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SAUGERTIES, NY (May 18, 2009)—HITS
is pleased to announce that it will host two Marshall & Sterling
League Wild Card Weekends during HITS-on-the-Hudson VII (August 26-30)
and HITS-on-the-Hudson VIII (September 2-6) this fall at its equestrian
facility in Saugerties, New York.
Wild Card classes will be held in the Children’s Hunters, Adults
Hunters, Children’s Jumpers, Adult Jumpers, Bit O’ Straw
and all four medals – Junior, Adult, Children's Horse and
Children's Pony.
The top two finishers in each Wild Card class, who are not already
qualified for the Finals, will receive an automatic invitation to the
prestigious event in each respective division. Riders competing in the
Wild Card class must be current members of the Marshall & Sterling
League.
The 2009 National Finals will be held at HITS-on-the Hudson from
September 10-13. All of the classes at the National Finals will be held
in HITS' Majestic Grand Prix ring that is set at the foothills of the
Catskill Mountains. The Grand Prix ring will also feature lights for
the Hudson Equitation on Saturday night as exhibitors prepare for the
medal finals on Sunday.
Highlighting the extended weekend is the Marshall & Sterling League
Finals Party and Awards Dinner on Friday, September 11, featuring the
presentation of the Essex Classics Year-End High Point Awards to the
top-10 riders in each division based on the Marshall & Sterling
National Point Standings.
On Saturday night, there will be a special Merry-Go-Round Gala and
Auction at the show grounds where 46 fiberglass carousel horses from
the Hors'n Around Saugerties Exhibit
will be up for bid. Each horse is decorated by an artist in
themes reflecting the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial, and
they will be on display around the Village of Saugerties from May
through September.
There are 395 Marshall & Sterling League member shows
remaining before the qualifying period for the year's Finals comes to a
close on August 30. It's not too late to become a member of the
Marshall & Sterling League. Exhibitors who are competing heavily
over the next few months can still qualify for the Finals. Membership
is just $40. Join online, or call 845.246.8833 for a membership application and a prize list for the Finals. For additional information, e-mail Patti@HitsShows.com or visit the Marshall & Sterling League's website at www.HitsShows.com/marshallsterling.
During the year, riders from coast to coast compete at more than 1,100
Marshall & Sterling League member horse shows to earn points for a
place at the National Finals. Since its inception in 1991, the Marshall
& Sterling League Finals have provided the goal that has fueled the
competitive spirit of child and adult riders at all levels of
competition. Click here for the current standings.
Marshall & Sterling Insurance, Inc.,
founded in 1864, is among the largest privately owned insurance
agencies in the United States. For more than a quarter century,
Marshall & Sterling has protected precious equine assets with
unparalleled service and support, whether the family hunter, a champion
racehorse or a commercial farm. An employee-owned company, Marshall
& Sterling has been recognized by IIABA as one of the nation's top
"Best Practice Agencies." The company maintains a national presence and
is licensed in all 50 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more
information contact Mary Moeller at 800-836-3046, extension 224.
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.
For more information and a complete schedule of
classes and events, visit www.HitsShows.com.
Media should contact Chris Mayone at 845.246.8833 or e-mail Media_Info@HitsShows.com.
© 2008 Lili Weik Photography
Elizabeth Solomon and Hip-Hop take the blue in the $1,500 Pony Jumper
Classic at the 2008 Marshall & Sterling League National
Finals. |
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