HITS Welcome Goes To Coe and Tristan

The HITS Thermal Week V Welcome Grand Prix presented by Pfizer Animal Health featured an exciting jump-off with a dramatic finish. Out of the strong starting field of 30 horse-rider combinations, 13 pairs returned for the jump-off, and the lead changed hands several times.

In the jump-off, Michelle Vandal and her mare Divine Diva were third in the order and they were the first to produce a clear round. They set the Great American Time to Beat of 46.79.

Course designer Olaf Peterson of Germany set a substantial test for the first round. In the jump-off track, faults were spread around but the skinny vertical which followed a long gallop from fence 1 caught several riders.

Gabriella Salick and Centuria 2 posted a quick time for 2nd place.

The last pair in the jump-off, Kirsten Coe and Tristan, raced around the shortened course and grabbed the lead from Gabriella Salick who had herself shaved .20 of a second off of Karen Cudmore's time. The final results were:

1	1809	Tristan	Ilan Ferder	Kirsten Coe	9300.00
2	1146	Centuria 2	Gabriella Salick, LLC	Gabriella Salick	6820.00
3	1566	Southern Pride	Blair Cudmore	Karen Cudmore	4030.00
4	851	Lou Bega	Leone Equestrians Inc.	Jill Humphrey	2480.00
5	422	Divine Diva	Michelle Vandal	Michelle Vandal	1860.00
6	337	Springtime	Copernicus Stables, LLC	Saer Coulter	1550.00
7	1054	La Cantera Utopia	John Perez	John Perez	1240.00
8	919	Caballo	Helen Mc Naught Showjumping LLC	Helen McNaught	930.00
9	928	Mr. Whoopy	Simone Coxe	Duncan McFarlane	930.00
10	964	Reflection Mercedes Benz	Eduardo Menezes	Eduardo Menezes	620.00
11	1807	Coco	Redfield Farms	Michelle Spadone	620.00
12	1061	Uitteraard	Alejandro Rodal	John Perez	620.00