Source:  News Release

 

 

Tracy Fenney tunes up for the Pfizer Million, David Oliynyk wins the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix Qualifier & Wild Card and Pfizer Million week has arrived

SAUGERTIES, NEW YORK — As a prelude to the biggest weekend in the history of show jumping, HITS-on-the-Hudson VII welcomed exhibitors from all corners of the country as a week of tough competition took place at HITS Saugerties. Leading the way for High-Performance riders was Tracy Fenney of Flower Mound, Texas. She captured the $10,000 Brook Ledge Open Welcome on Wednesday aboard MTM Farm’s MTM Centano and also took top honors in Sunday’s $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, aboard MTM Farm’s MTM Timon.

© ESI Photography. Tracy Fenney on course with MTM Farm's MTM Timon in the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at HITS-on-the-Hudson VII.

Also striking gold in the Strongid® C 2X Stadium was Laura Chapot of Neshanic Station, New Jersey who won Friday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, in the irons of Umberto, owned by Mary Chapot.

© ESI Photography. Laura Chapot on course with Mary Chapot's Umberto in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at HITS-on-the-Hudson VII.

The Strongid® C2 X Stadium at HITS-on-the-Hudson VII was also home to several other special class winners including:

$2,500 M&S Children’s/Adult Jumper Wild Card: Mike Mastice aboard his own Lexus.

$3,500 M&S Modified/Jr/Am Jumper Wild Card: Stephanie Verville aboard her own Samba L.

$5,000 NAL Junior/A-O Jumper Low Classic: Joshua VanderVeen aboard Bull Run Jumpers One, LLC's Bull Run's Becky Blue.

$10,000 Jr/A-O Jumper High Classic: Arianna Wallace aboard her own Vamaranta.

David Oliynyk rides Lori Gaudet’s Generous to victory in the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix Qualifier & Wild Card

On Saturday, the hunt was on in the Strongid® C 2X Stadium when the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix Qualifier & Wild Card took the stage. Forty-two horse-and-rider-combinations showed over Rian Beals’ first-round course as the top 12 returned for the second round. When the class was complete, it was David Oliynyk of Plainville, Massachusetts and Lori Gaudet’s Generous who took the blue.

©ESI Photography. David Oliynyk and Lori Gaudet's Generous in the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix Qualifier & Wild Card at HITS-on-the-Hudson VII.

“I just gave [Generous] a couple of months off and this is his second show back,” said Oliynyk. “I am obviously pretty happy that we were able to come out on top with the big class next weekend.”

Some of the top hunter riders are in town for the richest purse the sport has ever seen. The inaugural Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final will hand out a $150,000 first-place purse this weekend.

The opening two rounds will take place Saturday, September 10 and will feature 75 of the top junior, amateur and professional hunter riders in the country. The top 25 will advance to the final two rounds Sunday, September 11.

What’s on Tap

The big money week starts tomorrow and kicks off with the popular $10,000 Brook Ledge Open Welcome, but it’s the weekend that everyone is waiting for. The inaugural Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final takes the stage on Saturday and wraps up on Sunday, prior to the start of the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix. Olympians, equestrian legends and rising stars have all gathered at HITS-on-the-Hudson to compete for historic prize money. And, what better way to celebrate everyone’s successes than with a live performance by Motown legends, The Temptations, presented by the Bardavon Sunday night.

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. In 2010, HITS took the industry to new heights when it hosted the first-ever Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix. HITS will once again offer the most innovative weekend in show jumping history in 2011 when it hosts the second annual Pfizer Million and the inaugural Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final, September 10-11, at HITS-on-the-Hudson 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 or follow us on Twitter!