ShowBiz Feature
High Performance Horses Triathlon Super Stars
T & Mastering both by Kathy Hobstetter
West Coast flavor! When Pfizer Million weekend rolls into HITS Saugerties, West Coast riders won’t be left behind. The qualifying fever spiked at HITS Thermal over the winter for both the Pfiz- er $1 Million Grand Prix and the Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final, and as a result, a wave of West Coast competitors headed east to take part in the weekend’s fes- tivities! The crop of High-Performance riders includes a mix of
both returning and first-time qualifiers. Returning competi- tors John Pearce, Helen McNaught, Duncan McFarlane and Saer Coulter will join young phenom Lucy Davis, who took the Desert Circuit by storm this winter as she makes her first trip to Saugerties. Pearce, who is a Canadian Olympian, is looking to pick up right where he left off at HITS Saugerties. In the 2010 Pfizer Million, he was the fastest rider with four faults in the first round and finished in third place. Hunter riders also are poised to make history as the
$500,000 Diamond Mills Hunter Prix makes its debut in Saugerties. Top professional riders including John French, Hope Glynn, Nick Haness and Jenny Karazissis are head- ing east to take a shot at the biggest Hunter purse ever. As the class welcomes professionals, amateurs and juniors alike, amateur riders Erin Bland and Avery Hellman, who both train with Ned and Hope Glynn, will also be on the scene, along with Archie Cox and his group of juniors. “I am very excited to be coming to compete in the Dia- mond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix,” said Archie Cox. “Cruise,
Opposite Page: Tom Struzzieri in his element, Photo © Flying Horse Photography. This Page (Left to Right): John Pearce, Photo © 2010 ESI; Hope Glynn; Helen McNaught, Photo © 2010 ESI.
65
om Struzzieri, best known for his HITS horse shows, is stepping into a new ven- ture outside the horse world. And is tak- ing it on in very much the same way as he approaches anything….never stop creat- ing! The face of his two endeavors this summer: Pfizer Million Weekend to welcome
[owned by Jessica Singer] has proved himself coast to coast already and I am anxious to add a top placing in the Pfizer Million to his resume.” The HITS Triathlon Series Tom’s next project, in conjunction with Leonard Green
and Associates, is a Triathlon with a unique format, five race distances in one weekend. Looking to create the highest qual- ity events possible, the introduction of the HITS Triathlon Series is as innovative for the race industry, just as the HITS management approach was to show jumping. “The series will provide a wide range of first class amenities for racers and spectators,” says the Triathlon website. “The series is the first races series to feature five distances at each event with events taking place at unique distances all year long.” How is it logistically possible to have five distances
over the course of a weekend? Struzzieri: “Some people will say that five events in the same weekend is quite a big chunk. Much of the HITS show jumping staff will cross over from the equine side. We have hundreds of employees who work here; some of them will switch over to triathlon. We're used to tens of thousands of demanding
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100