Ocala, FL (February 15, 2016): Jumpers converged at HITS Post Time Farm on Sunday in Week IV of the Ocala Winter Circuit to compete for the money and a blue-ribbon victory in the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, $7,500 U-Dump Jr/A-O Classic and the $1,000 S.A. Comunale Adult Jumper Classic.
$50,000 HITS Grand Prix
Isabelle LaPierre and Cescha M on their way to a $50,000 HITS Grand Prix win. Photo courtesy of HITS Horse Shows.
The $50,000 HITS Grand Prix featured an international group of riders on Sunday. Isabelle Lapierre of Levis, Quebec, riding her own Cescha M, was the faster of only two double clears to take home the blue. German native Matthias Hollberg from Middleburg, Virginia, riding Aletta, owned by Olympic Dreams LLC was second. Mathew Williams, from Wellington, Florida, a two-time Olympian for the Australian team was third on Zephyr, owned by Michael Dorman & Wyndmont, Inc, and fifth riding Valinski S for the same owner. Andre Thieme from Plau am See, Germany was fourth on his own Cellisto.
Forty-three riders contested Sunday’s Grand Prix held in the Ocala Horse Properties Stadium. Olaf Petersen, Jr., from Muenchen, Germany, designed a course of 16 jumping efforts set at 1.50 meters. The course challenged the skills of both horse and rider with multiple striding options and wide spreads followed by balancing distances.
First to test the shortened course was Williams on Valinski S. They had a rail at fence 11B for four faults in a time of 42.791. Next up, was Thieme on Cellisto. The winner of the Saugerties $1 Million Grand Prix and the Great American $1 Million Grand Prix in Ocala, had four faults and a time of 42.675 to take over the early lead.
Andrew Kocher of Lake St. Louis, Missiouri, on Ora Del Te Di La San Giorgio owned by the Ora del te LLC, had the second and third fences down for eight faults in a time of 42.298 to take seventh-place. Holloway followed and had a rail both A and B of the combination, to finish with eight faults in a quick time of 41.465 to take sixth.
Three remained in the jump-off and still no one was clear, until Hollberg stepped in to the ring on Aletta. The partnership with the 11-year-old Dutch mare is only four weeks old, but the team looked seasoned as they jumped the first clear round in a time of 45.551 to set the Great American Time to Beat.
Williams returned on his second horse, Zephyr and easily had the time, in 42.603, but a rail at the second fence gave him and the third- place finish.
Last to go was LaPierre aboard Cescha M. “I always do well when I get to go at the end, I know my horse is fast so I wasn’t thinking about going fast I was just thinking about going clear,” said LaPierre.
The pair galloped to a clean round and the victory in 43.528 seconds, as the crowd cheered for another great finish.
| Place | Horse | Owner | Rider | Prize | R.1 Faults | JO Faults | JO Time |
| 1 | Cescha M | Isabelle LaPierre | Isabelle LaPierre | $15,000 | – | – | 43.568 |
| 2 | Aletta | Olympic Dreams LLC | Matthias Hollberg | $11,000 | – | – | 45.551 |
| 3 | Zephyr | Michael Dorman Wyndmont | Matthew Williams | $6,500 | – | 4 | 42.603 |
| 4 | Cellisto | Andre Thieme | Andre Thieme | $4,000 | – | 4 | 42.675 |
| 5 | Valinski S | Michael Dorman Wyndmont | Matthew Williams | $3,000 | – | 4 | 42.791 |
| 6 | VDL Bravo S | Hays Investment Corp | Hunter Holloway | $2,500 | – | 8 | 41.465 |
| 7 | OraDelTe Di La SanGiorgio | Ora Del Te LLC | Andrew Kocher | $2,000 | – | 8 | 42.298 |
| 8 | Spirit of Alena | Thinkslikeahorse | Aaron Vale | $1,500 | 4 | – | – |
| 9 | Bon Giorno | Showcase 81 LLC | Bryn Sadler | $1,500 | 4 | – | – |
| 10 | Liratus | Devin Ryan | Devin Ryan | $1,000 | 4 | – | – |
| 11 | Le Conte | Andrew Kocher | Andrew Kocher | $1,000 | 4 | – | – |
| 12 | Quidams Good Luck | Troy Glaus | Aaron Vale | $1,000 | 4 | – | – |
$7,500 U-Dump Junior/Amateur-Owner Classic
Brian Moggre and MTM Flutterby on their way to a $7,500 U-Dump Jr/A-O Classic win. Photo courtesy of HITS Horse Shows.
Brian Moggre of Flower Mound, Texas, and MTM Flutterby, owned by Major Wager LLC, topped the field to win the $75,00 U-Dump Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper 1.45m Classic at HITS, Ocala, on Sunday for the second time this season. Haley Gassel of Lenoir City, Tennessee, riding Werner 61, was second and Jordan Coyne of Newport Richey, Florida, Week I’s winner, was third on Cascada.
Olaf Petersen, Jr. of Germany, designed a very technical course consisting of 13 jumping efforts set at 1.45 meters. The course contained very few straight line tracks; the broken and bending lines created many different striding options for horses and riders. Seeming every option was tested, and seven riders jumped clear first rounds to move on to the jump-off.
First to jump-off was Elisa Uribe Gutierrez of Medellin, Columbia, riding Havan De La Lande. The bay did six strides in the first line and made a tight turn inside the Liverpool to the combination, then continued somewhat carefully to the finish clean in 32.843 to take the early lead.
Next up was Gassel and Werner 61, who did five strides in the opening line, still made the inside turn and galloped to the final oxer to shave some time off the clock and take over the lead in 31.254.
Melissa Rudershausen, winner of last week’s class, went next on Abracadabra. They weren’t able to negotiate the insde turn to the combination and finished with four faults at 4A in a time of 39.062 to finish sixth-place.
Michelle Stopford of Reddick, Florida, riding Zilano M, owned by Hardford Farm went next to test the shortened course. They easily galloped up the first line and made the inside turn to stop the clock at 33.154 and eventual fifth-place.
Moggre, Week II’s winner, and MTM Flutterby, turned in the air at every option, setting a new Great American Time to Beat of 30.134 and take over the lead.
Coyne and Cascada returned to the jump-off last in the order. With Coyne as a returning victor of Week I’s $7,500 U-Dump Jr/A-O Classic, there was a possibility that she could take over the lead. They clocked in at 32.572 seconds, just behind Gassel for third-place.
| Place | Horse | Owner | Rider | Prize | R.1 Faults | JO Faults | JO Time |
| 1 | MTM Flutterby | Major Wager LLC | Brian Moggre | $2,200 | – | – | 30.998 |
| 2 | Werner 61 | Westwind Equin Training Center | Haley Fassel | $1,550 | – | – | 31.254 |
| 3 | Cascada | Jordan Coyne | Jordan Coyne | $1,050 | – | – | 32.572 |
| 4 | Havan De La Lande | Elisa Uribe Gutierrez | Elisa Uribe Gutierrez | $700 | – | – | 32.843 |
| 5 | Zilano M | Hardford Farm M & M Stopford | Michelle Stopford | $600 | – | – | 33.154 |
| 6 | Abracadabra | Melissa Rudershausen | Melissa Rudershausen | $500 | – | 4 | 39.062 |
| 7 | Caprisio | Katharine/ Caroline McLeese | Caroline McLeese | $450 | – | 8 | 30.998 |
| 8 | Britt W.H. | Showcase 81, LLC | Bryn Sadler | $450 | 4 | – | – |
| 9 | Anabella | Showcase 81, LLC | Bryn Sadler | $450 | 4 | – | – |
| 10 | Mi Phone | hinkslikeahorse | Mallory Vale | – | 4 | – | – |
| 11 | Titus 2:11 | Derek Petersen | Jared Petersen | – | 4 | – | – |
| 12 | Barsa | Olivia Dorey | Olivia Dorey | – | 4 | – | – |
$1000 S.A. Comunale Low Adult Jumper Classic
Ciara Ciancuillo of Glencoe, Illinois, was the winner of the Ocala Week IV $1000 S.A. Comunale Low Adult Jumper Classic, riding Reflection, owned by Sapphire Riding Academy. Casey Millis of Milton, Georgia, was second on Rigoletto Du Lys, owned by B&C Equine Investments, and Kimberly Jungherr of Williston, Florida, was third on her own Dixie.
The $1000 S.A. Comunale Low Adult Classic was held over a course designed by Jack C. Robson’s .95-meter course of 12 jumping efforts. Nine horses and riders jumped clear to advance to the jump-off with eight jumping double clear. The first four riders to contest the jump-off all jumped clear with speedy times.
The fifth horse to step into the ring was Reflection, ridden by Ciancuillo. They took the jump-off by storm with a blazing time of 27.965 to take over the lead. Next up, was Jungherr and Dixie who got within three seconds to finish in a fault-free 30.132 to temporarily take over second, until Millis edged her out with a clear round in 30.016.
“My horse is awesome and loves his job,” said Ciancuillo. “I couldn’t do any of this without my amazing trainer, Doug Boyd, and all the staff at Sapphire Riding Academy.”
| Place | Horse | Owner | Rider | Prize | R.1 Faults | JO Faults | JO Time |
| 1 | Reflection | Sapphire Riding Academy | Clara Ciancuillo | $300 | – | – | 27.965 |
| 2 | Rigoletto Du Lys | B&C Equine Investments | Casey Mills | $200 | – | – | 30.016 |
| 3 | Dixie | Kimberly Jungherr | Kimberly Jungherr | $160 | – | – | 30.132 |
| 4 | Secret Agent | Casey Millis | Casey Millis | $130 | – | – | 30.826 |
| 5 | Viking | Judy Boccaccio | Nicole Boccaccio | $110 | – | – | 31.131 |
| 6 | La Sonara | Kelly Moore | Kelly Moore | $100 | – | – | 32.868 |
| 7 | Tuukka | Corinne Milbury | Corinne Milbury | – | – | – | 32.948 |
| 8 | Fleetwood Mac | Ann Dotoli | Jackie Arakelian | – | – | – | 35.953 |
| 9 | Sandhya | Andrea Jackson | Andrea Jackson | – | – | 4 | 32.990 |
| 10 | Olympia | Katie Hlis | Katie Hlis | – | 4 | – | – |
| 11 | Victoriosa | Tom Navarro | Olivia Carr | – | 4 | – | – |
| 12 | Aramis Van Het | Jose Fernando Bonetti | Michael Ziebarth | – | 4 | – | – |