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Aaron Vale and Quidam’s Good Luck Win $50,000 Equine Couture/TuffRider Grand Prix at HITS Ocala

Ocala, Florida (January 25, 2015): HITS regular Aaron Vale of Williston, Florida, turned on the afterburners in the $50,000 Equine Couture/TuffRider Grand Prix jump-off Sunday to knock out the competition and win the class on Troy Glaus’ Quidam’s Good Luck. 

Forty-five horses competed in the first round over a course designed by Manuel Esparza of Mexico City, Mexico. Thirteen qualified for the jump-off. Going second in the jump-off, with the likes of Mclain Ward, Ian Millar and Candice King behind him, Vale rode clean and fast to win. 

“I know if we leave the jumps up, he’s got a good chance,” Vale said of the 9-year-old bay gelding Quidam’s Good Luck. Vale said the horse has a jumping style that’s “fairly extravagant – the way he kicks his hind end up and flicks his tail at the same time.”

Vale and Quidam sped around the abbreviated course, setting the Great American Time to Beat at 38.330 seconds for others to chase, and ultimately earning the blue and a $15,000 prize check.

“We’ve had a great week here showing over Manuel’s courses,” Vale said.  “Flowing across the ring with time alloweds being a little tight, it really encouraged you to go forward. He did a good job of making it technical but making you have to go forward at the same time.”

Five more riders were clean in the jump-off but none were able to match Vale’s time. Mclain Ward from Brewster, New York, and Double H Farm’s HH Ashley, came close with a time of 39.886, securing their second place spot.

Ward said, “I kind of lost sight of the last jump heading into the sun and took one extra pull, but she was good.” On a different horse, his and Susie Heller’s Dulien Van De Smeets, a fault put Ward in eighth place with a time of 41.040.

Ian Millar of Perth, Ontario, who rounded out the top three with a time of 40.289, said jokingly after the class, “Aaron (Vale) gave us all a riding lesson.” 

Also clean in the jump-off were Jared Petersen on Derek Petersen’s Titus 2:11, coming in fourth, Juan Pablo Betancourt on his Troya Retiro, for fifth place, and Millar again, on Team Works’ Star Power, in sixth place.

About Equine Couture
Equine Couture is a line of rider and equine apparel offered by JPC Equestrian, the world's largest manufacturer of popular, affordable, and innovative rider apparel. Equine Couture offers style and sophistication to both horse and rider for less.

About TuffRider
TuffRider provides the ultimate selection of rider apparel and horse clothing-created for every equestrian rider.

 
(c) ESI Photography
Aaron Vale and Quidam's Good Luck jump clear in Sunday's $50,000 Equine Couture/Tuff Rider Grand Prix at HITS Ocala.


© ESI Photography
Aaron Vale and Quidam's Good Luck take the blue ribbon in Sunday's $50,000 Equine Couture/Tuff Rider Grand Prix at HITS Ocala.

$50,000 Equine Couture/Tuff Rider Grand Prix

PlaceHorseOwnerRiderPrizeRound 1 FaultsJO FaultsJO Time
1 Quidam's Good Luck Troy Glaus Aaron Vale $15,000 0 0 38.320
2 HH Ashley Double H Farm Mclain Ward $11,000 0 0 39.886
3 Baranus The Baranus Group Ian Millar $6,500 0 0 40.289
4 Titus 2:11 Derek Petersen Jared Petersen $4,000 0 0 41.369
5 Troya Retiro Juan Pablo Betancourt Juan Pablo Betancourt $3,000 0 0 42.349
6 Star Power Team Works Ian Millar $2,500 0 0 47.789
7 Tamara 296 Brian Walker Brian Walker $2,000 0 4 40.931
8 Dulien Van De Smeets Susie Heller & Mclain Ward Mclain Ward $1,500 0 4 41.040
9 S & L Elite S & L Farms Dorothy Douglas $1,500 0 4 42.822
10 Calvin Klein Millar Brooke Farm Ltd. Jonathan Millar $1,000 0 4 43.951
11 Bon Giomo Showcase 81, LLC Bryn Sadler $1,000 0 4 48.367
12 Yolo Hays Investment Corp.  Hunter Holloway $1,000 0 8 40.006


Morgan Ward and Orberose du Gord take blue in $2,500 Junior Jumper Classic Low; Samantha Schaefer and Sugar Ray win $2,500 Pyranha Amateur Jumper Classic by nearly three seconds

Morgan Ward of Milford, New Jersey, riding Redfield Farm’s Orberose du Gord, topped the $2,500 Junior Jumper Classic Low at HITS Ocala.

Four had clean rounds and went on to the jump-off over a course designed by Manuel Esparza, of Mexico City, Mexico. Ward finished both first and second in the class with clean rounds each time. Orberose du Gord went last and finished with the winning time of 33.305. Vanessa McCarthy’s Halladay earned second place with a time of 33.501. Third place went to Mary Katherine Hargreaves of Alpharetta, Georgia, on her own Quartus, with a clean round and a jump-off time of 34.179.

$2,500 Pyranha Amateur Jumper Classic
Samantha Schaefer of Westminster, Maryland, topped the leaderboard in the $2,500 Pyranha Amateur Jumper Classic Low on her own Sugar Ray. Schaefer said of the Swedish Warmblood, “I’ve had him for six years. He’s 16 now and he’s probably my favorite horse ever. He always tries so hard to win. He has a huge heart.”

Schaefer’s time of 30.604 beat the other five horses in the jump-off by nearly three seconds. Second and third place went to Mallory Vale of Williston, Florida, on Ashwey Calisto and Mi Phone with times of 33.128 for second and 33.440 for third, respectively. Both horses are owned by Thinkslikeahorse.   

   
(c) ESI Photography
Samantha Schaefer and Sugar Ray win the $2,500 Pyranha Amateur Jumper Classic by nearly three seconds.   

Laura Linback and Whittaker MVNZ Take Top Honors in $7,500 U-Dump Jr/A-O Jumper Classic High
Laura Linback of Mundelein, Illinois, rode to the only clean round in the jump-off on Whittaker MVNZ with a time of 31.331 seconds, to beat the other three who made it to the final round over the course also designed by Esparza in the $7,500 U-Dump Jr/A-O Jumper Classic High.

Linback said she’s had Whittaker MVNZ for four years. “He’s a wonderful horse. He’s game and happy, but a little lazy, too. He needs inspiring.”

Hayley Waters from Sparr, Florida, riding Qurint, owned by Chuck and Dana Waters, came in second with the final rail coming down for four faults in 29.831 seconds. Rounding out the jump-off in third was Nicole Bellissimo from Wellington, Florida, riding Bellissimo LLC’s Harley David to a four fault round in 29.943, and Sima Morgello from the Bronx, New York, with Orientales, owned by the Double S Farm, with eight faults and the fastest time of 28.236 for fourth. Sima was the winner of the Medium Jr/Am Classic earlier in the day on her other horse Zopala.

About U-Dump
Ocala, Florida-based U-Dump has been manufacturing the finest dump trailers in the industry since 1980. Built strictly from top-grade materials, all U-Dump trailers are made with the latest construction techniques to eliminate bending and breakage in all stress areas.  From hauling equipment to storing construction debris for later disposal, U-Dump Trailers are multi-purpose units for commercial and residential uses alike.

About Pyranha
For over 40 years Pyranha, Inc. has been innovating and providing pest control solutions for the residential and livestock industry. Pyranha pioneered the development of an automatic insect control system that dispenses specially formulated insecticides, providing the horse industry with a reliable, effective and economical method of insect control in and around animal quarters and barns. 


(c) ESI Photography
Laura Linback and Whittaker MVNZ pose for the presentation photo after winning Sunday's $7,500 U-Dump Jr/A-O Jumper Classic High.

$2,500 Junior Jumper Classic Low

Place Horse Owner Rider Prize Round 1 Faults JO Faults JO Time
1 Orberose du Gord Redfield Farm Morgan Ward $750 0 0 33.305
2 Halladay Vanessa McCarthy Morgan Ward $450 0 0 33.501
3 Quartus Mary Katherine Hargreaves Mary Katherine Hargreaves $300 0 0 34.179
4 WEC Quidam-Quidam William Upton Cooper Dean $250 0 4 33.425
5 Castlebay Grace Dreyer Grace Dreyer $225 4 * *
6 GPS Evita Palindrome Investments LLC Hunter Holloway $200 4 * *
7 Dunja Tye Donaldson Tye Donaldson $175 4 * *
8 Antonio    Amanda Shaffer Amanda Shaffer $150 4 * *
9 Juliet KW Mahon Inc. Danny Mahon * 4 * *
10 Visette Redfield Farm Devin Mac Leod * 4 * *
11 Benedetto Mary Katherine Hargreaves    Mary Katherine Hargreaves * elim. * *

$2,500 Pyranha Amateur Jumper Classic Low

Place Horse Owner Rider Prize Round 1 Faults JO Faults JO Time
1 Sugar Ray Samantha Schaefer Samantha Schaefer $750 0 0 30.404
2 Ashwey Calisto Thinkslikeahorse Mallory Vale $450 0 0 33.128
3 Mi Phone Thinkslikeahorse Mallory Vale $300 0 0 33.440
4 Havana De La Lande Elisa Uribe Gutierrez Eliza Uribe Gutierrez $250 0 0 37.316
5 Donegue Emma Willsky Emma Willsky $225 0 4 37.961
6 Victoria VII Lily Hahn Lily Hahn $200 0 4 38.145
7 Raise The Bar Clay Struve Molly Struve $175 4 * *
8 Hannes Van Het Scheefkasteel Carolina Ramelli Carolina Ramelli $150 4 * *
9 Linkrus James Fisher James Fisher * 4 * *
10 Zoran de Saulieu Z Carolina Ramelli Carolina Ramelli * 4 * *
11 Matchmaker Dade City Properties LLC Jessica O'Hanrahan * 4 * *
12 Capriato Miranda Travers Cavill Miranda Travers Cavill * 8 * *

$7,500 U-Dump Jr/A-O Jumper Classic High

Place Horse Owner Rider Prize Round 1 Faults JO Faults JO Time
1 Whittaker MVNZ Woodrun Laura Linback $2,200 0 0 31.331
2 Qurint Chuck & Dan Waters Hayley Waters $1,500 0 4 29.831
3 Harley David Bellissimo LLC Nicole Bellissimo $1,050 0 4 29.943
4 Orientales Double S Farm, LLC Sima Morgello $700 0 8 28.236
5 Captain Krutzmann Smithfield Farms, LLC Callie Smith $600 4 * *
6 Quite Dark 2 Westwind Equine Training Center Haley Gassel $500 4 * *
7 As Di Chupito North Face Farm Erin Haas $450 4 * *
8 Fiona Van't Paradijs MacKenzie McGehee MacKenzie McGehee $450 4 * *
9 Via Dolorosa Derek Petersen Jared Petersen * 4 * *
10 Mullentine Imperial Showcase 81, LLC Bryn Sadler * 4 * *
11 Unique MacKenzie McGehee MacKenzie McGehee * 6 * *
12 Kroner Z Katie Tyler Katie Tyler * 8 * *

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.