ESI Photography (Todd Minikus and Little Annie in the $40,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at the Winston National.)
During the Winston National, Todd Minikus of Loxahatchee, FL, and his mare, Little Annie, owned by Todd Minikus, Ltd., took home the first-place honors in the $40,000 HITS Grand Prix presented by Pfizer Animal Health.
Texan Tracy Fenney scored the top prize at the Constitution Classic when she added yet another win to her impressive resume when she captured the $40,000 HITS Grand Prix presented by Pfizer Animal Health, aboard MTM Farm's MTM Centano. Minikus and Little Annie looked for a back-to-back win and were hot on their spurs with a second-place finish.
"It's always a good feeling when the horses compete at such a good level," said Fenney. "It's such an adrenaline rush when you're out there and every win is important, but now we'll be heading to Saugerties where we'll be competing against some great people and quality horses. Everyone is looking to be the best there and I think we're ready."
Fenney also picked up a big win during the Winston National aboard MTM Farm's MTM Timon in the $15,000 Brook Ledge Open Prix, while David Jennings and his own Marcus Aurelius took home the honors in the class during the Constitution Classic.
Read All About It!
It might be Second Hand News, but you heard it first here. Virginia's Jessica Van Brocklin and her own Second Hand News, dominated Saturday nights in the main Hunter ring with back-to-back wins in the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Derby.
"The derbies are a lot of fun to compete in," said Brocklin. "Pam [Baker] (trainer) and everyone else is really supportive of each other at the shows - everything we do is a team effort."
This summer the all-new Devoucoux Hunter Derby was a featured event at both HITS Saugerties and HITS Culpeper, and represented the newest division to count for points in the Marshall & Sterling League. The Devoucoux Hunter Derby will make its next installment at HITS-on-the-Hudson VII (September 1-5) in Saugerties, NY, with $10,000 in prize money up for grabs. The Devoucoux Derby Finals will be held during the 2010 Marshall & Sterling League National Finals on September 15-19 at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, NY.
Let's Hear it for the Grooms!
Odor-No-More proudly recognized the back bone of the barn when they presented the Groom's Award during the Winston National and the Constitution Classic. At the Winston National the Groom's Award was presented to Mikey Rodriguez who grooms for High-Performance rider David Jennings, while Dominique Holt of Cut to the Chase Farm, under trainer Jess Fortin, earned the title during the Constitution Classic.
The winning grooms received an engraved trophy and samples of Odor-No-More to use at home and on the road. "Dominique [Holt] does a fantastic job at helping with the day-to-day operations here when the barn has several horses a day showing," said Fortin. "It's great to see her efforts being rewarded, all the grooms deserve to be honored. We would truly be lost without them."
One More Time!
Show Jumping at HITS Culpeper returns for one more week of exciting classes and special events when the Culpeper Finals take the stage at Commonwealth Park from September 29-October 3.
The road to the Pfizer Million now makes its final stretch to HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, NY, for two consecutive weeks, and will culminate on Sunday, September 12, with the Pfizer Million and music legend John Fogerty live-in-concert, to highlight a successful season of show jumping.
In order to qualify for the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix, a rider must compete in eight or more HITS Grand Prix classes. The top 40 riders, based on money won by horse/rider combination, will be eligible to ride for the Pfizer Million. For more detailed information on the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix, including ticket prices that include the special concert by music legend John Fogerty, please visit our website at HitsShows.com.
For more information and a complete schedule of classes and events, visit www.HitsShows.com.
ENDS