HITS Inc. Welcomes USHJA Zone 4 Junior/Amateur-Owner Handy Hunter Classic HITS Ocala Winter Circuit Week VII

 
Ocala, Florida (February 5, 2015): HITS, Inc. is pleased to welcome the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Zone 4 Junior/Amateur-Owner Handy Hunter Classic to Week VII of the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit.

The 3’6” Junior/Amateur Owner Handy Hunter Classic offers $1,000 in prize money and will be held during the Ocala Tournament February 24 – March 1 at HITS Post Time Farm.

To participate, the rider and owner of the horse or pony must have the USHJA Zone 4 as their home zone of record and be eligible to compete under Zone 4 Specifications; be in good standing with USEF and USHJA; and horses must be registered with the USHJA.

To view the complete specifications, click here.

The USHJA Zone 4 Hunter Committee created the Handy Hunter Classic program to test skills that riders and their horses might use during an enjoyable day of foxhunting, combining elements of flat and over-fences classes. A “handy hunter” is a horse or pony that is very easy to maneuver around a course in a ring or in the hunt field. Elements that may be seen in a handy hunter class include fences at the gallop, rollbacks, trot fences, and a gate to open and or close from the horse’s back.

There is no entry or nomination fee to compete in the Handy Hunter Classic. The USHJA Zone 4 Hunter Committee will fund the $1,000 prize money, which will be distributed among the top six riders in the classic. The USHJA will also provide a cooler to the first place winner and ribbons for those who place first through 12th. Any ribbon winners in the USHJA Handy Hunter Classics will be qualified to compete in the Handy Hunter Finals at the Zone 4 Horse of the Year Finals in Atlanta, Georgia, or Tampa, Florida.

“As a committee we thought that offering free classes all over the zone with prize money was a great way for our zone to spend some of the allocated money from the $2 USHJA Zone Support fee we all pay to compete. This idea for a Handy Hunter as a simple class will help the lower heights prepare for the Handy classes that are required in many A-rated divisions. So far the classes have been a big success,” said Bob Bell, USHJA Hunter Zone 4 chair.

“HITS is proud to hold this class and support the program. Providing classes for all levels of riders, and in particular, fostering the next generation of equestrians, is integral to our mission,” said HITS President and CEO Thomas Struzzieri.

For questions on the Zone 4 Handy Hunter Classic program contact the USHJA Zone 4 Education Programs Manager Christina Vaughn at 859.225.6714 or 859.225.6700 for information. To enter the Zone 4 Jr/A-O Handy Hunter Classic at the Ocala Tournament, contact the Show Office at 352.620.2275.

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.