HITS is pleased to announce that it will be bringing its popular HITS School Station to the 2009 HITS Arizona Winter Circuit.

Like in Thermal, CA, the HITS School Station at the Arizona Winter Circuit will offer a complete academic facility designed especially for equestrian families. The program will stress the academic curriculum of the student's local school, which is an integral part of the support system for the equestrian rider.

Classrooms will be located on the show grounds with certified teachers and individualized study programs for students in kindergarten through college. The highest priority is given to continuing each student's regular school studies. The School Station at the HITS Arizona Winter Circuit will aim to encourage and assist students in collaborating with the faculty and their home school.

"We've had great success with our on-site school programs in Thermal, CA and Ocala, FL for many years," said Tom Struzzieri, President and CEO of HITS, Inc. "We are very pleased to be able to expand the program to Arizona as a way to enhance our school-aged rider's ability to enjoy the winter show season without sacrificing their educational studies."

"As we've seen in California, the equestrian community really embraces the program," said Director Mary Cunning. "One of the most exciting parts of the program this year is the fact that enrollment will cover both venues, allowing students who may participate in both the Thermal and Arizona circuits the option to move from venue to venue while continuing their studies."

Another plus, according to Cunning, is the fact that there will be continuity of faculty as she will serve as the Director of both locations and Linda Honeyfield, who was one of the teachers in Thermal in 2008, will be the Site Director at HITS Arizona School Station this coming season.

The HITS Arizona School Station will operate from Monday to Thursday during show weeks, with the option for Friday classes. There will also be an option for trainers' children, who often take Mondays off, to attend classes from Tuesday to Friday. Classes for elementary students will be from 8:30 a.m. until 12 p.m., while high-school students will have sessions from 1:30 pm until 4:30 pm.

Registration for the new HITS Arizona School Station will begin in the fall. Classes will begin on Monday, January 26, 2009. For additional information and/or advanced registration, please contact Mary Cunning at (802) 318-6924 or via email at [email protected].

The 2009 HITS Arizona Winter Circuit begins on Wednesday, January 28 and runs six consecutive weeks until Sunday, March 8, 2009. As always, HITS Arizona will feature nearly 80 different divisions with more than 250 classes offered to riders of every level, from beginner to high-performance. HITS Arizona also features a $25,000 Grand Prix each Sunday.

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