 |
SAUGERTIES, NY (June
4, 2006)-The blue and orange water jump on course
designer Anthony D'Ambrosio's first round course
helped sink 22 horse and rider combinations, leaving
none clear in the opening round of the
$75,000 HITS Grand Prix, at HITS Saugerties today.
Although jump seven
didn't catch all of the riders, it had a hand
in 19 of the opening round errors. "Striding
after the water
was difficult," said D'Ambrosio, of Red Hook,
NY. "Some of the riders were late coming out of
fence seven and that caused them to have trouble
with jumps eight and nine." Fence eight, a red
and white oxer was responsible for five faults;
and fence nine, a rainbow vertical situated in
front of the HITS VIP Pavilion ruined 10 chances
for a clear round.
Five riders managed
four-fault scores leaving the crowd at HITS' world-class
equestrian facility, in Saugerties, NY anticipating
an exciting jump-off. Manuel Torres tackled the
jump-off course first and managed to navigate
through perfectly, giving him and his mount Ideal
the grand prix's only clear round. He took home
the blue ribbon and a check for $22,500 for
Ideal's owner Caroline Colomb. Torres set
the Great American Insurance time to beat at 42.236
seconds with his ride.
"It was a surprising
outcome," said D'Ambrosio. "I was expecting three
to five clear rounds, but I expected the course
to be tough."
Torres was the first
to go on the opening-round course and according
to the rider, after he took down fence eight,
he didn't think he had much of a chance to capture
the top prize. "I kept watching fault after fault,
but I didn't think I had much of a chance to win
today. But nobody went clean and I got my second
chance I knew
it was time
to make the best of it," he said.
Federico Sztyrle
and Fatalis Fatum grabbed the red ribbon
and Keean White and Arriscraft Rocca were
third. Both horse and rider combinations finished
with four-faults on D'Ambrosio's jump-off course.
Henrik Gundersen continued his winning ways at
HITS with a fourth place finish in the $75,000
HITS Grand Prix. Gundersen, the winner of the
$25,000 HITS Grand Prix on Thursday, has finished
no lower than eighth aboard Darvin Garbo in each
of the four grand prix's on the HITS Saugerties
Spring Circuit. Darragh Kerins and Hot Wheels
were fifth with 12 faults in the jump-off.
The $75,000 HITS
Grand Prix concluded Week II of show jumping at
HITS Saugerties. Week III starts on Wednesday,
June 7 and ends Sunday, June 11 with the $75,000
HITS Grand Prix. Saturday and Sunday is also HITS'
Equine Art Exhibit. The exhibit runs both days
from 10 AM to 5 PM. For more information on show
jumping or HITS' Equine Art Exhibit, please call
845.246.8833 during the week and 845.246.5515
on
weekends or
visit www.HitsShows.com.
©Lili Weik Photography
Manuel
Torres riding Ideal- Winners of the $75,000
HITS Grand Prix
©Lili Weik Photography
$75,000 HITS Grand Prix-
Sunday, June 4, 2006
HITS Spring Circuit, Saugerties, NY
Course
Designer: Anthony D'Ambrosio, Red Hook, NY
|
Placing |
Horse |
Rider |
Owner |
Prize
Money
|
Rd
1 Faults
|
J-O
Faults
|
J-O
Time
|
|
1
|
Ideal |
Manuel Torres |
Caroline Columb |
$22,500
|
4
|
0
|
42.236
|
|
2
|
Fatalis Fatum
|
Federico
Sztrle |
Wolfer Estate Stables |
$16,500
|
4
|
4
|
45.043
|
|
3
|
Arriscraft Rocca
|
Keean White |
Randy White/Angelstone Farms |
$9,750
|
4
|
4
|
45.753
|
|
4
|
Darvin Garbo
|
Henrik
Gundersen |
Henrik Gundersen |
$6,000
|
4
|
8
|
41.663
|
|
5
|
Hot Wheels |
Darragh Kerins |
Miranda Fischer |
$4,500
|
4
|
12
|
43.187
|
|
6
|
Gustell II
|
Eliza
Ferguson Shuford |
Eliza Ferguson Shuford |
$3,750
|
4
|
-
|
-
|
Other
Major Awards at HITS Saugerties Week II
HBO Children's
Medal: Tess Renker, Byfield, MA
HBO Junior
Medal: Carolyn Zelentz, Larchmont, NY
HBO Adult
Medal: Allison Fernandez, Summit, NJ
Farnam Adult
Hunter (18-35): Delrico, ridden and
owned by Jamie Marsalise, Laurel Hollow, NY
Farnam
Adult Hunter (36-45): Sight Unseen,
ridden by Peter Lutz, owned by Amy R. Theurkauf,
Golden Bridge,
NY
Farman
Adult Hunter (46 & Over): Romance,
ridden and owned by Lisa E. Wentworth, Granby,
MA,
Adequan Open
Hunter: Ready Teddy, ridden by Nona
Garson and owned by The Ridge Farm, LLC,
Lebanon,
NJ
M&S Children’s
Hunter Classic: Rhizi, ridden and
owned by Christina Gellos, Greenwich, CT
M&S Adult
Jumper Classic: Callaway, ridden
and owned by Danielle Dill, Greenfield Center,
NY
M&S Adult
Hunter Classic: Romance, ridden and
owned by Lisa E. Wentworth, Granby, MA
|
|
