SAUGERTIES, NY – On a beautiful and sunny Friday morning, 30 qualified riders took to the Strongid® C 2X Grand Prix Stadium at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, NY to compete for the Marshall & Sterling Adult Working Hunter Championship. In the end, Lindsay Lynch and Bethany Greskovich’s Brother Bear stood in the winner’s circle to accept the honors.

Lynch, of Medford, New Jersey, was one of 30 competitors who competed in the Adult Hunter Division over courses designed by Jerry Dougherty of Bokeelia, Florida. She earned the Championship prize after capturing the first-place victory in Thursday’s $1,250 Adult Working Hunter and finishing fourth in the Adult Working Hunter Under Saddle.

“Bear is a great horse,” said Lynch. “He really put it all out there this week and jumped his little heart out. Despite being a little fresh this week, he knows how to put on a cute little face for the judge when he walks in the ring.”

Lynch has been a Marshall & Sterling competitor for several years. “I’ve been showing in the League for a few years now and I always enjoy coming to the National Finals. It’s nice to have the spotlight in the Grand Prix Ring and winning the Championship was a very good way to finish up before we head to the Zone II Finals.”

Reserve Champion honors went to Kelly Champion of Washington, New Jersey who finished second in both the Under Saddle and Friday’s Hunter Stake aboard her own All In.

Other riders excelling in the division included Heather Potrzeba of Marcy, New York who finished second aboard her own Willow in Thursday’s over fences class and Gretchen Ornia Pacher who captured the third-place ribbon aboard Alivio, owned by Palermo Show Stables, LLC.

In Friday’s $2,000 Adult Working Hunter Stake, Missiaen Jenkins of Flanders, New Jersey earned the blue ribbon aboard her own Caro Z, while Ashley Althoff of Sarasota, Florida aboard Staisha Bejarano’s Paper Gangster finished in third over fences.

Also on Friday, competition in the Children’s Hunter got under way with the Children’s Working Hunter Horse and Pony. Those divisions will finish up today, with Champion and Reserve Champions crowned.

Friday night saw hundreds of riders and their families gather to celebrate the League’s Top 10 Award Winners. Leading riders in each division were honored by Tom Struzzieri, HITS President & CEO, Joe Norick from Marshall & Sterling Insurance and High-Performance Rider, Todd Minikus, for their outstanding performance throughout the season.

As two more days remain at the 2011 Marshall & Sterling League National Finals, many classes and special events will jam-pack the weekend with tons of excitement. Today, equitation is the name of the game as the Champion of the Farnam Adult Medal Finals will be crowned and HITS welcomes junior riders to the PHA Medal Finals in the Strongid C 2X Grand Prix Stadium. PHA Medal competitors are invited to attend a special luncheon ringside, compliments of PHA. Also, all exhibitors and their guests are invited to a cupcake social at the HITS Ice Cream Parlor at 1 pm and a pizza party at the HITS Café & Bar at 6 pm.

About the Marshall & Sterling League

The Marshall & Sterling League was designed to enhance the level of competition for children and adult riders, with an opportunity to qualify for a prestigious National Finals competition. Now celebrating their 21st year, the Marshall & Sterling League features 14 divisions of competition. Riders who are members of the League had the opportunity to earn points throughout the year by competing in Marshall & Sterling classes in order to qualify for the Marshall & Sterling League Finals, held at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York.

The Marshall & Sterling League is proudly sponsored by Marshall & Sterling Insurance, Inc. Marshall & Sterling Insurance, Inc., founded in 1864, is among the largest privately owned insurance agencies in the United States. For more than a quarter century, Marshall & Sterling has protected precious equine assets with unparalleled service and support, whether the family hunter, a champion racehorse or a commercial farm. An employee-owned company, Marshall & Sterling is recognized throughout the nation as a leader in providing exceptional service and support. The company maintains a national presence and is licensed in all 50 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information contact Joe Norick at 800-333-3766, extension 270, 805-338-0099 or [email protected].

Membership for the 2012 Marshall & Sterling League is $40 and applications are available at all member horse shows, as well as online at the Marshall & Sterling League website. For more information on the Marshall & Sterling League, contact Patti Guerriero, League Coordinator, at [email protected].

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. HITS once again offered the most innovative weekend in show jumping history in 2011 when it hosted the second annual Pfizer Million and the inaugural Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final, this fall at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York.