HITS golf team crowned in annual tournament

Randall Weiseman Equine

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Scene from World of the Horse

Golfers Paradise! HITS Ocala crowns its winning golf team in annual tournament

OCALA, FL (February 24, 2009) — The annual HITS Ocala Golf Tournament crowned its winning team during the Ocala Masters when Tom Davis, JB Bowles, Galen Unold and Curtis Sayler carded a 66 to win the title at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club in Ocala, Florida.

Members of the winning team each received golf bags donated by Mona’s Monograms. Second place was awarded to Kirk Webby, Norm Webby, John Paul Levin and Ove Nymberg (70) and each member of the team won stadium blankets from Mona’s Monograms.

The third place team featured famous jockey Jacinto Vasquez and Robbie Shoemaker, who is the son of another famous jockey Bill Shoemaker. They paired up with Tami Bobo and Jami Johnson and carded a 71.

Other special awards included gift certificates from SKY Restaurant, Ipanema, and Horse & Hounds; additional door prizes were donated by Bernie Little Distributors and Tenney’s.

For golf enthusiasts, Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club boasts a picturesque 18-hole, Ron Garl-designed course, incorporating eight masterfully recreated tribute holes from some of the world’s finest golf courses. Amidst the gently rolling hills of Central Florida, the Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club has carved out a piece of paradise on 1,200 acres. A stately 77,000 square foot clubhouse serves as centerpiece to a one-of-a-kind lifestyle. Golden Ocala boasts championship golf and tennis, a state-of-the-art 17,000 square foot spa and fitness center and an equestrian compound.

“Golden Ocala was the ideal setting for this event,” said HITS’ Account Executive for Corporate Sponsorship Lisa Engel. “Golden Ocala is regarded as one of the top golf courses in Florida and it was a real treat for our exhibitors to have a chance to play it.”

World of the Horse HITS Ocala

World of the Horse, presented by Ocalahorse.com delighted the hundreds of spectators on Sunday prior to the Grand Prix. Featured acts included driving and in-hand Miniature Horses shown by Anita Ray of Silver Meadows Training Center, as well as a trick Miniature horse shown by Diane Long of Long’s Mini Stable.

Arabian horses were shown in hand by Marcy Muscolo of M and M Show Horses and an Arabian Horse in costume wowed the crowd as rider Tiffany Moore of T and T Arabians galloped him in the Grand Prix arena. An Andalusian Horse shown by Jim Orlowski of Kindred Spirits Farm demonstrated lateral movements and Dr. Glenda Bradley of Trickhorses.com showed off her horse’s talents.

A Mustang Horse was shown by Tom Olive of Tom Olive Training and six Paso Fino horses were presented by the International Paso Horse Federation, Inc. Gypsy Vanners Gypsy King and Cushti were paraded by Bill and Wendy Ricci of WR Ranches.

Still on Top

Maryland’s Tracy Magness used another blue-ribbon effort in Thursday’s $25,000 HITS Grand Prix to remain in the lead of the Catena Leading Lady Grand Prix Rider Award. She has won three Grand Prix classes this circuit, and has several other top placings. The presentation of the Catena Leading Lady Rider Award will take place during the Ocala Winter Celebration on Sunday, March 15.

The leading female Grand Prix rider on the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit will receive a timepiece from Catena, USA, with 29 hand-cut diamonds on the bezel and a white mother-of-pearl dial with 12 diamonds on the dial of the watch.

In other action, Aaron Vale captured the blue in the $75,000 Strongid® C 2X Grand Prix aboard Joan Kalman’s Tarco for his second win in a row in the Sunday Grand Prix.

Other winners included:

$10,000 A-O Hunter Classic-The Specialist, ridden and owned by Meredith Lipke Bartolone.

$1,000 Pony Hunter Classic-Who’s the Man, ridden by Alicia Heberle and owned by Marcy Betts

$10,000 Junior Hunter Classic-LaZy Sunday, ridden by Samantha Schaefer and owned by Lindsay Wolf

Looking Ahead

Magness and Vale will be looking to continue their winning streaks as the Grand Prix schedule continues during the Ocala Tournament on Thursday when the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix takes the stage and on Sunday when the $50,000 Purina Mills Grand Prix gets underway.

Show jumping action at the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit is underway this week and features a full week of classes, including the $5,000 Children’s Hunter Classic and popular Kids Day that will feature a special performance by Arabian Nights.

On Sunday, there is no need to pack a bag or spend hours on a transcontinental flight. A passport to Asia awaits you during the special VIP luncheon catered by Sky Asian Fusion. Executive Chef Tony Trinidad takes ingredients from across cultural boundaries and adds a personal flare to create dishes that interpret classic Asian flavors with contemporary ingenuity. Sky Asian Fusion is located on the sixth floor of the Holiday Inn, just off of Route 200 and is considered the ‘hippest’ place to dine and socialize in Ocala.

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.