HITS-on-the-Hudson II Highlights

HITS SAUGERTIES SHOW SERIES
JUMPER HIGHLIGHTS | HITS-ON-THE-HUDSON II, MAY 31 – JUNE 4, 2017

$50,000 HORSEWARE IRELAND GRAND PRIX

Shawn Casady & Valinski S | Photo by ESI
Shawn Casady & Valinski S | Photo by ESI

In the grand finale of a bustling week at HITS-on-the-Hudson II, Shawn Casady and Valinski S earned first place in the $50,000 Horseware Ireland Grand Prix on Sunday, June 4.

Only four managed to master the 16-jump course designed by Manuel Esparza, which opened with a ramped Triple Bar and ended with an airy vertical facing the scoreboard. The sprawling track demanded inside turns done at a swift pace, with precise adjustments in two combinations.

The eight-fence jump-off began with the black and yellow Pyranha vertical, and ended over an oxer dressed in the colors of Horseware Ireland. David Raposa on S & L Sage, owned by S & L Farms, were first to go in the jump-off; they produced a smooth, clear round over the shortened course in a time of 44.411. Casady had not seen Raposa on course, but had his own plan for victory. Casady galloped up to jump one, and upon landing, compressed Valinski S like a cutting horse, and his snug turns bested Raposa’s time by three seconds, taking over the lead, fault-free in 41.376. The two entries to follow, Lauren Fischer & My Pleasure, and Kevin Mealiff & Audi’s Dimple, each pulled rails to finish third and fourth, respectively.

After the class, Casady couldn’t say enough kind words about Valinski S: from his character, to his heart, and to his will to win. Valinski S, owned by Wyndmont, Inc., is a new mount for Casady, who teamed up with the brown Dutch Warmblood gelding (Nikinski x Rockina) just last week in Saugerties. Casady credits his quick success with Valinski S to the close-knit team Ronnie Beard and Michael Dorman have established at Wyndmont.

Casady said, “everybody [at Wyndmont] knows their horse inside and out, so just walking into it I had everybody giving me all the details, and all the little things, and it really helped a lot.”

Last week, at HITS-on-the-Hudson I, Casady and Valinski S earned fifth place in their first outing, the $25,000 Smart Pak Grand Prix, and seventh place in the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix on Sunday.

Last year, in preparation for the Olympic Games at Rio de Janeiro, Valinski S soared to victory of the $100,000 Sullivan GMC Truck Grand Prix at HITS Ocala.

>> VIDEO: Watch Jump-Off & Interview on HITS HORSE SHOWS Facebook Page HERE

RESULTS | $50,000 HORSEWARE IRELAND GRAND PRIX
result entry horse / owner rider prize
1 559 VALINSKI S
WYNDMONT SHAWN CASADY 15000.00
2 821 S & L SAGE
S & L FARMS (CT) DAVID RAPOSA 11000.00
3 758 MY PLEASURE
LAUREN FISCHER LAUREN FISCHER 6500.00
4 701 AUDI’S DIMPLE
MAARTEN HUYGENS KEVIN MEALIFF 4000.00
5 560 ZEPHYR
WYNDMONT SHAWN CASADY 3000.00
6 825 WALLSTREET
REDFIELD FARM CASSANDRA KAHLE 2500.00


$25,000 SMARTPAK GRAND PRIX

Ian McFarlane & Cora 572 | Photo by ESI
Ian McFarlane & Cora 572 | Photo by ESI

Ian McFarlane and Cora 572 were victorious in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix on Friday, June 2.

McFarlane, 19, trains with Chris Kappler at George Morris’ iconic Hunterdon Farm in Pittstown, New Jersey. He was one of six to have successfully negotiated the challenges of Esparza’s first-round course, where the steep vertical in the middle of the red and black triple combination proved the most difficult; its top rail tumbled more than that of any other fence. McFarlane said that the triple was tough for him, too, “When I got in, the first half of it rode shorter than I thought it would, so I had to fight my way out, but Cora jumped super.”

McFarlane & Cora 572 entered the ring fourth in the jump-off, after Lauren Fischer & My Pleasure and Kevin Mealiff & Audi’s Dimple had already jumped clear and fast. Cora 572 stopped the clock at 39.190 and took over the lead. Catango, a fleet-footed chestnut mare ridden by Michael Hutchinson, crossed the timers in 37.902, but a rail jumping out of the combination knocked them out of the win. Next in, veteran Grand Prix winner Valinski S, piloted by Shawn Casady, collected four faults jumping into the combination.

Cora 572, owned by Buribbons, LLC., was born in Germany in 2006. Her sire is the renowned Cornet Obolensky, who has won many international prizes.

McFarlane adores his mare, “She is such a sweetheart, she’s simple to ride and has lots of character. We didn’t go full-out, but luckily we were careful and just quick enough.”

>> VIDEO: Watch Interview on HITS HORSE SHOWS Facebook Page HERE

RESULTS | $25,000 SMARTPAK GRAND PRIX
result entry horse / owner rider prize
1 269 CORA 572
BURIBBONS, LLC IAN MCFARLANE 7500.00
2 758 MY PLEASURE
LAUREN FISCHER LAUREN FISCHER 5500.00
3 701 AUDI’S DIMPLE
MAARTEN HUYGENS KEVIN MEALIFF 3250.00
4 359 CATANGO
CANDY TRIBBLE MICHAEL HUTCHINSON 2000.00
5 559 VALINSKI S
WYNDMONT SHAWN CASADY 1500.00
6 689 COOLMANN 7
GRAND SLAM FARM PETER LUTZ 1250.00


$10,000 KINDREDBIO 1.40M JUMPER CLASSIC
$10,000 SAUGERTIES STEAMBOAT CO. 1.35M JUMPER CLASSIC

Sarah Segal & Zelda | Photo by Susan Kayne

$10,000 Saugerties Steamboat Co. 1.35m Jumper Classic, and again on Saturday in the$10,000 KindredBio 1.40m Jumper ClassicDuring Week II of HITS in Saugerties, Sarah Segal & Zelda, owned by TK Farm, added two more spectacular wins to their career. On Thursday, the pair claimed top honors in

Sarah & Zelda have forged a dynamic partnership over the past four years. Zelda’s strong personality is one of Sarah’s favorite traits and she feels it is what makes the mare really good in the ring. Sarah said, “she is a really special horse and she has her own way of doing everything. She knows how to get things done so when it gets hard she always finds a way to make it happen.”

In the Saugerties Steamboat Classic jump-off, Zelda clocked in five-and-a-half seconds ahead of second place finisher Candice King on Doyata.

“She really knows how to get things done fast on her own,” Sarah said. “I just show her the jumps and then leave the rest up to her!”

Sarah Segal is a key trainer and rider in Chris Kappler’s Team since 2008. She has been a professional since graduating from Princeton University in 2006.

>> VIDEO: Watch Interview on HITS HORSE SHOWS Facebook Page HERE

RESULTS | $10,000 KindredBio 1.40m Jumper Classic
result entry horse / owner rider prize
1 518 ZELDA
T.K. FARM SARAH SEGAL 2800.00
2 556 CAS
WYNDMONT SHAWN CASADY 1800.00
3 721 CALISTO 26
ROSS SMITH CANDICE KING 1250.00

RESULTS | $10,000 SAUGERTIES STEAMBOAT CO. 1.35M JUMPER CLASSIC
result entry horse / owner rider prize
1 518 ZELDA
T.K. FARM SARAH SEGAL 2800.00
2 725 DOYATA
ROSS SMITH CANDICE KING 1800.00
3 404 EVER GOLD
EQUIFIND GROUP VANESSA PASCHINI 1250.00

Edited press release courtesy of: HITS, Inc.

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