Ocala, Florida, USA – January 31, 2021 – Week II of the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit is a wrap! Competition at Hits Post Time Farm continued this week with the Platinum Performance and Diamond Mills Hunter Prix held under the new lights in the Main Hunter Ring on Friday evening, and doubled to award $100,000 Hits Grand Prix. Ten weeks of USEF-Rated Hunter/Jumper competition continues, now through March 28, culminating with the seventh edition of the Great American $1 Million Grand Prix.
Week II of the Hits Ocala Winter Circuit came to a close with the $100,000 Hits Grand Prix in the Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The course designed by Mr. Danny Foster of Ontario, Canada included a variety of elements to test the riders skills, including a triple bar and three double combinations. With the spread of faults that accrued, the fact was that accuracy was essential in the first round. Six riders jumped clean and after a few course adjustments would return for the jump-off. It was a case of saving the best for last as Tracy Fenney (USA) entered the ring to jump-off aboard MTM Apple, a 10-year-old grey Danish Warmblood mare (Favorit Ask x Willemoes) owned by MTM Farm. Fenney had watched the riders go before her and knew just what she had to do, capturing a time of 44.363 and the lion’s share of prize money.
“Dorrie [Douglas] stood at the gate and we watched the first horse go and they had a jump down but it was pretty fast,” Fenney commented about the jump-off. “The second horse went, David [Jennings], and he was nice and slow with Sharn [Wordley] only beating him by a couple seconds. I knew I could be a little bit aggressive but not hairball it where I would make a mistake.”
Sharn Wordley (NZL) and Barnetta (Baloubet du Rouet x Polydor) were the closest ones, registering two penalty-free performances and a final time of 46.391 seconds for silver honors.
David Jennings (USA) and Cendatus PS (Centadel x Visa Aldatus Z) secured the third spot on the podium backed by a clean scorecard, tripping the jump-off timers in 48.812 seconds.
Just about a year ago, the partnership between Fenney and MTM Apple was fairly new and over the past year the two have certainly progressed. “I thinks she’s more mature, but she still feels good and little green in places and rides a little croooked but she just tries hard,” Fenney said about the Danish Warmblood.
While Fenney went last in the jump-off, she said “I like to go near the beginning and just go. I don’t like taking in factors of do you have a jump down – I like to just go like I go.” While Fenney isn’t sure what her plans are for the Great American $1 Million Grand Prix, you can expect to see her competing in featured competition in the upcoming weeks of the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit. “It’s just so horse friendly and the horses love it here,” Fenny exclaimed. “They just seem so content with themselves – it’s just lovely for a horse environment.”
Source: Press release from Hits Horse Shows
Photo: © ESI Photography
Categories: CSN, English, Jumper News USA
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