Thermal, CA (February 1, 2016): The curtain closed for Week II of the HITS Desert Circuit on Sunday with big money classes for jumper exhibitors featuring the $50,000 Go Rentals Grand Prix and the $10,000 Jr/A-O Jumper Classic.
$50,000 Go Rentals Grand Prix
Lindsay Archer and Camerone winning the $50,000 Go Rentals Grand Prix. (C) ESI Photography
Week II of the HITS Desert Circuit closed out with Sunday’s $50,000 Grand Prix sponsored by Go Rentals. It all came down to speed as riders and horses went head-to-head, navigating the course of 16-jumping efforts designed by Florencio Hernandez of Mexico. Four of the eight horses that advanced to the jump-off went clear over the shortened course, leaving the quickest round to claim the blue-ribbon title and a hardy piece of the prize purse.
Lindsay Archer of Alamo, California, and Camerone, owned by RHYS Farms, LLC, took home first-place. Second-place went to Alberta, Canada native Jaclyn Duff and EH All or None, owned by Windermere Stables, LTD. Eric Hasbrouck of Arlington, Washington, and Boukati B, owned by G&W Equine Partners earned third-place.
First to return for the jump-off was Lisa Carlsen from Okotoks, Alberta, riding her own Parette. They set the tone for the jump-off crossing the timers in a fault-free 40.470 seconds. Following Carlsen’s pristine round was Hasbrouck and Boukati B, knowing they had to go fault-free to contend. They put in a speedy, clear round, and clocking in at 40.223 seconds put them in the lead.
Hasbrouck’s lead was short-lived as class winner Archer and Camerone returned to the jump-off. The atmosphere was electric as they zipped through the course—shaving time off the clock as the powerful bay dominated each fence—to finish in a fault-free, 38.073 seconds.
Nathalie Manning and her own Con Spirit followed, but a rail at A in the mid-course combination broke the clear-round streak, ultimately earning Manning seventh-place. The first fence of the combination continued to be the downfall as Oxford Mills, Ontario equestrian, Jill Henselwood and Farfelu Du Printemps, owned by John Madigan, took to the ring. They clocked in with the speediest time of the class, 36.006 seconds, but with four unfortunate jumping faults for fifth-place.
A clear round was back on the horizon as Jaclyn Duff and EH All or None galloped through the course without any rails. They crossed the timers just a fraction of a second behind Archer to take second-place.
Kristin Hardin and Firestone, owned by Nicole Teague, as well as Ashlee Bond and Agro Star, owned by Little Valley Farms, would close out the jump-off. Both would finish with four jumping faults and times that kept them just shy of the top-five.
| Place | Horse | Owner | Rider | Prize | R.1 Faults | JO Faults | JO Time |
| 1 | Camerone | RHYS Farm, LLC | Lindsay Archer | $15,000 | – | – | 38.073 |
| 2 | EH All or None | Windermere Stables LTD | Jaclyn Duff | $11,000 | – | – | 38.892 |
| 3 | Boukati B | G&W Equine Partners LLC | Eric Hasbrouck | $6,500 | – | – | 40.223 |
| 4 | Parette | Lisa Carlsen | Lisa Carlsen | $4,000 | – | – | 40.470 |
| 5 | Farfelu Du Printemps | John Madigan | Jill Henselwood | $3,000 | – | 4 | 36.006 |
| 6 | Agro Star | Little Valley Farms | Ashlee Bond | $2,500 | – | 4 | 36.511 |
| 7 | Con Spirit | Nathalie Manning | Nathalie Manning | $2,000 | – | 4 | 38.457 |
| 8 | Firestone | Nicole Teague | Kristin Hardin | $1,500 | – | 4 | 38.963 |
| 9 | Ace of Hearts | Little Valley farms | Ashlee Bond | $1,500 | 4 | – | – |
| 10 | Cupilor | Cross Creek Farms, Inc | Michelle Parker | $1,000 | 4 | – | – |
| 11 | Okapi De Terlong | Jenn Serek | Jenn Serek | $1,000 | 4 | – | – |
| 12 | Cornancer | Little Valley Farms | Ashlee Bond | $1,000 | 4 | – | – |
$10,000 Jr/A-O Jumper Classic
Nicole Hirt and Hot Blooded winning the $10,000 Jr/A-O Jumper Classic. (C) ESI Photography
Horses and riders competed for a slice of the prize purse during the $10,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic on Sunday during Desert Circuit II. Exhibitors tested the inviting but challenging 1.45-meter course set by Mexico course designer Florencio Hernandez, but only Nicolette Hirt and her own Hot Blooded would go double-clear to seal the win.
Seven returned to the ring for the jump-off with Hirt, of Alamo, California, mastering the course. Second-place was Morgan Garnett of Hillsborough, California, and Kenavo de Brekka, owned by Garnett Farms. Delaney Flynn from Scottsdale, Arizona, and Taxo de la nutria, owned by Irish Rose Stables, finished in third.
First to return for the jump-off was Adria Mashburn-Pederson and Artano G, owned by James Mashburn. The equestrian from Bonsall, California, cruised through the first half of the shortened course clear until two unfortunate rails at both A and B of the combination before the timers. They clocked in at 43.481 with eight jumping faults; the round ultimately landed them fifth-place.
Following Mashburn-Petersen was Lambert Louis, owned and ridden by Madison Breen. The speedy pair went off course after the third fence of the jump-off, landing them in sixth.
Fourth-place Meredith Ellis of Surrey, British Columbia and her own Callboy 13 followed Breen’s round, turning tight after the second fence of the shortened course to shave off time. Unfortunate rails at the third fence and A of the combination earned them eight jumping faults as they crossed the marker in 42.529.
Next to return to the jump-off was class winner Hirt and Hot Blooded. With no clear rounds to compete with, they carefully zipped through the second round, crossing the timers in a clear, 41.028 seconds to take the lead.
Garnett and Kenavo de Brekka followed Hirt, knowing they would have to have a clear round to contend for the victory. A rail at the mid-course vertical sealed the second-place spot, finishing in 42.257 seconds with four jumping faults.
The win still hung in the balance for Hirt as Flynn and Taxo de la Nutria entered the ring. A rail at the mid-course vertical and A of the combination put them behind Garnett and Kenavo de Brekka for third-place with eight jumping faults and time of 40.110 seconds.
| Place | Horse | Owner | Rider | Prize | R.1 Faults | JO Faults | JO Time |
| 1 | Hot Blooded | Nicolette Hirt | Nicolette Hirt | $2,800 | – | – | 41.028 |
| 2 | Kenavo de Brekka | Garnett Farms | Morgan Garnett | $1,800 | – | 4 | 42.257 |
| 3 | Taxo de la nutria | Irish Rose Stables | Delaney Flynn | $1,200 | – | 8 | 40.110 |
| 4 | Callboy 13 | Meredith Ellis | Meredith Ellis | $900 | – | 8 | 42.529 |
| 5 | Artano G | James Mashburn | Adria Mashburn-Pederson | $800 | – | 8 | 43.481 |
| 6 | Lambert Louis | Madison Breen | Madison Breen | $700 | – | – | Elim |
| 7 | Spar Colt | Kayla Savard | Kayla Savard | $600 | – | – | DNS |
| 8 | Quito 35 | Tylor Nowell | Tylor Nowell | $450 | 4 | – | – |
| 9 | Boomerang | Irish Rose Stables | Delaney Flynn | $375 | 4 | – | – |
| 10 | Pacifico | Eduardo Sanchez Navarro Rivera | Eduardo Sanchez Navarro Rivera | $375 | 4 | – | – |
| 11 | Magno LS | Garnett Farms | Morgan Garnett | – | 4 | – | – |
| 12 | Farmko S | Gabrielle Cirelli | Gabrielle Cirelli | – | 4 | – | – |
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 Canadian Pacific $1 Million Grand Prix FEI CSI-5*, 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 and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Media should contact the HITS Media Team at 845.246.8833 or e-mail media_info@HitsShows.com.