Sarah Segal and Ubris Top $75,000 Horseware Ireland Grand Prix, Continues Momentum from Friday $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix Win

SAUGERTIES, New York (May 31, 2015): Sarah Segal and Ubris won Sunday’s $75,000 Horseware Ireland Grand Prix, continuing their momentum from Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix victory.

Segal and Ubris came out on top after a lightning fast five-horse jump-off that saw all but one contender go double-clear. “I thought the course was really good again,” said Segal, after her win. “I was really happy with how my horse jumped.”

Segal said she had planned to do some tighter inside turns in the jump-off, but that strategy didn’t work out. Instead, she said, “I ended up going fast around and it worked out in the end.”

Going first on the shortened course was Ronan McGuigan, who won last week’s $50,000 HITS Grand Prix on his Capall Zidane. The pair finished clean in 42.882 seconds, setting the Great American Time to Beat.

Going second, Darragh Kerins took to the ring on Thunder D'Amuray, owned by Kerins and Maarten Huygens. They had no faults, but finished behind McGuigan’s time, in 45.308 seconds. Segal went third, on the 11-year-old bay mare Holsteiner Warmblood owned by Chartwell. Just as on Friday, Segal galloped as fast as she could and finished the round in a striking 39.641 seconds, shaving 3.2 seconds off McGuigan’s time to land in first place.

Peter Lutz on Robin De Ponthual, owned by John Gallagher went next and finished clear, seven-tenths of a second shy of Segal’s time to narrowly grab second place with a time of 40.359. Julie Welles was last go and finished in a quick time of 40.254, but with four faults, to place fifth.

Next week, HITS-on-the-Hudson III brings riders another $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix on Friday, June 5, and ups the prize amount on Sunday afternoon for the $100,000 Purina Animal Nutrition Grand Prix. The season closes in September with the FEI-rated Saugerties $1 Million Grand Prix CSI-5*, presented by Wells Fargo.

(c) ESI Photography
Sarah Segal and Chartwell's Ubris Win the $75,000 Horseware Ireland Grand Prix at HITS-on-the-Hudson II, on Sunday, May 31, 2015.

(c) ESI Photography
Sarah Segal and Chartwell's Ubris are presented with a Horseware Ireland cooler and the blue ribbon after winning the $75,000 Horseware Ireland Grand Prix at HITS-on-the-Hudson II, on Sunday, May 31, 2015.

$75,000 Horseware Ireland Grand Prix - HITS-on-the-Hudson II

Place	Horse	Owner	Rider	Prize	Round 1 Faults	JO Faults	JO Time
1	Ubris	Chartwell	Sarah Segal	$22,500	0	0	39.641
2	Robin De Ponthual	John Gallagher	Peter Lutz	$16,500	0	0	40.359
3	Capall Zidane	Ronan McGuigan	Ronan McGuigan	$9,750	0	0	42.882
4	Thunder D'Amuray	Darragh Kerins & Maarten Huygens	Darragh Kerins	$6,000	0	0	45.308
5	Ramses du Lavillon	Mclain Ward & Missy Clark	Julie Welles	$4,500	0	4	40.254
6	Twan	Stephex Stables / Missy Clark	Julie Welles	$3,750	4	*	*
7	Temptation	Sharon Milchovich	Michael Desiderio	$3,000	4	*	*
8	Superbad	The Coverboy Group	Amanda Flint	$2,250	4	*	*
9	Magnus Orfeo	Great Span LLC	Mary Manfredi	$2,250	4	*	*
10	Don't Go	Catherine Tyree	Catherine Tyree	$1,500	8	*	*
11	Goldbreaker	Amanda Derbyshire	Amanda Derbyshire	$1,500	8	*	*
12	Quipit L.F.	Quipit Group	Ragan Roberts	$1,500	8	*	*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caitlyn Connors and Bink-A win $10,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper High Classic, presented by Vetera® XP Vaccines

Caitlyn Connors and her Bink-A mastered a challenging course to claim first place in Sunday’s $10,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper High Classic, presented by Vetera® XP Vaccines.

“It was very technical,” said Connors of the course. “That’s actually my second high junior class I’ve done with him [Bink-A]. He was very, very good though. He took care of me and I tried to help him as best I could.”

Connors was one of four riders who went clear in the first round. The class was offered as II.2.A/B option, with the choice to return for the jump-off immediately or to come back at the end. Ashley Baker and her D Elia Van Het Molenhof were the first to go clear in Round 1 and immediately went on to the shortened course. They had one rail, earning four faults, and finished in 38.195 seconds to ultimately take third place.

After the first round was complete, Connors and two other riders returned for the jump-off. Connors and Bink-A went first and finished in 34.500 seconds, setting a time that would be impossible to beat. Going next was Katie Gray on her Q Two, but a crowd-disappointing refusal towards the end of the course earned them four jumping faults and three time faults to place them in fourth. Catherine Tyree, who had a total of four mounts in the jumper classic, went last in the jump-off on Phenix Royal, owned by Joseph & Mary Tyree. Finishing in a clean 35.893 seconds, Tyree ended the day in second place.

Connors, 14, an eighth-grader from Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, who trains with Anne Kursinski in Frenchtown, New Jersey, said the footing was great. “He worked well with it,” she said.

 The $10,000 Junior/A-O Jumper 1.45 Meter Classic held each week at HITS Saugerties is a qualifier for the Vetera® XP Vaccines $250,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Prix at the HITS Championship on September 5-6 in Saugerties.

(c) ESI Photography
Caitlyn Connors and her Bink-A won first place in the  $10,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper High Classic, presented by Vetera® XP Vaccines, at HITS-on-the-Hudson II, on Sunday, May 31, 2015.

(c) ESI Photography
Caitlyn Connors and her Bink-A are presented with a Horze cooler and the blue ribbon after winning first place in the $10,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper High Classic, presented by Vetera® XP Vaccines, at HITS-on-the-Hudson II, on Sunday, May 31, 2015.

$10,000 Jr/A-O Jumper High Classic, presented by Vetera® XP Vaccines - HITS-on-the-Hudson II

Place	Horse	Owner	Rider	Prize	Round 1 Faults	JO Faults	JO Time
1	Bink-A	Caitlyn Connors	Caitlyn Connors	$2,800	0	0	34.500
2	Phenix Royal	Joseph & Mary Tyree	Catherine Tyree	$1,800	0	0	35.893
3	D Elia Van Het Molenhof	Ashley Baker	Ashley Baker	$1,250	0	4	38.195
4	Q Two	Katie Gray	Katie Gray	$900	0	10	57.952
5	Corleone	Joseph & Mary Tyree	John Brennan	$800	4	*	*
6	S & L Slingback	Kadley Holdings LLC	Addison Gierkink	$700	4	*	*
7	Enjoy Louis	Joseph & Mary Tyree	John Brennan	$600	4	*	*
8	Don't Stop O	Libertas Farm LLC	Kelly Tropin	$400	7	*	*
9	Free Style VD Polderhof	Joseph & Mary Tyree	Catherine Tyree	$375	8	*	*
10	Cordero Zaffiro	Taylor Burns	Taylor Burns	$375	8	*	*

About Horseware Ireland
Horseware was founded in Dundalk, Ireland in 1985. After months of researching and hand-stitching, the original “Rambo” turnout blanket was born, setting the standard for modern blanket design. Horseware has grown to become the world’s most trusted producer of horse blankets. Today, the “Rambo Range” is still made with the same attention to detail and quality material used in 1985. Through innovation, Horseware Ireland continues to evolve, aiming to a make a difference in the lives of horses and their owners. For more information, visit horseware.com.

About Boehringer Ingelheim
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI), makers of Vetera® XP Vaccines, is the U.S. animal health division of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation, a family-owned company founded in 1885 in Ingelheim, Germany. Over the past 25 years, BIVI has supported its growth through research and development of innovative products for the livestock, equine and companion animal markets. Innovation and research are the keys to BIVI success. Dedicated to improving the lives and well-being of animals, BIVI continues to seek ways to further research and develop optimum solutions for the animal health industry.

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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 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.