Source:  HITS News Release

Kirsten Coe Travels “Home” to a Sold-Out Thermal to win the $31,000 HITS Welcome Classic, presented by Pfizer Animal Health

Kirsten Coe, who grew up on the West Coast and showed at the Desert Circuit throughout her junior career, made the best out of her first trip to HITS Thermal when she rode Ilan Ferder’s Tristan to the top prize in Thursday night's $31,000 HITS Welcome Classic, presented by Pfizer Animal Health. Coe’s return to the Desert Circuit comes during the biggest week of the season where entries are way up and the stall count has swelled by an additional 1,000 stalls, making this year’s DC V the largest show in Thermal since 2007!

© Flying Horse Photography.
Kirsten Coe and Tristan on course in Thursday's $31,000 HITS Welcome Classic, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at the HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, California.

“This week completes the resurgence of the Desert Circuit as one of the top show-jumping circuits in the world,” said HITS President and CEO Tom Struzzieri, who arrived back in Thermal early this morning. “This surge is a result of our continuous commitment to making Thermal the best show grounds in the country, as well as the continuation of the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix and the addition of the Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final. To see our customers from around the country embracing these programs the way they have been is incredible, and serves to ensure that with their support we can continue these types of creative offerings to keep things fresh and exciting for all levels of riders, from the beginners to the professionals.”

The Indoor Arena was packed last night for the Welcome Classic and, for the fourth week in a row, the Charles Owen VIP Club was sold out as patrons watched the second to last indoor Grand Prix of the season. Coe, who now lives in Johnson, South Carolina, got the best of the 32 starters that challenged International Course Designer Olaf Petersen’s (Paehl, Germany) first-round course and then the 13 that advanced to the jump-off. “I thought 13 was a good number for the Thursday Grand Prix,” said Petersen. “All of the ribbons were decided in the jump-off and I think that’s something the crowd really enjoyed.”

Coe made the journey west to kill two birds with one stone, as she wanted to earn some valuable FEI World Cup points and also get a jump-start on qualifying for the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix that will take place at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York on Sunday, September 11.

© Flying Horse Photography.
HITS Senior Vice President Tony Hitchcock and Chris Pace congratulate Kirsten Coe with a bottle of Sonoma-Cutrer 2007 Pinot Noir after winning the $31,000 HITS Welcome Classic, presented by Pfizer Animal Health.

“This is my first week showing here and things couldn’t be better,” said Coe. “The facility is terrific and the footing is excellent. I show at HITS Saugerties a lot and really like it there, as well. I will be there a lot this spring and summer in order to qualify for the Pfizer Million.”

In the first round, Michelle Spadone (Califon, New Jersey) wasted no time showing the crowd how it was done. She was the first to go aboard Redfield Farm’s Coco and came all the way home clear. Two rounds later, Helen McNaught (San Ramon, California) and her ownCaballo also made it around the course without dropping any rails to ensure that there would be a jump-off.

At the end of the first round, 13 horse-and-rider combinations advanced to the short course. It took three trips before the horse race over fences produced a clear round when Michelle Vandal (Saanichton, British Columbia, Canada) and her own Divina Diva set The Great American Time to Beat at 46.79 seconds. At the end of the class, their time would earn them fifth place.

As the last to go, Coe took advantage of her place in the jump-off when she piloted Tristan to a clear round in 44.39 seconds to capture the blue ribbon. Also excelling in Thursday night’s feature class was Gabby Salick (Thousand Oaks, California) and Centuria 2, and Karen Cudmore (Omaha, Nebraska) aboard Blair Cudmore’s Southern Pride who finished second and third, respectively. Rounding out the top five was fourth-place finisher Jill Humphrey (Sacramento, California) aboard Leone Equestrians Lou Bega.

Action for the High-Performance riders at HITS Thermal continues on Saturday night with the $50,000 HITS CSI-W Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, for the final of the season’s four FEI World Cup Qualifiers. On Sunday, the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, caps off Desert Circuit V as Grand Prix riders continue to shoot it out for a spot in the second-annualPfizer Million.

For more information and a complete schedule of classes and events, visit www.HitsShows.com. 

$31,000 HITS Welcome Classic, presented by Pfizer Animal Health