HITS, Inc., is pleased to announce that the Arizona Winter Circuit will be AA-rated for hunters during the final week of the circuit. The first five weeks of the circuit will continue to be A-rated.

The Arizona Desert Finals will take place March 10-14 to close out the six-week HITS Arizona Circuit, which starts its first week on February 3. The new AA-rating will feature increased prize money for nine different hunter divisions as well as increased prize money offered in the Fast Lane Farms Junior/Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic.

Hunter divisions that will see an increase in prize money that week include the Green Conformation and Regular Conformation Hunters, which will both offer a total of $2,400 in prize money throughout the division.

In the Junior Hunter section, the Small and Large Junior Hunters will be split by age with a division for 15 and Under and another for 16 through 17, with double the prize money offered. For pony riders, the Small, Medium and Large Pony Hunter divisions will also feature doubled prize money during the Arizona Desert Finals.

“This is a very exciting addition to the Arizona Circuit,” said Joe Dotoli, HITS Arizona Technical Coordinator. “Being AA-rated for the hunters during the final week adds something special to the circuit this year. I know our exhibitors will be very energized about this new rating."

The Arizona Desert Finals will also feature the $5,000 Fast Lane Farms Junior/Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic on Sunday, March 14. Pat Carlton is the sponsor of the Fast Lane Farms Hunter Classic and was a big supporter of HITS earning the new AA-rating.

Pat Carlton runs Fast Lane Farms in Scottsdale, AZ, and Lexington, KY, with her daughter and is a long-time supporter of HITS Arizona. "I'm delighted that we are going to have our first AA-rated show at the HITS Arizona Winter Circuit," said Carlton. "This has been my favorite circuit in the universe, and I'm thrilled about this news. I'm also looking forward to our $5,000 Fast Lane Farms Junior/Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic during week six. I'm a big supporter of that group, and it's a pleasure to be able to put those riders in the spotlight."

Trainer Kathy Johnson of Willoway Farm in Scottsdale, AZ, and her students are regulars at the HITS Arizona Winter Circuit. Johnson leads an impressive and accomplished training program that includes National Champion Junior Hunters, Reserve Champion Junior Hunters, National Champion Regular Working Hunters, and many of her students are Maclay and Medal Finalists. The Willoway Farm Pony Jumper team, which included HITS Arizona 2009 Pony Jumper Champion Amelia Drumm, won Team Gold at the 2009 Pony Finals.

For Johnson and her students, HITS Arizona really represents the start of their show season and they look forward to it each year. "We really enjoy the circuit in Arizona. The facility is great, the staff is friendly, the stabling and footing are fabulous, we love it there! We always come for the entire circuit, and this year we'll be making a big push for week six. The change in the Junior/Amateur-Owner division make the most difference to us, but we'll have riders in all the divisions. The AA-rating is exciting and something we've been hoping that HITS would offer, so this is great news."

Dotoli continued his enthusiasm for this year's circuit, saying, "We have the AA-rating for our high-performance hunter riders, and for our high-performance jumper riders we have six qualifiers for the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix, so there’s truly something for everyone in Arizona this year!”

The 2010 HITS Arizona Winter Circuit prize list was mailed last week and is also available online at www.HitsShows.com. Entries for the circuit close on Tuesday, January 19. For more information on the HITS Arizona Winter Circuit, or to request a prize list, please visit www.HitsShows.com.

HITS, Inc., produces high-quality, international-level hunter/jumper horse shows. Based in upstate New York in the village of Saugerties, HITS has been producing shows since 1982 and is now a nationwide company with world-class circuits in California, Florida, Arizona, New York and Virginia. In 2010, HITS will take the industry to new heights when it hosts the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix in Saugerties on September 12.