Melissa Feller and Serafino Win the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix at HITS-on-the-Hudson V

SAUGERTIES, New York (July 28, 2015): Melissa Feller and Serafino, owned by Elisabeth McFadden, took first place in the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix by more than six points out of a field of 50 entries Saturday at HITS-on-the-Hudson V.

Feller, of Lincoln Park, New Jersey, and Serafino did not have the highest score, an 88.5, in Round 1, but came back very strong with a 94 in Round 2 to earn the top prize with a total of 182.5.

"It was a fun course. Obviously Serafino liked it; it was a good course for him," Feller said of the 9-year-old gelding. "We've done this class a bunch of times. He normally he gets a little fresh coming off of the bank, up on the hill. He thinks he's in a field. But he was awesome this time, he was really, really good. Super relaxed."

Second-place finisher Patricia Griffith, of New York City, earned an even 88 in both rounds to total 176. She said, of coming in second out of such a large field, "It's always competitive here. I got lucky because I got to ride Pioneer, who is such an awesome horse."

Osvaldo Ornia Pacher, of Bedminster, New Jersey, and Provenance, owned by Palermo Show Stable, LLC, rounded out third place with an 86.75 in Round 1 and a stronger 89 in Round 2 to total 175.75, just a quarter-point behind Griffith. Fourth-place finisher Annabel Revers, of Weston, Massachusetts, on MTM Hands Down, owned by Beechwood Stables, LLC, completed both rounds with an overall score just three-quarters of a point behind Pacher. Revers earned an 85 in Round 1 and the second-highest score, a 90, in Round 2, for a total of 175.

The Devoucoux Hunter Prix is held each week at HITS-on-the-Hudson and is a qualifier for the Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final held on September 4-6 during the HITS Championship.

(c) ESI Photography Melissa Feller and Serafino, owned by Elisabeth McFadden, jump in the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix at HITS-on-the-Hudson V on Saturday.

(c) ESI Photography Melissa Feller and Serafino, owned by Elisabeth McFadden, after winning the Devoucoux Hunter Prix at HITS-on-the-Hudson V on Saturday.

Place	Horse	Owner	Rider	Prize	Rd. 1/2	Total
1	Serafino	Elisabeth McFadden	Melissa Feller	$1,500	88.5/94	182.5
2	Pioneer	Heritage Farm, Inc.	Patricia Griffith	$1,000	88/88	176
3	Provenance	Palermo Show Stable, LLC	Osvaldo Ornia Pacher	$700	86.75/89	175.75
4	MTM Hands Down	Beechwood Stables, LLC	Annabel Revers	$500	85/90	175
5	Alivio	Sorelli, LLC	Osvaldo Ornia Pacher	$400	85.75/84	169.75
6	Quax	Beechwood Stables LLC	Annabel Revers	$350	85.5/83	168.5
7	Chapman ET	Doreen Toben	Darby Toben	$275	86.5/81	167.5
8	Levland	The Levland Group	Peter Wylde	$275	87/78	165

Ivy Watson and Bostonian Win $1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix to Top Field of 45

Sixteen-year-old Ivy Watson and her Bostonian topped a field of 45 entries in the $1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix on Sunday at HITS-on-the-Hudson V, earning an even score of 85 in each round to total 170.

"I've done a lot of classes like this with my horse in the past few years," said Watson. "We've just been trying again and again to get to this goal, finally winning!" she said. "It was just my trainer (Carl Catani of River Wind Farm) and my amazing horse that finally helped me get to this goal."

Watson, of Norwell, Massachusetts, said of Bostonian, a 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, "He's the best thing that ever happened to me. We started off a little shaky because he was green. We finally got here after three years."

Second place finisher Jess Lusty, of York, Maine, on her Anucci, was just a point behind Watson, with an 86 in the first round and an 83 in the second to total 169. Third-place finisher Isabella Usenza, of Albany, New York, on Monty Kelly's Sebastian, placed third with a total of 168, after earning an 84 in each round. Hannah Tucker, on her Queen Vienna, earned a 165, with an 81 in Round 1 and an 84 in Round 2.

The $1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix is held each week at HITS-on-the-Hudson and is a qualifier for the Platinum Performance $250,000 Hunter Prix Final on September 4-5 during the HITS Championship.

(c) ESI Photography Ivy Watson and her Bostonian get the blue ribbon and a Horze cooler in Sunday's $1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix at HITS-on-the-Hudson V.

Place	Horse	Owner	Rider	Prize	Rd. 1/2	Total
1	Bostonian	Ivy Watson	Ivy Watson	$450	85/85	170
2	Anucci	Jess Lusty	Jess Lusty	$300	86/83	169
3	Sebastian	Monty Kelly	Isabella Usenza	$200	84/84	168
4	Queen Vienna	Hannah Tuckner	Hannah Tuckner	$150	81/84	165
5	Claudio	Volo Farm, Inc.	Emily Noble	$125	82.5/82	164.5
6	Classini	Arklys, LLC	Victoria Rainis	$100	82/82	164
7	Archie	Britta Lippert	Britta Lippert	$100	81.5/80	161.5
8	Hollywood Bound	Grace Tice	Grace Tice	$75	83/68	151

About HITS, Inc.
HITS, Inc. produces high quality, international-level hunter/jumper horse shows. Based in Saugerties, New York, 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 HITS Triple Crown of Show Jumping. This includes the AIG $1 Million Grand Prix, presented by Mortgage Call, 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.

For more information and a complete schedule of classes and events, visit www.HitsShows.com. Stay connected with HITS, join us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. Media should contact the HITS Media Team at 845.246.8833 or e-mail Media_Info@HitsShows.com.

HITS Saugerties Series May 17th - September 15th, 2024

Melissa Feller and Serafino Win the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix at HITS-on-the-Hudson V

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