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SAUGERTIES, NY (June 11, 2007) — Hillary Dobbs and her mount Corlett negotiated the fastest double-clear round in Sunday's $75,000 Footings Unlimited Grand Prix, as she swept both Grand Prix classes at HITS Saugerties this week.
On Thursday, she took home $7,500 in prize money when she bested a field of 28 horses in the $25,000 Ariat Grand Prix. Yesterday, she took advantage of the envious last-to-ride position and stopped the clocks in 48.391 to take home $22,500 in prize money for The Dobbs Group. She was also fifth aboard Quincy B to secure an additional $3,750 in prize money.
The Sussex, New Jersey native is only 19 and is already the leading money winner at HITS Saugerties so far this spring. In last Sunday's $75,000 EMO Grand Prix at HITS-on-the-Hudson I, Dobbs and Quincy B finished in third place.
"She is certainly on a heck of a run," said trainer Missy Clark. "She has been a great student of mine for a number of years. It is tremendous to watch her excel like this. I haven't seen a rider get this hot in a while."
"It's pretty surreal," said Dobbs, who just finished her freshman year at Harvard. "I feel like every time I go into the ring I have a chance to win. It's certainly a great feeling to have and I don't want it to go away."
Dobbs has been on the road for five consecutive weeks. Along the way, she also won both Grand Prix classes at the Saratoga Horse Show before HITS Saugerties commenced two weeks ago.
After course designer Olaf Petersen, Jr. funneled the field from 28 to seven riders, it was Federico Sztyrle and Fatalis Fatum starting the jump-off round. They navigated the course unscathed and set the Great American Time to beat at 49.825. Sztyrle and Fatalis Fatum finished in second place and collected $16,500 in prize money for Wolffer Estates.
Todd Minikus and Pavorotti were next to go in the jump-off. They had four faults and finished in fourth place. Minikus' time was four seconds faster than Sztyrle, stating he had to go fast with riders like Dobbs and Bill Lowry warming up in the schooling ring.
Next it was Dobbs and Quincy B. An unlucky rail mid-way through the round landed her in fifth place. Lowry and Rio Corde followed with a clear round in a time of 53.314 surprising Minikus, who expected him to be a bit faster. Lowry was able to secure third place.
Amy Momrow and Summer Storm went fifth in the jump-off. The duo finished with four faults and a time of 49.715 which secured sixth place for owner Shaine Brooks. Danielle Torano and Vancouver D' Auvrey also had four faults to finish in seventh place.
Then it was Dobbs' turn to take center stage and she took her second mount into the jump-off to secure the win aboard Corlett. "She is a lot younger and braver than I am," joked Sztyrle, as he watched Dobbs surpass his time.
"It was a perfect jump-off," said Petersen. "Just the right number of horses made it into the jump-off. It was a very exciting class at a world-class facility."
Week III of show jumping at HITS Saugerties continues this Wednesday and culminates on Sunday, June 17 with the $75,000 Footings Unlimited Grand Prix. The $22,500 Children's/Adult Championship and the $40,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Championship will close out the spring shows during Week III at HITS Saugerties. After that, HITS Saugerties takes a five-week hiatus before returning on July 25 for three more weeks of world-class show jumping. 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.
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.
©Lili Weik Photography 07
Hillary Dobbs and Corlett win the $75,000 Footings Unlimited Grand Prix.
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Placing
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Horse
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Rider
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Owner
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Prize
Money
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Rd
1 Faults
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JO
Faults
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JO
Time
|
|
1
|
Corlett |
Hillary Dobbs |
The Dobbs Group |
$22,500
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0
|
0
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48.391
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2
|
Fatalis Fatum |
Federico Sztyrle |
Wolffer Estates |
$16,500
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0
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0
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|
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3
|
Rio Corde |
Bill Lowry |
Winsor Farm Sales |
$9,750
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0
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0
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53.314
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4
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Pavarotti |
Todd Minikus |
Todd Minikus |
$6,000
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0
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45.120
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5
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Quincy B |
Hillary Dobbs |
Hillary Dobbs |
$3,750
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0
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49.612
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6
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Summer Storm
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Amy Momrow
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Shaine Brooks
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$3,000
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0
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4
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49.715
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Adequan Open Hunter - Steal the Show, ridden by Jenny Fischer and owned by Hillcrest, Inc., Central Valley, NY
Farnam Adult Hunter 18-35 - Winter Castle, ridden by Grace De La Gueronniere and owned by Vanessa Symons, Scarborough, MA
Farnam Adult Hunter 36-45 - Carousel, ridden by Jeanine Zuckerman and owned by Judy Berens, Huntington, NY
Farnam Adult Hunter 46 & Over - Anticipation, ridden by Marsha Dammerman and owned by Sand Castle Farm, Fairfield, CT
M & S Children's Hunter Classic - Lorenze, ridden by Maggie Boylan and owned by Kate Oliver, Fairfield, CT
M & S Adult Hunter Classic - Providence, ridden and owned by Grace De La Gueronniere, Scarborough, MA M & S Children's Jumper Classic - Cloud Cover, ridden by Carly Hoorwitz and owned by Amy Milazo, Troy, NY
M & S Adult Jumper Classic - Miss Kitty, ridden by owned by Katherine Edgell, Mendham, NJ
$5,000 Brookledge Friday Class - Gaillard, ridden and owned by Lauren Sturges, Fort Wayne, IN
$10,000 O'Conner Signature at the Oaks Jr/A-O Jumper High Classic - La Movinda, ridden by Jessica Springsteen and owned by Stone Hill Farm, Colts Neck, NJ
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