Ocala, FL (February 23, 2016): Riders at HITS Post Time Farm in Ocala, Florida, had another opportunity to garner a distinguished hunter victory in the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix and the $1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix.
Many riders are preparing for the biggest hunter week of the season, the Ocala Masters, February 23-28, which features the $100,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, the World Championship Hunter Rider Week and the return of the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Zone 4 Handy Hunter Classics.
$5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix
Thirty-eight took to the ring to show off their talent and contend for the glory in Saturday’s $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix, a qualifying opportunity for the prestigious $500,000 Diamond Mills Hunter Prix at the HITS Championship in September 2016.
Hot off a $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix win in Week III and a second-place finish in Week IV, Daniel Geitner of Aiken, South Carolina, swooped in yet again to capture the first-place title, as well as a third-place finish.
Daniel Geitner and Sky Pilot on their way to a $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix win. Photo: ESI Photography
Gietner and Sky Pilot, owned by Allison Mills, earned the highest score of the first round, an impressive 92, which combined with their second-round score of 86, totaled 178 for the win. Geitner’s other mount, Damocles, owned by Janet Petersen, earned a first-round score of 88 and second-round score of 85, which awarded them third-place for their efforts with a total of 173.
In between Geitner’s two finishes was second-place Notorious, owned and ridden by Devon MacLeod. The equestrian from East Kingston, New Hampshire, piloted Notorious to earn scores of 90 and 84, respectively, for a total of 174.
Fourth-place went to Liz Hudspeth of Milton, Georgia, and her own Fairfax, and Tricia O’Connor of Williston, Florida, and Inferno, owned by Marita Zuraitis finished in fifth.
| Place | Horse | Owner | Rider | Prize | R.1 Score | R.2 Score | Total |
| 1 | Sky Pilot | Allison Mills | Daniel Geitner | $1,500 | 92 | 86 | 178 |
| 2 | Notorious | Devon Mac Leod | Devon Mac Leod | $1,000 | 90 | 84 | 174 |
| 3 | Damocles | Janet Peterson | Daniel Geitner | $700 | 88 | 85 | 173 |
| 4 | Fairfax | Liz Hudspeth | Liz Hudspeth | $500 | 86.5 | 83 | 169.5 |
| 5 | Inferno | Marita Zuraitis | Tricia O’Connor | $400 | 86 | 80 | 166 |
| 6 | Chances R | Artillery Lane, LLC | Greg Prince | $350 | 85 | 78.5 | 163.5 |
| 7 | Silverstone | Tricia Flood | Rob Burroughs | $300 | 84 | 79 | 163 |
| 8 | Spektacular | Sara Setian | Sara Seitian | $250 | 80 | 82 | 162 |
$1,500 Platinum Performance
Only one horse and rider could claim the top spot in HITS Ocala V’s $1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix, a qualifying opportunity for the $250,000 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix Final at the HITS Championship in September 2016. Out of the field of thirty-six, the team to beat was Emily Noble of Concord, Massachusetts, and Claudio, owned by Volo Farm, Inc.
Emily Noble and Claudio on their way to a $1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix win. Photo: ESI Photography
Last but certainly not least in the order, Noble and Claudio earned a first-round score of 81, improving to an 83 for a total of 164 to garner the win.
Second-place was awarded to Extraordinary, owned and ridden by Sydney DeGrazia of Rochester, New York. They put in consistent rounds in the two-round classic, but came in just behind Noble with a first-round score of 80 and second-round score of 82 for a total of 162.
Jess Lusty, of York, Maine, aboard her own Anucci, earned the third-place title with an 80.5 in the first-round combined with a second-round score of 76 to total 156.5.
In fourth-place was Paramount, owned and ridden by Amy Lloyd Thompson of Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. New York, New York, equestrian Jillian Rosenwasser navigated Summer Vay-K, owned by Donna Rosenwasser, to finish out the top five.
The Ocala Masters, Week VI’s hunter extravaganza, will feature a Platinum Performance Hunter Prix with an increased $5,000 prize purse. The World Championship Hunter Rider Week will also allow for feature hunter classes and classics to be held in the Ocala Horse Properties Stadium.
| Place | Horse | Owner | Rider | Prize | R.1 Score | R.2 Score | Total |
| 1 | Claudio | Volo Farm, Inc | Emily Noble | $450 | 81 | 83 | 164 |
| 2 | Extraordinary | Sydney DeGrazia | Sydney DeGrazia | $300 | 80 | 82 | 162 |
| 3 | Anucci | Jess Lusty | Jess Lusty | $200 | 80.5 | 76 | 156.5 |
| 4 | Paramount | Amy Lloyd Thompson | Amy Lloyd Thompson | $150 | 76 | 79 | 155 |
| 5 | Summer Vay-K | Donna Rosenwasser | Jillian Rosenwasser | $125 | 77 | 77 | 154 |
| 6 | Bellefield | Emily Miller | Emily Miller | $100 | 76.5 | 77 | 153.5 |
| 7 | Fortunate | Mary Stavola | Mary Stavola | $100 | 75 | 78 | 153 |
| 8 | Adagio | Hope Caton | Hope Caton | $75 | 72 | 76 | 148 |