Playboy and Charlie Jayne Win $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix; Hunter Holloway and I Love Lucy Take $2,500 Brook Ledge Open Welcome

Ocala, Florida (January 16, 2015): The first Grand Prix of the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit took place Thursday in the Ocala Horse Properties Stadium. The $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix is a qualifier for the Hits Triple Crown of Show Jumping, which includes three $1 million classes later this year.

Riders vied for the prize money, sponsored by SmartPak, and a chance to qualify for the Triple Crown over Doug Russell’s course, which included a triple and a double combination. The footing was excellent despite showers during the day and faults were evenly scattered throughout. Two riders were unseated in Round 1. Six horses were clear over the course, but Derek Petersen, from Archer, Florida, aboard Maddie Skimming’s Cassevel had one time fault just missing an opportunity to compete in the jump-off and placing sixth.

The jump-off, with five competitors, proved to be a real nail-biter according to Judge Mel Stone, who kept hoping for a clear round. Williston’s own Aaron Vale riding Troy Glaus’ horse, Quidam’s Good Luck, was not lucky enough to jump clear. A rail at the final jump cost him four faults but a fast time of 40.389 set the mark and was good enough for third place.

Jared Petersen riding his father Derek’s Titus 2:11 jumped like the winner again until the final jump where he had an uncharacteristic rail stopping the clock at 45.358. This horse and rider combination has had some impressive feats in the past at Hits Ocala, winning three Sunday Grand Prix in a row in 2013. But their rail and time placed them fifth Thursday.

MTM Farms’ MTM Centano and Tracy Fenney from Flower Mound, Texas, had an early rail so she rode to the fastest four fault round in a time of 40.293 to earn second place. One of 2014’s leading riders with five grand prix wins, MTM’s Centano’s ability to jump from anywhere makes him a formidable competitor.

Charlie Jayne of Wellington, Florida, riding his own Playboy, knew that a clear round would secure the win so he rode a careful clear and stopped the clock at 49.791, winning the lions’ share of the prize money and a head start at qualifying for the Great American $1 Million. Spectators held their collective breath as he cleared the final fence to produce the only double clear round.

Centurion B, owned by Mary Goldman and ridden by Lisa Goldman of Hawthorn Hills, Illinois, have won more than their fair share of Grand Prixs in the past at HITS. As the final competitor in the jump-off, the table was set for a fight to the last, but it was not to be. A rail at the second part of the combination cost them four faults and their time of 43.149 placed them fourth.

SmartPak $25,000 Grand Prix

Place

Horse Owner Rider Prize Round 1 Faults JO Faults JO Time
1 Playboy Charlie Jayne Charlie Jayne $7,500 0 0 49.791
2 MTM Centano MTM Farm Tracy Fenney $5,500 0 4 40.293
3 Quidam's Good Luck Troy Glaus Aaron Vale $3,250 0 4 40.389
4 Centurion B Mary Goldman Lisa Goldman $2,000 0 4 43.149
5 Titus 2:11 Derek Petersen Jared Petersen $1,500 0 4 45.358
6 Cassevel Maddie Skimming Derek Petersen $1,250 1    
7 Qurint Chuck & Dana Waters Hayley Waters $1,000 4    
8 S & L Elite S & L Farms Dorothy Douglas $750 4    
9 Acolina R Sarah Turner Aaron Vale $750 4    
10 Enzo Cimarron Fram Kelley Robinson $500 4    
11 Troya Retiro Juan Pablo Betancourt Juan Pablo Betancourt $500 4    
12 Fons Van't Gey Zever Hayley Waters Daniel Damen $500 4

 

 


(c) ESI Photography
Charlie Jayne and Playboy jump to victory in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix

$2,500 Brook Ledge Open Welcome

The $2,500 Brook Ledge Open Welcome kicked off the 2015 HITS Ocala Winter Circuit Wednesday with 15 eager to start their season with a win in the Ocala Horse Properties Stadium. Six riders were able to shake off the winter blues by jumping fault-free in the first round over Ocala course designer Doug Russell’s inviting 1.40 meter course of 14 jumping efforts and two combinations.

First to tackle the jump-off was Seth Vallhonrat from Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, on his own Cellisto who opted for a conservative clear in 44.774 seconds. His clear round earned him fourth place. Next up was Topeka, Kansas, junior superstar Hunter Holloway riding Hays Investment Corp.’s I Love Lucy. She set the “Great American Time to Beat” when she stopped the clock in a blazing 35.668 seconds. That time held up and I Love Lucy welcomed in the New Year with the win.

Derek Petersen from Archer, Florida, aboard Maddie Skimming’s Cassevel gave Holloway a run for the money, but came up short with a time of 37.626 and a clean round to finish second. Shachine Bell riding Katie Tyler’s Kroner Z had an unfortunate rail at the last fence, finishing with four faults in 39.951 seconds to finish fifth.

Jared Petersen, riding his father’s Via Dolorosa, rode with the fourth clear round in the jump-off and a time of 39.252 to finish a close third. Hayley Waters from Sparr Florida riding Chuck and Dana Waters Coralina had a rail at fence four finishing with four faults and a time of 42.201 to finish sixth.


(c) ESI Photography
Hunter Holloway and I Love Lucy jump to win the Brook Ledge Open.

$2,500 Brook Ledge Open Welcome

Place

Horse Owner Rider Prize Round 1 Faults JO Faults JO Time
1 I Love Lucy Hays Investment Corp. Hunter Holloway $750 0 0 35.668
2 Cassevel Maddie Skimming Derek Petersen $450 0 0 37.629
3 Via Dolorosa Derek Petersen Jared Petersen $300 0 0 39.262
4 Cellisto Seth Vallhonrat Seth Vallhonrat $250 0 0 44.774
5 Kroner Z Katie Tyler Shachine Belle $225 0 4 39.951
6 Coralina Chuck & Dana Waters Hayley Waters $200 0 4 42.201
7 Bahrain 8 Seth Vallhonrat Daniel Damen $175 4    
8 Visette Redfield Farm Adrienne Iverson $150 4    
9 Black Diamond AEM Enterprises, LLC Kris Killam   4    
10 Troya Retiro Juan Pablo Betancourt Juan Pablo Betancourt   4    
11 Troya Montecristo Juan Pablo Betancourt Juan Pablo Betancourt   4    
12 Centurion B Mary Goldman Lisa Goldman    

About SmartPak
SmartPaks are custom made, pre-measured daily dose Paks of your horse's supplements. They are clearly labeled with your horse's name for fast, accurate feeding every time. Tightly sealed to protect potency, SmartPaks ensure that your horse always has the freshest supplements available. Best of all, SmartPaks over $40 are delivered free automatically every 28 days, so you never worry about running out.

About Brook Ledge
Brook Ledge Inc. is  one of the largest horse transportation companies in North America. In addition to operating out of its home office in Oley, Pennsylvania, Brook Ledge Inc. maintains terminals on small farms in Lexington, Kentucky and Ocala, Florida.  There are three generations currently working at Brook Ledge and the Gotwals family is dedicated to the business and those who make it possible from employees to customers.


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.


2015 Horse Show Dates

HITS Desert Circuit  |  Thermal, CA  |  January 13 - March 15, 2015
HITS Ocala Winter Circuit    |  Ocala, FL  |  January 13 - March 23, 2015
HITS Arizona Winter Circuit  |  Tucson, AZ  |  January 28 - March 8, 2015
HITS Culpeper Show Series  |  Culpeper, VA  |  April / July / August / September
HITS Saugerties Show Series  |  Saugerties, NY  |  May-June / July-August / September
HITS Championship  |  Saugerties, NY  |  September 2-6, 2015
Marshall & Sterling Insurance League National Finals  |  September 9-13, 2015
National Sunshine Series  |  October 28 - November 8, 2015