Laena Romond and Pioneer Clinch $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix at HITS Culpeper
CULPEPER, VA (July 15, 2013) – Heritage Farm made the trip to Culpeper, Virginia last week with high expectations for the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix. Those expectations were met and exceeded when Laena Romond piloted Pioneer to the blue with goals of riding the 13-year-old Warmblood gelding in the Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final in September. Pioneer, no stranger to big-ticket events, was fourth in last year’s final with Matthew Metell in the irons.
Romond of Colchester, Vermont topped a field of 26 over a course set by Rian Beals of Saugerties, New York. “It was a really nice track with smooth, long lines,” she said of the course. “It was a true, traditional hunter-style course with a few bending lines and a couple single oxers where you could really show a little pace.”
Boasting a score of 88 in the first round, Romond and Pioneer lead the final eleven into the second round. True to form, they posted an 87 and finished the day with a total of 175 and the win.
With a dynamic past, Pioneer has found a home in the hunter ring, according to Romond. “He has a lot of experience across the board – he started as a jumper, did equitation for a while and won the USEF Medal Finals twice,” she said. “He started doing the derbies after that and he is just such a sharp jumper and has good technique, so it fits him well.”
Romond and Pioneer will need to ride in two more Devoucoux Hunter Prix classes before being eligible to qualify for September’s Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final, but their points already position them in the top 30 in the Preliminary Top 50 Rider Standings.
After winning both last week’s Devoucoux Hunter Prix, and Sunday grand prix at HITS Culpeper, Harold Chopping of Southern Pines, North Carolina didn’t stray far from the winner’s circle this week. He and Caroline Russell’s Caramo finished second with scores of 84 and 86 for a total of 170. Lillie Keenan of New York, New York and Madeline Placey’s Brodeur were third after scores of 85 and 84 settled them with a final of 169.
Fourth was earned by Jane Gaston of The Plains, Virginia and her own Lumiere. Scores of 86 and 82 combined for a 168 total. Riding to the top score in the second round with an 88, Mary Lisa Leffler of Brookeville, Maryland finished fifth with Douglas Wheeler’s Whiskey Blue. Their first-round score of 77 was added to the 88 for a total of 165.
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Laena Romond and Pioneer jump their way to a win in the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix at HITS Culpeper.
©ESI Photography
Laena Romond and Pioneer are presented with winning honors after their win in the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix.
$1,500 HITS Hunter Prix
After almost a full year off due to an injury, Hannah Russell’s Montague made a triumphant return to the show ring this weekend with Reily Rieker of Ooviedo, Florida aboard. The pair topped the $1,500 HITS Hunter Prix at HITS Culpeper and are hopeful that an appearance in the HITS $250,000 Hunter Prix Final is in their future.
“This was my first show riding him and this course was a perfect way to start things off,” said Rieker after her winning performance on Montague, a 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding. “He is a pretty easy ride, but is always listening to his rider.”
Rieker and Montague posted a first round score of 75 and returned in the second round with a 79 for a 154 total and the blue. The HITS Hunter Prix course, also set by Beals, suited her horse perfectly, according to Rieker. “The lines coming off the turn were great for showing off his big stride,” she said. “He opened up nicely and was able to gallop around – it was fun!”
If she can plan HITS Championship Weekend around her studies in pre-medical physics at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, 19-year-old Rieker is pointing Montague at the HITS Hunter Prix Final in Saugerties, New York. “He definitely has what it takes to be competitive in that class – I hope we can get there.”
Betty Oare of Warrenton, Virginia posted a final score of 128 to finish second with Mr. & Mrs. Ernest M. Oare’s Tryonite. Third went to Julie Bigham of Ashton, Maryland aboard her own Pas de Chat with a final score of 127. Dudley Mac Farlane of Darien, Connecticut and her own Asante’ were fourth with a total of 126 and Baba Zipkin of Bethedsa, Maryland capped the top five with her own Well Suited. They earned a final score of 125.
Riders in both the Devoucoux and HITS Hunter Prix with their sights set on qualifying for the Diamond Mills and HITS Hunter Prix Finals will have weekly opportunities to earn points as HITS Horse Shows continue in Saugerties, New York beginning Wednesday. Both finals will be highlighted during HITS Championship Weekend, September 4-8, in Saugerties. To stay current on all qualifying, visit HitsShows.com.
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Reily Rieker and Montague on course in the $1,5000 HITS Hunter Prix at HITS Culpeper.
©ESI Photography
Reily Rieker and Montague accept winner’s awards after the $1,500 HITS Hunter Prix at HITS Culpeper.
$5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix
| Place | Horse | Owner | Rider | Prize $ | Rnd. 1 | Rnd. 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pioneer | Heritage Farm, Inc. | Laena Romond | $1,500 | 88 | 87 |
| 2 | Caramo | Caroline Russell | Harold Chopping | $1,000 | 84 | 86 |
| 3 | Brodeur | Madeline Placey | Lillie Keenan | $700 | 85 | 84 |
| 4 | Lumiere | Jane Gaston | Jane Gaston | $500 | 86 | 82 |
| 5 | Whiskey Blue | Douglas Wheeler | Mary Lisa Leffler | $400 | 77 | 88 |
| 6 | With Pleasure | Jesse Smith | Jesse Smith | $350 | 83 | 80 |
| 7 | Rondiamo | Jennifer Swift | Katherine Newman | $275 | 79 | 83 |
| 8 | Von Trapp | Donald Stewart | Caroline Mcleese | $275 | 76.5 | 79 |
| 9 | Lucan | Stovel, Stovel, Bergman | Patty Stovel | - | 76 | 75 |
| 10 | O'Ryan | Meghan Flanagan | Meghan Flanagan | - | 80 | 70 |
| 11 | Wagner | Taylor Sutton | Taylor Sutton | - | 75.5 | 73 |
| 12 | Last Hurrah | Fay Heilman | Fay Heilman | - | 75 | - |
$1,500 HITS Hunter Prix
| Place | Horse | Owner | Rider | Prize $ | Rnd. 1 | Rnd. 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montague | Hannah Russell | Reily Rieker | $450 | 75 | 79 |
| 2 | Tryonite | Mr. & Mrs. Ernest M Oare | Betty Oare | $300 | 45 | 83 |
| 3 | Pas de Chat | Julie Bigham | Julie Bigham | $200 | 65 | 62 |
| 4 | Asante' | Dudley Mac Farlane | Dudley Mac Farlane | $150 | 70 | 56 |
| 5 | Well Suited | Baba Zipkin | Baba Zipkin | $125 | 41 | 84 |
| 6 | Priceless | Casey Delikat | Casey Delikat | $100 | 63 | 60 |
| 7 | Jack Sparrow | Emily Todd | Emily Todd | $100 | 79 | 40 |
| 8 | Golden Hour | Deborah Ellis | Luis Galindo | $75 | 38 | - |
About Devoucoux
Devoucoux, makers of fine French saddles, is proud to be the title sponsor of each and every qualifying Hunter Prix leading up to the phenomenal Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final. The Devoucoux Hunter Prix will be a featured event at all HITS horse shows this season as riders from around the country set out to qualify for the third-annual Diamond Mills Hunter Prix Final, which will take place September 7-8 at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York.
About Diamond Mills Hotel & Tavern
Just 100 miles outside of New York City, nestled in the Village of Saugerties, Diamond Mills is a 30-room luxury hotel featuring stellar accommodations, fine-dining at The Tavern and full-service events at a state-of-the art Special Events Center. Diamond Mills is a proud member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the WorldTM, an unsurpassed collection of over 520 luxury hotels around the world. Saugerties' newest luxury hotel is also the proud sponsor of the Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final, which will take place at HITS-on-the-Hudson as part of the HITS Championship Weekend. For more information about Diamond Mills or the special VIP packages available to HITS-on-the-Hudson exhibitors, please visit DiamondMillsHotel.com or call 845.247.0700.