THERMAL, CA – The HITS Desert Circuit in Thermal, California concluded its 2012 winter show season last weekend and left the sunny desert of Southern California with warm memories and thousands of happy exhibitors who got their horses prepared for the rest of the 2012 show jumping season. The six-week circuit welcomed top trainers, riders, owners and horses from all across North America and beyond as entries swelled upwards of 2,000 horses at their peak and 12 competition rings brought non-stop action for the majority of the circuit. Sponsors, spectators and horse lovers alike turned out in droves to watch as some of the best equestrians in the world battled it out for ribbons and big prize money.
High-Performance heaven, presented by Pfizer Animal Health
The HITS Desert Circuit hosted 16 Grand Prix events over the course of the six-week circuit. Each of these classes served as a crucial qualifier for the 2012 installment of the famed Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix, which, in prior years, has attracted several top West Coast riders to journey east for their chance at show jumping glory in September. Now in its third year, the Pfizer Million continues to inspire High-Performance riders to jump higher and gallop faster to earn their spot on the most talked about Rider Rankings this side of the Atlantic.
Perhaps the most notable wins of the season came during the final week of the circuit when Canadian Chris Pratt went two for two aboard Indigo Farms LLC’s Cruise to take the final two Grand Prix of the season, including the season finale $200,000 Lamborghini Grand Prix, presented by Lamborghini Newport Beach. In an exciting jump-off, Pratt went head to head with fellow Canadian John Pearce and managed to come out on top when he shaved six-tenths of a second off his time in a nail-biting conclusion to the season.
© Flying Horse Photography.
Chris Pratt and Cruise soar to victory in the HITS Desert Circuit’s season finale $200,000 Lamborghini Grand Prix, presented by Lamborghini of Newport Beach.
© Flying Horse Photography.
For the third year in a row, Donny Gath and his team at Lamborghini Newport Beach outfitted theStrongid® C 2X Grand Prix arena and the berms with a collection of luxury sports cars. Canadian Olympian John Pearce and Chianto finished second in Sunday’s $200,000 Lamborghini Grand Prix Finale at HITS Thermal.
Other riders leading the victory gallops this year included 2008 Canadian Silver Medalist Jill Henselwood, who used her time in Thermal as preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where she hopes to once again represent her country and bring home another medal. Of the 12 Grand Prix that Henselwood competed in this season at HITS she ribboned in 10 of them, including two first place finishes aboard Brian Gingras’IV Ever in the first half of the circuit. In all, Henselwood collected a grand total of $53,230 in prize money and with 57 points earned aboard IV Ever, was named this year’sPlatinum Performance Leading Grand Prix Rider for her efforts.
©Flying Horse Photography.
Tony Hitchcock of HITS was joined by CEO Mark Herthel and Mia Peterson of Platinum Performance to present Henselwood with the 2012 Platinum Performance Overall Leading Grand Prix Rider Award.
John French and Nick Haness take top honors for Hunters in 2012
For the second year in a row, John French of Woodside, California took home the blue ribbon in the season finale $25,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix at the HITS Desert Circuit. Last year, French’s victory came in the irons of Jessica Singer’s Cruise, and this time around he earned the win riding Iwasaki & Reilly’s Small Affair.
French earned a top score of 89 in the first round only to steal the lead from himself after posting an 88 in the irons of Jessica Singer’s Cruise. He coupled his first round score with a second round score of 88 to win the class.
©Flying Horse Photography
HITS’ Tony Hitchcock presents first place honors to John French and Small Affair after their win in the $25,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix at HITS Thermal.
Coming off two Devoucoux Hunter Prix wins this season at HITS Thermal, Nick Haness of San Clemente, California rode Carolyn Mittler’s Cristiano to second place in last week’s offering. Cristiano was one of three horses that Haness entered in Sunday’s Devoucoux. The highlight for the young rider, however, was an impressive score of 92 in the second round on Cristiano, which combined with an 81.5 gave the duo a total of 173.5 for the red ribbon.
In addition to his second-place finish on Sunday, Haness was also named this year’sCatena Leading Hunter Rider after topping the standings with 53 points earned ridingCristiano. Haness will now have a stylish diamond-faced watch to sport around the show grounds, courtesy of Catena USA.
©2012 Flying Horse Photography/Mac Proctor
2012 Catena Leading Hunter Rider Nick Haness and Cristiano on their way to winning the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix at HITS Thermal.
Morgan Geller wins R.W. Mutch Equitation Championship
Seventeen-year-old junior Morgan Geller of Manhattan Beach, California captured top honors in this season’s R.W. Mutch Equitation Championship, which took place under the lights on Saturday night in the Strongid® C 2X Grand Prix Arena. Geller, riding her own Fabricio, beat out 18 other starters in the popular equitation class. Henley Adkins of Moorpark, California finished second and Alicia Gasser of Scottsdale, Arizona finished third.
Geller managed to keep her nerves in check and her horse focused on the task at hand despite the distractions of night-time showing in the massive arena to earn a total score of 357 to take the win by two points over second place finisher and fellow barnmate, Adkins. Geller adds this victory to a growing list of career highlights which includes a third-place finish in last year’s R.W. Mutch Equitation Championship and an outstanding victory in the USEF Junior Hunter Championships – West in 2011.
© Flying Horse Photography.
Bobby Drennan of HITS presents Morgan Geller with the awards for the 2012 R.W. Mutch Equitation Championship.
Champions on Parade!
In addition to hosting a slew of specialty classes, Sunday afternoon also honored the annual Antarès Grand Circuit Champions and SmartPak Second-Half Circuit Championsin a ceremony that celebrated the achievements of equestrians young and old. Emily MacLean of Los Angeles, California picked up three awards. She and Georgia Claessens’ Footnote were named champion in the Large Pony and Schooling Pony Hunters, and then picked up a tri-colored ribbon in the Pre-Children’s Hunter Horse with Annie Thomas’ Mr. Darcy.
Professional Hope Glynn of Penngrove, California shared the champion spotlight with her daughter Avery. Hope and Helen McEvoy’s Chance of Flurries championed in the High Performance Working Hunter Division. Her second circuit championship came in the Training Hunter division with Diana Heldfond’s Russell, while first grader Avery was named champion in the Beginner Equitation division.
In the jumpers, Susie Hutchison of Temecula, California picked up championships with SIG International, Inc.’s SIG Excel in both the Rocky Mountain Show Jumping Level 6 Jumper and the Level 8 Jumper.
© Flying Horse Photography.
Annie Finch earned an overall champion in the Adult Equitation 46+.
© Flying Horse Photography.
Peyton Warren picked up both a SmartPak Second Half and Antares Overall Circuit award in the Children Jumper 15 and Under Division with her horse Sherry Lady. Trainers Rudy Leone and Jill Humphrey join Tony Hitchcock in presenting the awards.
© Flying Horse Photography.
Carlton Brooks and Tracy Bartman join Tony Hitchcock in presenting the champion awards for Overall Small Junior Hunter 15 & Under to Kaitlyn Von Konynenburg and Douglas Wheeler's Triton Z.
For a complete list of the Antares Grand Circuit Champions, click here. For a complete list of the SmartPak Second Half Circuit Champions, click here.
Other Major Winners and Awards:
$25,000 California Horsetrader Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper High Classic: Lauren Hester and Abigail, owned by Hester Equestrian, Inc.
Adequan ‘Got your Back’ Award: Dominique Shone, Langley, British Columbia
SHALANNO Style of Riding Award: Amelia Vernon, Calgary, Alberta
Odor No More Groom’s Award: Adolpho Garcia from Joie Gatlin-Morley Abbey Stables
PMI ExclusiveTM Top Dog: Sevda Speroff’s Stella
Smile, you’re on HRTV!
Thanks to a partnership with HRTV and A Good Show, the 2012 HITS Desert Circuit will be making its network television debut in the coming weeks. Film crews were on hand to capture every angle of Sunday’s $200,000 Lamborghini Grand Prix, presented by Lamborghini Newport Beach, for their new Road to the Pfizer Million feature. HRTV host Joanne Jones teamed up with Mike Moran, Joie Gatlin and Kosti Karazzisis to bring Sunday’s finale to life for viewers. A live webcast of the class was watched by more than 2,500 viewers. An on-demand version of the class is now available free of charge at:http://results.scgvisual.com/player/on-demand.html.
The HITS team, together with HRTV and A Good Show, now head east to Ocala, Florida where the final week of the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit is underway. On Sunday, March 18 the cameras will roll again to capture the $100,000 Sullivan GMC Truck Grand Prix, presented by Great American Insurance Group.
And while the sun sets on this year’s Desert Circuit, HITS President and CEO Tom Struzzieri and the entire HITS team are already looking forward to the 2013 Desert Circuit which will run January 22 – March 10, 2013.
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