Ocala, FL – January 27, 2016 – Jumpers converged at HITS Post Time Farm in Ocala, Florida, on Sunday to compete for big money and big opportunities in the $50,000 Tuffrider/Equine Couture Grand Prix, $7,500 U-Dump Jr/A-O Jumper Classic and the $1,000 S.A. Comunale Adult Jumper Classic.
$50,000 Tuffrider/Equine Couture Grand Prix
Lisa Goldman and Morocco on their way to a $50,000 Tuffrider/Equine Couture Grand Prix. (C) ESI PHOTOGRAPHY
Morocco and Lisa Goldman from Hawthorne Woods, Illinois, sped past the rest of the field with the only clear round in the jump-off to take home the winner’s share of the prize money in the $50,000 Tuffrider/Equine Couture Grand Prix in Week I of the HITS Ocala Circuit.
Goldman and Morocco began the week with a win in the $2,500 Brook Ledge Open Welcome on Wednesday, and they continued their winning ways on Sunday to top the field of 28 competitors. Aaron Vale of Williston, Florida, riding Bonzini for Thinkslikeahorse, earned second-place, and Laura Linback of Mundelein, Illinois, and Woodrun’s Whitaker MVNZ were third.
Manuel Esparza of Mexico City, Mexico, designed a challenging first-round course of 16 jumping efforts that proved difficult for the first nine to attempt it. First to go clear was Mastermind, owned and ridden by KC Van Aarem of Wheaton, Maryland. Two trips later, Linback and Whitaker MVNZ also went clear.
Aaron Vale, riding the second of his three mounts, Aventador, owned by Bella Equestrian, was clean to make it three for the jump-off, followed by Amanda Flint, of Long Valley, New Jersey, and Superbad. Vale then went clear on Bonzini, advancing his second horse to the jump-off, and closing out the first round was Goldman and Morocco, who were clean to move on as the sixth and final pair to make it to the second round.
Returning first over the short course, Van Aarem had a rail at the first fence, finishing in 41.941 with four faults. Linback and Whittaker MVNZ had a rail at the combination, but their faster time of 40.215 seconds took the lead. An unfortunate rail at a vertical immediately off a short turn from the mid-course combination and a time of 42.184 seconds put Vale and Aventador into third place for the moment.
Fourth to enter the jump-off was Flint aboard Superbad. Their four-fault round in 43.639 seconds put them in fourth for the time being.
Choosing to move up in the order while Vale prepared his second horse, Goldman and Morocco posted not only the first clear round in the jump-off, but also the fastest, in a time of 39.751 seconds. Goldman was thrilled with their performance, and fondly calls Morocco her “old man,” but at 13 years old, the chestnut continues to be a formidable competitor, seemingly anticipating Goldman’s plan as he gallops the course and turns on a dime.
It all came down to Vale, returning on his second mount, Bonzini. Vale pulled out all the stops, shaving a full second off Goldman’s time to finish in 38.573, but a rail at a mid-course vertical was heartbreaker, and Vale had to settle for second place.
| Place | Horse | Owner | Rider | Prize | R.1 Faults | JO Faults | JO Time |
| 1 | Morocco | Lisa Goldman | Lisa Goldman | $15,000 | – | – | 39.751 |
| 2 | Bonzini S | Thinkslikeahorse | Aaron Vale | $11,000 | – | 4 | 38.573 |
| 3 | Whittaker MVNZ | Woodrun | Laura Linback | $6,500 | – | 4 | 40.215 |
| 4 | Mastermind | KC Van Aarem | KC Van Aarem | $4,000 | – | 4 | 41.941 |
| 5 | Aventador | Bella Equestrian | Aaron Vale | $3,000 | – | 4 | 42.184 |
| 6 | Superbad | Amanda Flint | Amanda Flint | $2,500 | – | 4 | 43.639 |
| 7 | Centurion B | Mary Goldman | Lisa Goldman | $2,000 | 4 | – | – |
| 8 | Qurint | Chuck & Dana Waters | Hayley Waters | $1,500 | 4 | – | – |
| 9 | Waltraut | David Raposa | David Raposa | $1,500 | 4 | – | – |
| 10 | Bon Girono | Showcase 81 LLC | Bryn Sadler | $1,000 | 4 | – | – |
| 11 | Quidam’s Good Luck | Troy Glaus | Aaron Vale | $1,000 | 4 | – | – |
| 12 | S & L Elite | MTM Farm | Dorothy Douglas | $1,000 | 4 | – | – |
$7,500 U-Dump Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper 1.45m Classic.
Jordan Coyne and Cascada on their way to a $7,500 U-Dump Jr/AO Jumper Classic win. (C) ESI Photography
The competition kicked off Sunday morning in the Ocala Horse Properties Stadium with the $7,500 U-Dump Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper 1.45m Classic. Jordan Coyne from Newport Richey, Florida, riding her own Cascada, emerged victorious in a three-horse jump-off with Thaisa Erwin of Middleburg, Virginia, taking second place honors with Matilda and Haley Gassel of Lenoir City, Tennessee, taking third on Werner 61, owned by Westwind Equine Training Center.
Manuel Esparza of Mexico City, Mexico, built a demanding 1.45 meter course that sorted out the first-round participants with evenly distributed faults throughout. Time was a factor early on as Brian Moggre of Flower Mound, Texas, left all the rails up but exceeded the time allowed for two time faults for fourth-place. Gassel, Coyne and Irwin, all jumped clear to move on to the jump-off with Andrea Torres Guerreiro from Waterford, Virginia, and Santa Catalina Farm’s Victoria, who turned in the fastest four-fault round in 81.874 for fifth-place.
First to go in the jump-off was Gassel, who put the pedal to the metal but had an unfortunate four faults at the last fence, finishing in 40.056 seconds. Coyne chose a more conservative ride to the last jump for a clear round in 43.450, taking the lead. Irwin rode clear on a similar track, just a fraction slower in 43.766 for second-place.
“We bought her a year ago off a video from Europe, she’s an eight-year-old Rhinelander but she is quite small, only 15.3 [hands],” said Coyne. “When Hayley had the last rail I figured I would just go at a medium pace and try to be clear, then we would be no worse than second. Even though my horse is small she covers the ground well—we were happy to come out on top.”
| Place | Horse | Owner | Rider | Prize | R.1 Faults | JO Faults | JO Time |
| 1 | Cascada | Jordan Coyne | Jordan Coyne | $2,200 | – | – | 43.450 |
| 2 | Matilda | Thaisa Erwin | Thaisa Erwin | $1,550 | – | – | 43.766 |
| 3 | Werer 61 | Westwind Equine Training Center | Haley Gassel | $1,050 | – | 4 | 40.056 |
| 4 | MTM Flutterby | Major Wager LLC | Brian Moggre | $700 | 2 | – | – |
| 5 | Victoria | Santa Catalina Farm | Andrea Torres Guerreiro | $600 | 4 | – | – |
| 6 | Fiona Van’t Paradijs | Mackenzie McGehee | Mackenzie McGehee | $500 | 4 | – | – |
| 7 | As Di Chupito | North Face Farm | Erin Haas | $450 | 4 | – | – |
| 8 | Ugolin Du Mont | Melissa Rudershausen | Melissa Rudershausen | $450 | 4 | – | – |
| 9 | Qulte Dark 2 | Westwind Equine Training Center | Haley Gassel | – | 4 | – | – |
| 10 | Crossfire 10 | Chuck & Dana Waters | Hayley Waters | – | 4 | – | – |
| 11 | Vougeot de Septon | Abbey Slaven | Abbey Slaven | – | 4 | – | – |
| 12 | Cornerstone | Derek Petersen | Jared Petersen | – | 8 | – | – |
$1,000 S.A. Comunale Adult Jumper Classic
Megan Manubay and Okla Homa on their way to a $1000 S.A. Comunale Adult Jumper Classic win. (C) ESI Photography
Megan Manubay of Bear, Delaware, and her horse Okla Homa, owned by Donald Stewart, topped Sunday’s S.A. Comunale Low Adult Jumper Classic in the Grand Prix Ring at HITS, Ocala. They finished with a clean jump-off time of 43.251 seconds. Kelly Moore from Morriston, Flordia, riding her own La Sonara was second, finishing in 44.928. Jackie Arakelian of Winchester, Massachusetts, riding Fleetwood Mac for Ann Dotoli, was third in 47.443 seconds.
The .90 meter course was designed by Manuel Esparza from Mexico City, Mexico. Eight were able to negotiate the first round track without a fault, and with five of the eight jump-off entries going clear, it all came down to the quickest round.
“I am very excited to start our partnership with a win; he did the Level 7’s with Aaron [Vale] so I hope to move up with him,” said Manubay. “The course was challenging, but fair for the first week, and there were lots of turns. I just rode the turns neat and I was fortunate that the final rider had a rail—he would have beat my time”
| Place | Horse | Owner | Rider | Prize | R.1 Faults | JO Faults | JO Time |
| 1 | Okla Homa | Donald Stewart | Megan Maubay | $300 | – | – | 43.251 |
| 2 | La Sonara | Kelly Moore | Kelly Moore | $200 | – | – | 44.928 |
| 3 | Fleetwood Mac | Ann Dotoli | Jackie arakelian | $160 | – | – | 47.443 |
| 4 | Ensor Van’t Molsbroek | Katherine Heywood | Caitlyn Shlels | $130 | – | – | 47.610 |
| 5 | Life is Life 15 | Erica Garcia | Laura Myers | $110 | – | – | 48.942 |
| 6 | Aramis Van Het | Jose Fernando Bonetti | Michael Ziebarth | $100 | – | 4 | 40.376 |
| 7 | GLS Volos | Kelsey Barfield | Laurie russel | – | – | 4 | 45.772 |
| 8 | Wubo Rose | Remeta Sky LLC | Karen Young | – | – | 4 | 48.479 |
| 9 | S & L Downtown | Kaitlyn Smith | Megan Alt | – | 13 | – | – |
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.