CULPEPER, VA (October 6, 2010) -- HITS, Inc. capped off an exciting and record-breaking season when its 35th week of show-jumping competition came to a close on Sunday, October 3 at HITS Commonwealth Park in Culpeper, Virginia. The final week of horse shows for the 2010 HITS season was highlighted with a variety of special classes that had top-notch prize money for both jumper and hunter riders.

Without a doubt, the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix was one of the highlights of American show jumping in 2010. HITS Culpeper not only had the unique distinction of hosting five qualifiers for the 2010 Pfizer Million, but also the very first qualifying Grand Prix for the next installment of the Million, which HITS recently announced it will host again in September 2011.

Sunday's $40,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health , at the HITS Culpeper Finals attracted a diverse group of High-Performance riders eager to get an early jump on qualifying for the Million. The riders were challenged on the course designed by International Course Designer Marina Azevedo of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Chris Nelson, 20, of Flower Mound, Texas, aboard Lazy Creek Ranch's Inside Out, prevailed and got a leg up on the competition with the first-place purse of $12,000 to begin his earnings on the road to the 2011 Million. High-Performance riders Matthias Hollberg of Apex, North Carolina on Apex Equestrian Center's Wadisson and Patty Stovel of Chester Springs, Pennsylvania aboard her own Carigor Z, took home second and third-place honors, giving them an early start before they gear up for the 2011 HITS Ocala Winter Circuit.

"Every win is great," said Nelson. "I thought this was a good class with some really nice horses in it. The jump-off was difficult and I knew Patty's horse could go really fast. Luckily, we were able to go clean and still have a good time."
The $15,000 Brook Ledge Open Jumper Prix on Friday saw Silvio Mazzoni of Leesburg, Virginia aboard Pato Muente's Remonta Habano take home the blue ribbon. Hollberg and Wadisson took second place and third place went to Gavin Moylan of The Plains, Virginia on Hugo Yslas's Van Gogh.

Junior/Amateur's Deliver a Classic.
The Junior and Amateur riders had their moment to shine at the HITS Culpeper Finals when the $15,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Low Classic and $25,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper High Classic took the stage in the Grand Prix ring on Sunday.
Rhian Davies of Annsville, Pennsylvania and her own Baltimore proved to be the best of 26 horse-and-rider combinations when she took home the win in the $15,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Low Classic. The win marks Davies' second victory in a row for the Low Classic at HITS Culpeper, after she and Baltimore took home the win at the Constitution Classic on August 29.

"I'm so excited!" exclaimed Davies. "He's a good horse, who's very fast and can make those quick inside turns well. I think the class went really well, there were a lot of good riders in the jump-off. I knew that this one was the most important to win, so we gave it our all."

Second place went to Harrison Shure on his own Count on Me 5, while Michael Kennedy received third place aboard his own W. Adermie 4.

Jay Land of Alpharetta, Georgia and Nepal, owned by Kim and Jay Land, took home the win in the $25,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper High Classic out of a class of 13 horse-and-rider combinations.

Land was one of three to jump-off and delivered a nail-biting performance that saw him narrowly defeat second-place winner Darby Toben aboard Princeton, owned by Doreen Toben.
Third place honors went to Laurel Blakemore on her own Beatrix Kiddo.

Pre-Green Hunters are Perfect!
The $10,000 Pre-Green Hunter Classic highlighted the competition in the Main Hunter ring on Saturday as Kate Conover of New Jersey posted the best two-round score to take home the win aboard Redfield Farm's Rock Steady.
"He is so much fun to ride," said Conover. "He is so brave and I am thankful that Emil [Spadone] has given me a chance to ride such an amazing horse."

The pair was one of 12 to return for a second round, which saw Winn Alden aboard Whitney Carmouche's Catalyst take home the second-place ribbon, while Catherine Thompson finished third aboard Anne Lindblad's High Fidelity.
Let's Hear it for the Grooms!

Odor-No-More once again recognized the hardest working hands at the barn when it presented the Grooms Award to Ramiro Pina and Ivis Silva. Both men work for Rolling Acres Farm in Maryland, under head trainers Patty Foster and Mary Lisa Leffler. The pair received an engraved trophy and a bag of Odor-No-More to use at the barn.

Odor-No-More Products are eco-friendly solutions which provide animal owners the ability to save time and money maintaining their animal's enclosures. The products consist of a proprietary blend of micro-nutrient salts that are commonly found in animal feed supplements and hoof care products, to safely eliminate odors and wetness. For more information on Odor-No-More, please visit www.odornomore.com.

Apex Wins Arenus Performance and Conditioning Award
The Apex Equestrian Center in Apex, North Carolina won the Arenus Performance and Conditioning Award. Head trainer Matthias Hollberg and assistant trainer Thaisa Erwin proudly accepted the honors. Hollberg had an impressive final outing at HITS Culpeper, with back-to-back second-place finishes aboard his new mount Wadisson, who has found a great home at Apex Equestrian Center.

That's a Wrap!

The Culpeper Finals marked the end of show jumping in 2010 for HITS, Inc. All eyes now turn to the HITS Winter Circuits at Post Time Farm in Ocala, Florida, the Desert Horse Park in Thermal, California, and HITS Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. The race to qualify for the 2011 $1 Million Grand Prix on September 11, 2011 is officially underway as Sunday's Grand Prix in Culpeper was the first qualifier of the 2011 season. All riders who competed in the class picked up their first of eight Grand Prix classes needed to qualify for the Million. The next chance to qualify will be during the HITS Winter Circuits in Thermal, Ocala and Arizona.

While HITS starts to look ahead to the 2011 season and the upcoming winter show season, it has already outlined some plans for the 2011 HITS Culpeper show season, which includes new footing in the Grand Prix arena and five $1 Million Grand Prix Qualifiers.

The HITS 2011 winter show season kicks-off with the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit on January 19 and runs through March 20. On the west coast, the HITS Desert Circuit in Thermal, California will take place January 25, through March 13, while the HITS Arizona Winter Circuit will run six consecutive weeks from February 2, through March 13.

All HITS Winter Circuit Prize Lists will be available by mid-to-late October. To request a prize list, please visit HitsShows.com or click here.


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 took the industry to new heights when it hosted the first-ever Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix on September 12, in Saugerties, New York.

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

Media should contact the HITS Media Team at 845.246.8833 or e-mail [email protected].