Robert Lee and Cameron winning the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix (ESI Photography)
Hunters took to the ring to contend for victory in the second qualifying opportunity at the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit for the $500,000 Diamond Mills Hunter Prix at the HITS Championship in September 2016.
The team to beat was Robert Lee from Old Saybrook, Connecticut, and Cameron, owned by Marianne Huss. They dominated the class with the highest score of the first round, 85, to take the lead. They kept a consistently high score of 84 in the second round for a total of 169, to take home the blue.
Texas native, Aaron Vale and Dress Balou, owned by Donald Stewart, scored a 79 in the first round but made an exciting comeback in round two. Vale and Dress Balou, winners of the 2014 and 2015 editions of the Diamond Mills Hunter Prix Finals, returned to the ring to score the highest score of the second round, 87, giving them a total of 166 for second-place.
Finishing third was Tracy Fenney and MTM Passport, owned by Cammy Turgon. The equestrian from Flower Mound, Texas, finished with a first-round score of 82 and a second round score of 83, finishing just behind Vale with a total of 165.
Fourth-place was awarded to Amanda Steege of Bedminster, New Jersey, and Jessica Tindley’s Calvary and Notorious, owned and ridden by Devon Mac Leod, rounded out the the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix in fifth-place.
Place Horse Owner Rider Prize R.1 Score R.2 Score Total
1 Cameron Marianne Huss Robert Lee $1,500 85 84 169
2 Dress Balou Donald Stewart Aaron Vale $1,000 79 87 166
3 MTM Passport Cammy Turgon Tracy Fenney $700 82 83 165
4 Calvary Jessica Tindley Amanda Steege $500 83 80 163
5 Notorious Devon Mac Leod Devon Mac Leod $400 80 82 162
6 Casmir Amy Jensen Matt Martin $350 82.5 78 160.5
7 CWF Penelope Jessica DiCampli Matt Martin $300 78 77 155
8 My Alibi Jamie Vincent Matt Martin $250 77 68 145
Alexa Riccio and Premonition on their way to a $1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix win (ESI Photography)
HITS Ocala’s second qualifying opportunity for the $250,000 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix Final at the HITS Championship in September 2016, kicked off on Saturday as riders and horses competed for a shot at the first-place title.
Alexa Riccio and Premonition, owned by Jay Mullen, claimed the blue in the two-round classic of 10 jumping efforts, by staying consistent throughout both rounds. The equestrian from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, scored a 79 in the first round, improving to an 84 in the second to win the class with a total of 163.
Finishing just behind Riccio was Jordan Cheneval of New Hope, Pennsylvania, and Toblerone, owned by Daniel White. Cheneval and Toblerone had the same second-round score of 84 but a first-round score of 77.5 put them in second-place with a total of 161.5.
Also in the ribbons was Paramount, owned and ridden by Amy Lloyd Thompson of Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. They finished with the highest first-round score of 82 and a score of 77 in the second round for a total of 159 and the third-place prize.
Fourth-place went to Valiant, owned and ridden by Melissa Marshall of State College, Pennsylvania. Top five in the class finished with Rachael Hopkins riding US Marshall, owned by Kiki Hopkins, for fifth-place.
Place Horse Owner Rider Prize R.1 Score R.2 Score Total
1 Premonition Jay Mullen Alexa Riccio $450 79 84 163
2 Toblerone Daniel White Jordan Cheneval $300 77.5 84 161.5
3 Paramount Amy Lloyd Thompson Amy Lloyd Thompson $200 82 77 159
4 Valiant Melissa Marshall Melissa Marshall $150 78 80 158
5 US Marshall Kiki Hopkins Rachael Hopkins $125 69 83 152
6 MTM Insider MTM Farm Allison Joyce $100 73 78 151
7 Zoe Kristine D'Andrea Kristine D'Andrea $100 74 76 150
8 First Light Emily Miller Emily Miller $75 75.5 74 149.5