When HITS Horse Shows returned north this weekend, Peg Seals and Surely led hunters in a win in the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix, another qualifier for the Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final at HITS-on-the-Hudson (©ESI Photography)
Saturday’s Devoucoux Hunter Prix featured twenty-three horse-and-rider combinations that competed over a course designed by Rian Beals of Saugerties, New York. Seals earned the top score of 87 in the first round and was poised for victory going into the final round.
“These classes are so much fun,” said Seals. “She’s [Surely] a great horse, we make a great team and I have so much fun riding and showing with her. We did the hunter prix classes in Ocala and did really well against some pretty tough competition. I look forward to a great summer ahead.”
In the second round, Seals returned last and again bested the field, earning an impressive score of 90 to guarantee the victory.
Second place was awarded to Virginia’s Paul Matthews and Carino, owned by Terry Morrison. The duo earned a first round score of 84.5 and a second round score of 87.5. Third was Ian Silitch of Ocala, Florida and Linda Bammann’s Party Girl. Silitch had the second highest score of the first round with an 85.5 and earned an 86 in the second round.
$1,500 HITS Hunter Prix
After a brilliantly successful winter circuit at HITS Ocala, Amy Zettler and Glad Rags got spring competition off to a promising start. Zettler won three $1,500 Hunter Prix classes in the irons of Glad Rags over the winter and picked up another blue this weekend in Culpeper.
After a month off, the Aldie, Virginia rider and her own mount, who she candidly calls “Primo”, didn’t miss a beat as they look making another appearance in the HITS $250,000 Hunter Prix Final. Zettler, who trains with Peter Foley and Dale Crittenberger at Woodhall Farm in Northern Virginia, was second place at the inaugural HITS Hunter Prix Final in Saugerties, New York last year during HITS Championship Weekend.
After posting the top first-round score of 88 on Saturday, she coupled that with an 87, again the top score of the second round, to secure the win.
“He’s [Glad Rags] fantastic. “We had a lot of success this past winter and this class couldn’t have gone any better,” said Zettler. “I haven’t shown him since the last class we did in Ocala, but he felt great this week. I really enjoy showing in Culpeper since it’s close to home. We’ll definitely be here all summer to qualify and I really can’t wait to get back to Saugerties this September. The HITS Hunter Prix Final is what I plan my whole year around now.”
Zettler and Glad Rags also picked up the victory in the $500 Marshall & Sterling Insurance Adult Hunter Classic to wrap up the first week of showing at HITS Culpeper.
Second place in the HITS Hunter Prix was awarded to Dudley Mac Farlane and her own Amarindo, who had scores of 83 and 78, while Marilyn Vaillancourt and her own Sweet King earned scores of 77 and 81 to take home the third-place ribbon.