Will Simpson Wins HITS Thermal $50,000 Equine Couture/TuffRider Grand Prix
by HITS Press Office | Jan 21, 2015, 10:51 AM
Simpson and Katie Riddle jumped with no faults in both the first round and jump off, with a time of 43.070 to win $15,000, topping a final field of 12 riders on Sunday. Second place went to Jaclyn Duff from Edmonton, Alberta, who jumped clear in both rounds on her own Pater Noster, with a jump off time of 43.759, taking home a prize of $11,000.
Discussing Sunday’s win and Katie Riddle, Simpson said, “The courses all week have been perfect for the welcome week leading into a big circuit. Horses have been on winter break but every horse I have seen this week has gotten better and better.”
“Competing with the best of these riders only makes you better,” said second-place finisher Duff. “They push you and leave no room to pull on the reins.”
John Pearce of Bermuda Dunes, California, placed third on his own Son of a Gun, with a clean round in the jump off time of 44.088, to win $6,500. Simpson, on The Dude, finished ninth in the class. Simpson topped the leaderboard earlier in the week in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix on The Dude, also owned by Monarch International. Florencio Hernandez, of Mexico City, Mexico, designed the Grand Prix course.
Place Horse Owner Rider Prize Round 1 Faults JO Faults JO Time
1 Katie Riddle Monarch International William Simpson $15,000 0 0 43.070
2 Pater Noster Jacyln Duff Jaclyn Duff $11,000 0 0 43.759
3 Son of a Gun Forest View Farm Inc. John Pearce $6,500 0 0 44.088
4 Agamemnon Equine Ventures LLC Alec Lawler $4,000 0 0 45.177
5 Chello Z Josephina Nor Stables LLC Josephina Nor Lantzman $3,000 0 0 45.560
6 Glide Kimberly Butts Macella O'Neill $2,500 0 0 48.563
7 Chaklra Isabelle Terry Christian Heineking $2,000 0 4 42.782
8 Bolero HX Juniper Farms/Bradon Equestrian Jill Henselwood $1,500 0 4 43.620
9 The Dude Monarch International William Simpson $1,500 0 4 44.500
10 Geledimar Monarch International Hannah Heidegger $1,000 0 4 45.382
11 Granit S John Anderson John Anderson $1,000 0 8 53.123
12 Clear Me Ilan Ferder Eduardo Menezes $1,000 0 12 47.034