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SAUGERTIES, NY (August 9, 2007) — Addison Phillips, of New York, New York rode Mirasol to the Grand Championship at the 2007 East Coast USEF Junior Hunter National Championships on Wednesday, August, 8 at HITS Saugerties.
"I am very happy with the maturity my horse showed
throughout the competition," said Phillips. "He's a young horse so I was really happy for him to have a big win. Plus he needed the points for Indoors so that made it all the better."
The annual competition is designed to encourage and promote the basic training and development of Junior Hunters. Divided into four sections, the Finals feature competition for Small Juniors 15 and Under, Large Juniors 15 and Under, Small Juniors 16-17 and Large Juniors 16-17. The Finals have been held at HITS' state of the art equestrian facility in Saugerties, New York for the past three years. All competition was held in the Grand Prix Stadium or the Main Hunter Stadium, the two feature rings of the property.
Competing in the Small Juniors 16-17 division aboard Mirasol, Phillips received an overall score of 85.63 for all three phases over the two days of competition to secure the victory. Phillips, who will enter her freshman year at Harvard in the fall, celebrated her 18th birthday at HITS Saugerties on June 14. She came ever so close to winning the $75,000 Footings Unlimited Grand Prix that day, but she was edged out by Olympian Todd Minikus. In 2006 at HITS Saugerties, Phillips captured the blue ribbon in the $75,000 In the Woods Log Homes Grand Prix aboard Trezebees. Phillips is trained by Andre Dignelli of Heritage Farm. Dignelli also trains Maggie Mcalary who won the Hunterdon Cup on Tuesday at HITS Saugerties. Phillips is showing at the NY Horse & Pony Show at HITS Saugerties this week. She will take her best shot for a repeat of winning the top prize in the $75,000 In the Woods Log Homes Grand Prix on Sunday, August 12.
Grace Socha, of Glenville, New York, received an overall score of 85.38 to capture the Large Juniors 16-17 division, en route to being named the overall Reserve Champion aboard Harbor Isle.
In the Small Juniors 15 and Under division, Taylor Ann Adams secured the victory with an overall score of 84 aboard Lyle. While in the Large Juniors 15 and Under division, Laura King-Kaplan and North Country were victorious. 
Addison Phillips clears a jump on Wednesday during the 2007 East Coast USEF Junior Hunter Championship at HITS Saugerties
© 2007 Lili Weik Photography
Maggie Mcalary takes home the USHJA Hunterdon Cup, presented by World Equestrian Brands
Maggie Mcalary of Amherst, New Hampshire and her mount Cheyenne won the second annual
USHJA Hunterdon Cup, presented by World Equestrian Brands on Tuesday, August, 7 at HITS
Saugerties. "I was riding one of Andre's young equitation horses," said Mcalary. "It was my first time showing her and she was amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better horse to ride."
Mcalary outlasted a field of 33 riders through three phases of competition.
In the first phase, she recorded the round's highest score when she received a 93 from the judges. In the Handy Hunter Phase, she scored an 81 for an overall score of 174 after the first two rounds of competition, putting her in second place going into the final round.
Victoria Birdsall, of Topsfield, New Hampshire was awarded the top score of 90 in the Handy Hunter phase aboard her mount Baheera, to give her a total of 176 and the overall lead heading into the final test.
Birdsall and Mcalary were joined in the third round by Emma Lipman, of
Bedford, New York and her mount In Pursuit and Katherine Stewart, of Fairfield, Connecticut
and her mount Soul Patrol. When the final test was complete, it was Mcalary
who came out on top, followed by Birdsall, Lipman and Stewart, respectively.
Mcalary is heading into her senior year at Souhegan Coop High School. She is trained by Andre Dignelli of Heritage Farm. "I have been riding with Andre ever since I stepped onto my first pony," said Mcalary. "He is not only a great trainer but I consider him a great friend, too."
Mcalary now joins last year's winner of the Hunterdon Cup Addison Phillips as winners of the class. Phillips did not enter this year because previous winners are ineligible. "Addison is a great friend," said Mcalary. "We both ride with Andre and have a lot of fun together. I am thrilled to keep the Hunterdon Cup in the Heritage Farm family." The Hunterdon Cup was held during the 2007 East Coast USEF Junior Hunter Finals and was open
to any rider who was an active USHJA junior member and has won a USEF Medal, ASPCA Maclay, USEF Show Jumping Talent Search, or WIHS Classic through July 1, 2007.
Week VI of show jumping at HITS Saugerties continues all weekend and culminates on Sunday, August 12 with the $75,000 In the Woods Log Homes Grand Prix.
The $22,500 Children's/Adult Championship and the $40,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Championship close Week VI of shows at HITS Saugerties. The summer series concludes with one final week of show jumping beginning on September 5, followed by the Marshall & Sterling League Finals, September 13-16 when acclaimed singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega will be performing for the Year-End High Point Awards Celebration that will be catered by Tavern on the Green Catering. HITS, Inc. is a special events management company primarily focused on producing hunter/jumper horse shows. Based in upstate New York in the village of Saugerties, HITS produced its first horse show circuit in Gainesville, Florida in 1982. Since that time, HITS has grown into a nationwide company with world-class hunter-jumper circuits in California, Florida, Arizona, New York and Virginia.
Maggie Mcalary is congratulated after her win in the Hunterdon Cup, presented by World Equestrian Brands, during the 2007 East Coast USEF Junior Hunter Championships at HITS Saugerties
© 2007 Lili Weik Photography
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