Source:  News Release

Nayel Nassar and Lordan Head East for Big Money Glory in Zoetis $1 Million Grand Prix

SAUGERTIES, NY – Nayel Nassar of Stanford, California proved that a 3,000-mile trip across the U.S. was well worth the effort today when he rode Lordan to a hard-fought victory in the fourth-annual Zoetis $1 Million Grand Prix at HITS Saugerties. With the post-competition tunes of Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell playing in the background, Nassar prepared to make the trip home to Stanford, California $350,000 richer.

Nassar, who rides for Egypt, and the nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding he piloted to the coveted victory were one of only three riders to crack Olaf Petersen Jr.’s course. “I can’t believe this – it’s very surreal, but this horse has been on a roll lately,” said Nassar who is a senior at Stanford University in California and will soon graduate with a degree in Economics. Upon graduation he plans to ride professionally for Egypt in the U.S.

Coming off a big two weeks on the West Coast, Nassar and Lordan were the second pair to ride clear. New Zealander Sharn Wordley of Ocala, Florida and Ashland Stables’ Derly Chin De Muze posted an early clear round in the third trip of the order, but crossed the timers just fractions over the 83-seconds time allowed for one time fault. Twenty-one rounds later, Nassar put together the winning formula with a fault-free ride in 82.76 seconds. He was later joined by Todd Minikus of Loxahatchee, Florida who guaranteed a two-horse jump-off with his own Quality Girl.

“This is the biggest class this horse has jumped and I was definitely worried when I saw Todd go clear, but my plan was to put as much pressure on him as possible while leaving all the jumps up,” said Nassar. “Lordan jumped incredibly and was very careful.” Nassar bought the gelding as a six-year-old and admittedly took it slow with his progression. A spooky ride at the start, Lordan matured nicely over the past couples year, according to Nassar, and has kicked off elite competition on a high note with this weekend’s win.

Nassar’s clear jump-off round in 45.63 seconds was enough to keep Minikus on his toes, but Quality Girl was composed and focused as she entered the ring. After a thrown right front shoe early in the first round, Quality Girl attacked the jump-off course under less than perfect conditions. “I hate to make excuses, but she wasn’t quite herself as we warmed up for the jump-off,” said Minikus. When a rail came down, the pair was still guaranteed second and Minikus elected to pull up, airing on the side of his horse’s well-being. “It speaks volumes for the footing that my horse was able to jump the majority of that course without a shoe,” he added.

Wordley and Derly Chin De Muze finished third while Margie Engle of Wellington, Florida rode Elm Rock Partners, LLC’s Royce to the fastest four fault effort in the first round for fourth. Capping the top five and still cashing a $75,000 prize money check, Hugh Graham piloted King Ridge Stables’ Distant Star 3E to four faults just three tenths of a  second behind Engle.

While the buzz surrounding the Zoetis Million is rightfully the prize money, the course is always second on everyone’s mind. Petersen of Meunchen, Germany set the track for the second year in a row and was pleased with the result. “The thing I liked the most is that there were no falls. It’s rare to have that at this level and I am happy that everyone had a good experience,” he said. “The results prove that the difficulty was just right.”

Nassar rode in the inaugural AIG $1 Million Grand Prix in Thermal, California this winter and was eager to compare the difficulty between his two million-dollar experiences. While the course was smaller in height, difficulty crept its way to the surface through other channels. “It was very technical and every stride kept us thinking,” he said.

Tom Struzzieri, President and CEO of HITS Horse Shows acknowledged that today’s course was a prime example of how he wants his $1 million dollar classes to function. Despite a difficult time to beat and scattered faults, Struzzieri is confident that the course helped to make each and every horse better for having jumped it. “Even the ones not in the top spots had a good day,” he said.

Struzzieri announced that this year marked the first of a two-year contract with Zoetis as the presenting sponsor of HITS Shows grand prix nationwide. With the promise of a 2014 Zoetis $1 Million Grand Prix, the health of show jumping in North America continues to improve. “It’s very unique to have a sponsor as dedicated to the sport and committed to advancing it as Zoetis is,” said Struzzieri.

Stuart Meikle of Zoetis agreed that with more classes like this, coupled with increased interest from competitors and spectators alike, this country is on its way to having horse sport become a part of everyday American life.

Minikus, the only American rider represented in the top three, revealed that when he used to dream of becoming a grand prix rider he never thought the sport would reach the level that it has in this country. “Where prize money is concerned, we are pushing the sport to equal events like golf and tennis,” he said.

With sponsors like Zoetis willing to invest in the sport and organizations like HRTVdedicated to shining a spotlight on the athletes, there is a promise that show jumping will continue to gain traction in North America and beyond. As the sun set on the 2013 HITS Saugerties season, attention has already turned to 2014 and the three $1 million dollar events that will take place as part of the HITS Triple Crown of Show Jumping in Thermal, California; Ocala, Florida and Saugerties, New York.

©ESI Photography
Nayel Nassar and Lordan jump their way to Zoetis Million glory at HITS Saugerties during Championship Weekend.

©ESI Photography
Zoetis representatives and veterinarians from around the country serving the sport horse community are joined by Asia Manning, Shelly Nelson, Tony Hitchcock and Lindsay Yandon of HITS to present Nayel Nassar and Lordan with first place honors, including a custom cooler by Horseware Ireland.

©ESI Photography
Nayel Nassar basks in Zoetis Million glory at the post-event press confernece at HITS Saugerties. He is presented with his prize money check by Stuart Meikle of Zoetis.

Ava Stearns and Lexi Maounis Capture Individual Honors at USHJA Child/Adult Amateur Jumper Regional Championships

Individual Champions were crowned during the USHJA Child/Adult Amateur Jumper Regional Championships over the weekend at HITS Saugerties. Ava Stearns, representing Massachusetts, stole the show for the children, and Lexi Maounis of Connecticut won for the adults. Stearns piloted Missy Clark's Denmark and Maunis rode her own Whisper.

©ESI Photography
Ava Stearns and Denmark leading the Child Individual Championship in the USHJA Child/Adult Amateur Jumper Regional Championship at HITS Saugerties.

©ESI Photography
Ava Stearns accepts the individual title in the USHJA Child/Adult Amateur Jumper Regional Championship at HITS Saugerties.

©ESI Photography
Lexi Maounis and Whisper on course in the Adult Individual Championship as part of the USHJA Child/Adult Amateur Jumper Regional Championship at HITS Saugerties.

©ESI Photography
Top 3 Adult individuals Lexi Maounis, Wendy Chapot Nunn and Nicole Crighton accept top awards during the USHJA Child/Adult Amateur Jumper Regional Championship at HITS Saugerties.

Hunters Bask in Top Dollar Glory: Jimmy Torano Jumps Five-Year-Old La Bonita to the Top of the Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final

Jimmy Torano of SW Ranches, Florida admits that he and Kathryn Haefner, who owns La Bonita, gambled on the Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final, entering the five-year-old German-bred Warmblood mare in the highest stakes hunter class in the world. Lady Luck, however, was on their side at HITS Saugerties this week. Or, perhaps, La Bonita is just that good.

“She’s a very special horse and what she did today is unheard of,” said Torano. “This is only her second show, and for her to walk into the Outside Course this week and then the Grand Prix Stadium today and perform the way she did shows just how unbelievable this horse really is.”

Haefner could not contain her excitement when the announcer spoke her mare’s name over the sound system and accepted the $150,000 winner’s check with tears streaming down her face. “I have no words,” said Haefner. “Jimmy is a great rider and she is a special horse. I am still speechless that this has happened.”

La Bonita is by Lupicor and was imported by Stewart Moran for the Haefner family and is impressing not just her owners, but fellow competitors as well.

“She was the horse to watch in this class,” said Patricia Griffith of New York, New York. Griffith won the Diamond Mills Hunter Prix last year with Lexi Maounis’ Sienna. “Everyone noticed her on the first day on the Outside Course and she had us all wondering who this horse was.”

Griffith and Sienna returned this year to finish third, with West Coast rider Hope Glynn of Penngrove, California sliding into second. Glynn has been making the trek from California to New York for this event all three years that it has been offered and says that while the prize money is unprecedented, the class is doing great things for the advancement of the hunter.

“It’s nice to come home with big check, but it’s also such an opportunity to be able to come home and say your horse jumped consistently well over three days and proved itself,” said Glynn who qualified to ride in the Diamond Mills Hunter Prix Final during the HITS Desert Circuit in Thermal, California. “I believe in the horses that I bring to this class and it really helps to show them off.”

Fourteen-year-old rider Hunter Holloway of Topeka, Kansas piloted Lyons Creek Bellini, owned by Hays Investment Corp. to fourth. Rounding out the top five was California-based Jenny Karazissis and Kelly Straeter’s Undeniable.

For Torano, who also rode in the Zoetis $1 Million Grand Prix, the Hunter Prix, set by Rian Beals of Saugerties, New York was, in some ways, harder. “I didn’t even think that we would make it through the two qualifying rounds, so to ride for this kind of money against these caliber horses and riders was nerve racking!” he said.

©ESI Photography
Jimmy Torano and La Bonita putting on a show in the final round of the Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final.

©ESI Photography
Shelly Nelson, Asia Manning and Lindsay Yandon of HITS present Jimmy Torano and La Bonita with first-place prizes, including a $150,000 prize money check and a custom cooler by Horseware Ireland.

©ESI Photography
Jimmy Torano and Kathryn Haefner, La Bonita's owner, celebrate their Diamond Mills Hunter Prix Final win.

Louise Otten bests junior and amateur competition with Revelstoke in the HITS $250,000 Hunter Prix Final
The HITS $250,000 Hunter Prix Final preceded the Diamond Mills Hunter Prix Final and offered junior and amateur riders the opportunity to ride for unprecedented prize money. Louise Otten of Wayzata, Minnesota rode Annie Phillips’ Revelstoke to the $75,000 winner’s check.

“I knew going into the finaI round that I could be no less than fourth, so I knew I could be relaxed, but finding the jumps out there was a little stressful! There’s a lot going on out there,” she said of her two trips in the Strongid® C 2X Grand Prix Stadium.

Otten, 66, piloted Phillips’ Hanoverian gelding, a former 1.30-meter jumper, during the winter circuit in Florida and put her leg over the ride again this week while Phillips is fast approaching her due date with her first child.

This marks the second year that the HITS $250,000 Hunter Prix Final has been a part of HITS Championship Weekend.

“I was thrilled to come do it, because I haven’t been showing much lately,” she said. Otten spends most of her time staying in riding shape at home. “I felt sort of semi-retired, so this is a huge thing for me to go in and win this class.”

Corinne Milbury of Fairport, New York rode her own Kavalier to second place, cashing in for $45,000 while Kelly Lively of Holliston, Massachusetts piloted Tarzan, owned by Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Oare to third. Anna Pavlov of Pound Ridge, New York was fourth aboard her own Adelante and Linda Corvari of Long Valley, New Jersey rounded out the top five on her own Larger Than Life.

©ESI Photography
Louise Otten and Revelstoke jump their way to a win in the HITS $250,000 Hunter Prix Final.

©ESI Photography
Shelly Nelson, Asia Manning and Lindsay Yandon of HITS present Louise Otten with first-place prizes, including a $75,000 prize money check and a custom cooler by Horseware Ireland.

©ESI Photography
HITS President and CEO Tom Struzzieri with Lousie Otten, Corinne Milbury and Kelly LIvely after the HITS $250,000 Hunter Prix Final.

Barnmice News story brought to you by:

Everything Horse Related: Apple Saddlery