Action heated up on Thursday, May 23, as the first grand prix of 2024 HITS-On-The-Hudson series took place. The series spans 12 weeks of top competition for hunter, jumper, and equitation riders at the prestigious HITS Hudson Valley venue in Saugerties, New York, and boasts a variety of venue renovations to enhance each exhibitor’s experience. In the Douglas Elliman Grand Prix Stadium, 23 horse-and-rider combinations took to the first round of the $25,000 Alliant Private Client Cup. The victory, however, as well as the second- and third-place honors, went all to Ireland’s Jordan Coyle with Chaccolino, Cordiamo, and Keep Me With You N.C., respectively.
“I was actually surprised to have won on Chaccolino as he is quite a new horse to my string,” explained Coyle of the Elan Farm’s 13-year-old Warmblood gelding (Chacco-Blue x Heartbreaker). “I was thinking that I could have won it on the first horse I was clear with, and then I guess I went too fast on Chaccolino.”
Coyle brought forward a total of four horses for the day’s competition and produced fault-free efforts over the first track on each contender. With all qualified for the jump-off and a lot of juggling to be done, he elected to save Jorisca for another day and accept the sixth-place honors. As the Irishman often does, he continued to produce zero-fault efforts and to chip away at his previous leading time on each new horse until he was left wearing all three top-placing ribbons in the one-man victory gallop. Cordiamo, the Elan Farm’s eight-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Cornet du Lys x Conthargos), came the closest to catching Chaccolino to earn second-place honors, while Coyle’s own Keep Me With You N.C., a nine-year-old KWPN mare (Le Tot de Semilly x Indoctro), rounded out the top three.
“One thing that is for certain is that Chaccolino can jump anything,” Coyle expressed. “If there was such a thing as a 1.70m class, he’s the horse for it.”
Featured competition in the Douglas Elliman Grand Prix Stadium debuted on Wednesday, where fellow Irishman Nicky Galligan and Javas Miss Jordan, his own 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare (Luidam x Obos Quality 004), produced a flawless finish in the $5,000 Adequan Open Welcome Stake. Galligan and the mare doubled up on victories as they went on to win the first week of the $15,000 STX Open Speed Series on Friday morning. The STX Open Speed series spans the entirety of the HITS-On-The-Hudson competition and will gift the overall winner with an STX custom tack box at its completion.
For a full list of class results, please visit www.showmanagementsystem.com.
