Hunter Exhibitors Vie for Top Titles at HITS-on-the-Hudson I
Saugerties, NY (May 31, 2016): New York’s first qualifying opportunities for the $500,000 Diamond Mills Hunter Prix and $250,000 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix, which take place at the HITS Championship in September, kicked off this weekend in the first week of HITS Saugerties Series. Riders and horses competed for these qualifiers in the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix and $1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix.
$5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix
Horses and riders gathered in the newly updated outside course to compete for a prestigious hunter victory, but it was Cassandra Kahle of Langley, British Columbia, who swept the competition in the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix, claiming the top two spots with first- and second-place.
A new approach to the bank in the outside course was added, giving the course some updated flavor as excited riders showed in the ring where the $500,000 Diamond Mills Hunter Prix will take place.
As the top 12 of the thirty-three in the class returned for the second round, Kahle piloted Diario, owned by Great Span, LLC, to the blue ribbon with a first-round score of 87, combined with a second-round score of 88 for the winning total of 175.
She also swooped into second with Nino Nach, owned by Redfield Farm. They earned an 84 in the first round, combined with their second-round score of 87, they claimed the spot with a total of 171.
Third in the ribbons was Michael Desiderio of Chester, New Jersey, and Zero Tolerance, owned by Dru Cederberg. They earned the highest score of the first round with an 88, combined with their second-round score of 81, put them just behind Kahle with a total of 169.
Acton, Massachusetts, equestrian Sarah Tyndall earned fourth-place with Huckleberry Finn, owned by Anne Keesler. They earned a first-round score of 81 and a second-round score of 84 for a total of 165.
The top five rounded out with David Wilbur of Ocala, Florida, and For Ever, owned by Redfield Farm, with scores of 85 and 76 for a total of 161.
Place
Horse
Owner
Rider
Prize
Rd. 1/2
Total
1
Diario
Great Span, LLC
Cassandra Kahle
$1,500
87/88
175
2
Nino Nach
Redfield Farm
Cassandra Kahle
$1,000
84/87
171
3
Zero Tolerance
Dru Cederberg
Michael Desiderio
$700
88/81
169
4
Huckleberry Finn
Anne Keesler
Sarah Tyndall
$500
81/84
165
5
For Ever
Redfield Farm
David Wilbur
$400
83/79
162
6
Ensor
Dennis Sisco
Joanne Kovacs
$350
85/76
161
7
Capriccio
Sheffield Farms, Inc.
Melissa Blades
$275
80/80
160
8
Super Fun
Cell and Kenny Wheeler
Cassandra Kahle
$275
75/81
156
(C) ESI Photography Cassandra Kahle and Diario on their way to a $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix win.
$1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix Forty-one competitors went head-to-head to prove who was the ultimate in finesse and style in the outside course as the first qualifying opportunity at HITS Saugerties for the $250,000 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix took place.
The team to beat was Kimberly Beattie of Mahwah, New Jersey, aboard Rocky Car, owned by RC Eventing. Beattie and her mount earned a first-round score of 79.5, with a dramatic improvement to the highest score in the second round, an 85, to capture the win with a total of 164.5.
Coming in behind Beattie was Franklin Lakes, New Jersey equestrian Ronni Gassib riding Cartani Croft, owned by Kenley Koch. With a score of 83 in the first round, and a 77 in the second, they totaled 160 to take second-place.
Third-place belonged to ICloud, owned and ridden by Gabrielle Fournier of Litchfield, Connecticut. They earned a first-round score of 77.5 and a second-round score of 79.5, totaling 157 for their efforts.
Fourth in the ribbons was Indigo, owned and ridden by Gianna Zanghi of Jackson, New Jersey. They earned scores of 78.5 and 78, respectfully for a total of 156.5, just a half-point behind Fournier.
The top five rounded out with Emma Brown of Matawan, New Jersey, aboard Undercover Genius, owned by Blue Sky Farm, LLC. They received a first-round score of 76.5, combined with a second-round score of 79 for a total of 155.5 for fifth-place.
Place
Horse
Owner
Rider
Prize
Rd. 1/2
Total
1
Rocky Car
RC Eventing
Kimberly Beattie
$450
79.5/85
164.5
2
Cartani Croft
Kenley Koch
Ronni Gassib
$300
83/77
160
3
ICloud
Gabrielle Fournier
Gabrielle Fournier
$200
77.5/79.5
157
4
Indigo
Gianna Zanghi
Gianna Zanghi
$150
78/79.5
156.5
5
Undercover Genius
Blue Sky Farm LLC
Emma Brown
$125
76.5/79
155.5
6
Bacardi
Kristin Fagan
Kristin Fagan
$100
80/75
155
7
Richtig
Elsbeth Battel
Leah Posner
$100
77/77
154
8
Illuminati
Lara Hendrian
Lara Hendrian
$75
75.25/78.5
153.75
(C) ESI Photography Kimberly Beattie and Rocky Car on their way to a $1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix win.
(C) ESI Photography Kimberly Beattie and Rocky Car winning the $1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix.
About HITS, Inc. HITS, Inc. produces high-quality, international-level hunter/jumper horse shows. Based in upstate New York in the Village of Saugerties, HITS has been producing shows since 1982 and is now a nationwide company with world-class circuits in California, Florida, Arizona, New York, and Virginia.
While hosting the richest weekend in show jumping at HITS-on-the-Hudson, HITS also formed the Triple Crown of Show Jumping. This includes the AIG $1 Million Grand Prix, presented by MortgageCall, in Thermal, California, the Great American $1 Million Grand Prix in Ocala, Florida and Saugerties $1 Million Grand Prix, presented by Wells Fargo, in Saugerties, New York.
