Source:  News Release

 

 

Todd Minikus dominates HITS-on-the-Hudson V with back-to-back Grand Prix victories

SAUGERTIES, NEW YORK - It was a big weekend for Todd Minikus and Sweetheart, owned by Candy Tribble and Windsor Show Stables. The pair had two gigantic Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix qualifier wins at HITS-on-the-Hudson V, including Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix and Sunday’s $75,000 HITS Grand Prix, both presented by Pfizer Animal Health, to highlight an exciting week of show jumping in Saugerties, New York.

© ESI Photography. Todd Minikus and Candy Tribble & Windsor Stables' Sweetheart captured their second win of the weekend in Sunday's $75,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York.

Sunday’s course was set by Florencio Hernandez of Mexico City, Mexico. Minikus, a former U.S. Olympic Alternate of Loxahatchee, Florida channeled the momentum from Friday’s win into another exciting outing in the Strongid® C 2X Stadium at HITS-on-the-Hudson, this time beating out 34 other starters in the class. Minikus and Sweetheart were one of 11 to advance to the jump-off.

Third to show in the jump-off was Margie Engle of Wellington, Florida aboard Gladewinds Farm Inc.’s Indigo. The duo quickly slid into first place with a clear round and set the Great American Time to Beat at 38.496 seconds.

Minikus and Sweetheart returned next in the jump-off and managed to shave two seconds off of Engle’s time to finish in 36.549 seconds to take the lead. Engle eventually finished the class in third place.

Richard Moloney of Wellington, Florida and Equinimity LLC’s Slieve Anorra made an impressive effort in the jump-off, posting a time of 36.831 seconds, just a few tenths short of first place.

“I thought it was a really good class,” said Moloney, who is originally from Kilkenny, Ireland. “We had a lot in the jump-off, and it was very fast. Todd was very quick and hard to catch, but I’m really happy with how we went. This is my first Grand Prix with this horse. He’s an Irish-bred gelding that my brother used to ride. The horse was a National Champion in Ireland and I’ve always liked him. We’ve been together for five weeks now and I’m really pleased with how we’re doing.”

This is Moloney’s first season showing in Saugerties. He was around for the spring series and will be showing again this week with hopes of continuing his momentum from this past weekend in the Grand Prix on Friday and Sunday of Week VI. “We’ve had a very good time here in Saugerties,” he added. “There is a lot of great prize money here and plenty of classes for all levels of horses. So far, it’s been a great experience, at a great place.”

Rounding out the top five in the class were Jonathan McCrea of East Windsor, Connecticut aboard Candy Tribble & Windsor Stables' Colorado in fourth place, and Gemma Paternoster of Wellington, Florida aboard her own Osiris in fifth place.

Thanks to their back-to-back, first-place finishes, Minikus and Sweetheart now have $30,000 in prize money won and the number six spot in the Pfizer Million Rider Rankings. Minikus wasn’t the only rider to break into the Top 40 this weekend, as McCrea and Amy Momrow of Loudonville, New York each reached their eighth qualifying Grand Prix and are now both eligible for this year’s Pfizer Million Rider Rankings as the race to September really starts to heat up!

The final week of the Saugerties summer series will kick-off on Wednesday, August 3 and will feature two more qualifiers for the Pfizer Million with Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, and Sunday’s $100,000 Strongid® C 2X Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, giving High-Performance riders some big-ticket, last minute chances to qualify to ride for the world’s largest Grand Prix purse.

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 HitsShows.com. Stay connected with HITS, join us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter!

 

 

$25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health PLACING HORSE OWNER RIDER PRIZE MONEY RD 1 FAULTS JO FAULTS JO TIME 1 Sweetheart Candy Tribble & Windsor Stables Todd Minikus $22,500 0 0 36.549 2 Slieve Anorra Equinimity LLC Richard Moloney $16,500 0 0 36.831 3 Indigo Gladewinds Farm Inc Margie Engle $9,750 0 0 38.496 4 Colorado Candy Tribble & Windsor Show Stables Inc Jonathan McCrea $6,000 0 0 39.774 5 Osiris Gemma Paternoster Gemma Paternoster $4,500 0 0 45.380 6 Tibor Bonnie Smith Aaron Vale $3,750 0 4 38.354 7 Uraya Pony Lane Farm Charlie Jayne $3,000 0 4 39.122 8 Lanoo John Wolff & Blacklick Bend Farm Ali Wolff $2,250 0 4 39.974 9 Merlin Noel Love Gross Jeffery Welles $2,250 0 4 41.150 10 Fatalis Fatum Daniel Bluman, LLC Daniel Bluman $1,500 0 8 38.854 11 Casey Beyaert Farm Inc David Tromp $1,500 0 8 40.930 12 Lord Spezi Ashland Farms Margie Engle $1,500 4