Ocala, Florida, USA – January 27, 2024 – Another sunny day set the stage for Saturday’s premiere event, the $75,000 Summit Joint Performance Grand Prix, during the second week of the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit as weekend competition commenced. Athletes and spectators made their way to the Grand Prix ring at HITS Post Time Farm where 16 pairings prepared to compete for the victor’s share of the prize money. 

Six entries out of the original starting field managed to successfully navigate Ivan Tagle’s (ARG) first round track and make their bid for the jump off, while a large portion of the competitors fell victim to one unfortunate rail. A triple combination towards the end of the course caused noticeable challenges for a handful of those that didn’t move on, but seemed to present no threat to the athletes that ended their efforts fault-free including Lisa Goldman-Smolen (USA), Hayley Waters Wear (USA), and last week’s winner, Kristen Vanderveen (USA). 

The jump off track proved to include more difficult questions and at the class’s end only two entries managed to find their way to a double-clean effort. Not known as the queen of speed for nothing, Vanderveen brought forward longtime partner Bull Run’s Faustino de Tili and easily collected the win with a six-second lead. The pair blazed through the timers in 40.85 seconds to easily overthrow Declan Egan’s (USA) previous leading time of 46.40 with Renkum A’Toast. 

As the only other pair to come home fault-free, Declan Egan (USA) and his own 12-year-old Warmblood gelding (Cheers Cassini) followed Vanderveen in the victory gallop.

Lisa Goldman-Smolen (USA) and Barbara Disko’s 18-year-old Selle Français stallion (Frontal), Sovereign, joined Vanderveen and Egan as the fastest four-falter with a time of 41.49 seconds.

“I love today, I love winning,” Vanderveen laughed. “We had a smaller number of entries today, so I thought the course designer did a really nice job with getting the right amount clear and still putting enough careful objects in there where it still rode tough enough.

“I actually did think the triple combination was going to ride a little difficult, and it did prove to be the case,” she continued, “that was the only part that rose a little bit up inside the course and was maybe surprising at the end because the horses had to try quite hard at the B element.”

While Vanderveen competes across the country, she calls Ocala her home base in the winter and has been happy to return to Hits.

“It’s really nice to come here,” she mentioned. “The footing was great and the horses like the atmosphere here. The morning class is really fantastic; it’s a great way to do a Saturday.”

Final Results – $75,000 Summit Joint Performance Grand Prix

1) Kristen Vanderveen (USA) & Bull Run`s Faustino de Tili – 0 / 0 – 40.85

2) Declan Egan (USA) & Renkum A’Toast – 0 / 0 – 46.40

3) Lisa Goldman-Smolen (USA) & Sovereign – 0 / 4 – 41.49

Source: Press Release from Hits Horse Shows

Photos: © Hits Shows / ESI Photography

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Link