Tracy Magness rode Mr. and Mrs. John Bartko’s Tarco Van Ter Moude to her third Grand Prix victory of the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit, taking the blue in the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix on Thursday at HITS Post Time Farm, in Ocala, Florida.
Magness guided Tarco Van Ter Moude to the fastest double-clear round on a course built by Leopoldo Palacios of Caracas, Venezuela. Magness outlasted 28 riders in the first round and the seven who advanced to the jump-off course as she collected $7,500 in first-place prize money.
Magness is off to a fantastic start at the 2009 HITS Ocala Winter Circuit. The Maryland native has won all three of the Thursday $25,000 HITS Grand Prix classes of the Circuit.
With her victory, Magness continues to earn valuable points toward the Catena Leading Lady Grand Prix Rider Award. The presentation of the Catena Leading Lady Rider Award will take place during the Ocala Winter Celebration on Sunday, March 15.
The leading woman Grand Prix rider on the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit will receive a beautiful timepiece from Catena, USA, with 29 hand-cut diamonds on the bezel and a white mother-of-pearl dial inset with 12 diamonds.
Starting the jump-off was Aaron Vale and Thinkslikeahorse’s Sinatra IV. Vale had a single rail down on the eight obstacle jump-off course and finished in seventh place.
Second on course was Beth Underhill and Iron Horse Farm’s Top Gun. The former Canadian Olympian went clean and set the Great American Time to Beat at 41.108. When the class was complete, the pair would sit in fourth place.
Third to show was Callan Solem and Quite Winter Farm and BJ Maghan’s Allison. The pair went fast and clean, setting the new pace at 40.483. At the end of the contest, the duo finished in third.
Fourth to go was Magness and Tarco Van Ter Moude. They made the dash for the cash in 38.108 to take over the top spot and eventually win the blue.
Next to go was Canadian Roberto Teran and Distant Star 3E. The pair also jumped clean and stopped the clock in 38.166, less than a tenth of a second off Magness’s winning time, to finish in second place.
Sixth to go in the jump-off was Texas’ Tracy Fenney and MTM Farm’s MTM Centano. The pair had a rail down at the final fence and finished in fifth.
Mary Lisa Nicholson-Leffler was sitting in the envious last-to-ride spot aboard Rolling Acres Farm’s Gerona 92 and had four faults to finish in the sixth spot.
Show jumping at HITS Ocala continues all weekend and will be highlighted by Sunday’s $75,000 Strongid® C 2X Grand Prix.
HITS, Inc. is a special events management company primarily focused on producing hunter/jumper horse shows. Based in upstate New York in the village of Saugerties, HITS produced its first horse show circuit in Gainesville, Florida in 1982. Since that time, HITS has grown into a nationwide company with world-class hunter/jumper circuits in California, Florida, Arizona, New York and Virginia.
For more information and a complete schedule of classes and events, visit www.HitsShows.com.
Media should contact Chris Mayone at 845.246.8833 or e-mail Media_Info@HitsShows.com.