Equitation	Christian Heineking	$1,530	0	4	42.09
7	Alberto II	Stone Ridge Farms LLC	Kara Chad	$1,020	0	12	63.31
8	Cippolini VD Gasthoeve	Valleyfield Farm	Ellicia Edgar	$850	0	16	43.55
9	Danton	Sarah Nieman	Sarah Nieman	$680	0	20	67.78
10	Valeska	Pony Lane Farm	Charlie Jayne	$680	0	(forfeit)	*
11	Nougat du Vallet	Grant Road Partners	Katherine Dinan	$340	1	*	*
12	Super Bad	Blair Cudmore	Karen Cudmore	$340	4	*	*

 

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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.