Phelps Media Group, Inc. International Public Relations and Marketing for the Horse Industry 561.753.3389 info@phelpsmediagroup.com
ATTACHED PHOTOS
Click on the above photos for details and a high resolution version.
Photographs may be used free of charge only in relation to the PMG press releases they pertain to.
HITS Saugerties Is “Home for the Hunters” in 2009!
Written by: Jennifer Wood Client:HITS-on-the-Hudson and Culpepper Release Date:2009-07-07
HITS Plays Host to 2009 USEF Junior Hunter Championships- East Coast
Saugerties, NY - July 7, 2009 - The HITS Saugerties Summer Show Series is set to begin this month, and Weeks V and VI of the series are your “Home for the Hunters” this year. HITS Saugerties is proud to host three very special events for hunter competitors, including the 2009 USEF Junior Hunter Championships- East Coast, the $5,000 Pony Commotion Hunter Classic, and the $10,000 Chronicle of the Horse/USHJA International Hunter Derby.
This will be the fifth time that HITS Saugerties has hosted the USEF Junior Hunter Championships- East Coast. The Championships will be held on July 27-29 (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday between HITS V & VI) and will offer $50,000 in prize money.
Last year’s Grand Champion at the Championships was Red Panda, ridden by Jennifer Waxman of Chagrin Falls, OH, and owned by John Ingram. Waxman, who is 17 years old, is still making her summer plans but hopes to be back in Saugerties for this year’s Championships.
Last year was her third time competing in the Championships. “It was really exciting last year,” Waxman said. “I really had to win if I wanted to get into indoors, so there was lots of pressure too.”
Waxman remembered, “It was a little challenging because we started with the handy hunter class there. The course was tough and careful, and after that I felt pretty confident. It was like we got the hardest thing out of the way and then you go from there.”
Waxman and Red Panda have gone on to win numerous championships at some of the biggest shows in the country, but Waxman said it all started to come together last year in Saugerties. “The Junior Hunter Championships were one of biggest things that we won together, and it’s when we started to get to know each other. Red Panda is really smart, and now we know each other well.”
The Championships feature competition for Small Juniors 15 and Under, Large Juniors 15 and Under, Small Juniors 16-17 and Large Juniors 16-17.
The young rider said she enjoyed competing in the Grand Prix Ring and the format of the Championships. “I liked showing in the Grand Prix Ring, and that we compete at the beginning of the week,” Waxman pointed out. “They make it a pretty big deal, and it’s nice when our big class is the highlight. They have nice presentations there as well. I didn’t have a lot of horses showing because you only get to show one horse in each division, so your focus is just on two horses.”
Also held during the Championships is the popular and prestigious Hunterdon Cup, which offers an exciting equitation championship for junior riders. Equitation classes continue with the USEF/Pessoa Hunter Seat Medal, the ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship Medal, and the WIHS Equitation Classic. The Hunterdon Cup Trainer’s Award will be presented to the trainer of the winner of the Hunterdon Cup once again this year.
The winner of last year’s Hunterdon Cup was Katherine Newman of Wellington, FL. Newman had placed fifth in the class before last year, and she was very excited to win the esteemed event.
Newman, who is now 18 years old and a professional rider, remarked, “It was really fun, and my favorite part was when I got to switch horses, which I had never done before. The top six riders switched horses, and that was something that I was really looking forward to. I didn’t know what to expect since I didn’t know which horse I would ride. It was hard, but it was fun.”
Newman came to Saugerties for the Hunterdon Cup and to compete in the Junior Hunter Championships. “The Hunterdon Cup was a special event,” she said. “It was nice that people went to watch the classes, and we were the only thing going on that day. It was really exciting. At that point, it was the biggest equitation class that I had won. It was really cool because it’s a special class.”
Competing in the Grand Prix Ring was another perk that Newman appreciated. “It was cool to show in the grand prix ring. It’s one of those rings where you get a great feeling walking in under the bridge into a big ring.”
Exhibitors competing in the Junior Hunter Finals will enjoy sponsored daily breakfasts and lunches the beautiful new HITS VIP Tent as well as an ice cream social and more thanks to the fundraising efforts of Christina Schlusemeyer. Those interested in sponsoring a meal at the Junior Hunter Finals, please contact Christina by email at quiethill1@aol.com or by phone at (352) 804-6660.
In addition to the 2009 USEF Junior Hunter Championships- East Coast, HITS Saugerties will continue to offer great events for hunter riders of all ages.
Younger pony riders can look forward to the $5,000 Pony Commotion Hunter Classic on Thursday, July 30. This class will be held in the Grand Prix Ring and is a great dress rehearsal for the USEF Pony Finals the following week.
The $10,000 Chronicle of the Horse/USHJA International Hunter Derby will return this year to Saugerties as well. The popular class, termed the “grand prix for show hunters,” features two rounds of competition over natural obstacles. The class will be held this year on Thursday, July 30, and will again be held in the Grand Prix Ring.
The HITS Saugerties Summer Show Series starts up again on July 15, which is also when entries close for the 2009 USEF Junior Hunter Championships- East Coast. This year, HITS, Inc. is extending a very special offer to competitors at the USEF Junior Hunter Championships. Those competitors who stay and show at Weeks V and VI (the weeks before and after the finals) will receive their stall for free during the finals, which is a $200 value per stall.
Thanks to the success of the spring shows, the summer looks to be quite busy and HITS is recommending that exhibitors looking to show in Saugerties get their entries in as soon as possible. Please visit www.HitsShows.com for more information and to reserve your spot today.
PRIZE LIST INFORMATION
Prize List | Schedule
Online Feed & Bedding Order
HITS Saugerties Summer Show Series and the 19th Annual Marshall & Sterling League National Finals Fast Facts
EVENT:
HITS Saugerties Spring and Summer Show Series presented by HITS, Inc.
WHAT:
An hunter/jumper horse show series produced by HITS, Inc. that runs from May through September annually. The HITS Saugerties Summer Show Series offer two Grand Prix events each week. Every Grand Prix offered at HITS Saugerties is a qualifying event for the $100,000 USGPL Invitational Grand Prix, which is held each year during the USGPL Finals at HITS Commonwealth Park in Culpeper, Virginia.
The 19th Annual Marshall & Sterling League National Finals is the Grand Finale of the season and highlights the League's most accomplished riders in 12 different divisions. The Marshall & Sterling Finals marks the final week of the HITS Saugerties season each year and, in addition to the four-day competition, features the Annual Top Ten Awards Dinner, which honors the leading riders in each division based on their performance throughout the season. The League awards more than $30,000 in prize money during the National Finals.
WHERE:
HITS-on-the-Hudson
454 Washington Avenue Extension
Saugerties, NY 12477
Phone: 845.246.5515 (during horse shows)
WHEN:
Daily, Wednesday–Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during show weeks
HITS-on-the-Hudson IV: July 15-19
HITS-on-the-Hudson V: July 22-26
USEF Junior Hunter East Coast Championships: July 27-29
NY Horse & Pony Show (VI): July 29 - August 2
HITS-on-the-Hudson VII: August 26-30
New in 2009! HITS-on-the-Hudson VIII: September 2-6
Marshall & Sterling League National Finals: September 10-13
ADMISSION:
Wednesday – Friday: Free
Saturday & Sunday: Adults $5, children under the age of 12 get free admission. All proceeds from the gate go directly to Family of Woodstock, Inc., a non-for-profit organization serving Ulster County.
DIRECTIONS:
The HITS Saugerties Show Series are held at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York, located just two miles from Exit 20 on the NYS Thruway.
Trucks From The North: Exit 20 off of Interstate 87 (New York State Thruway) After tollbooth, turn right onto State Route 32 North and go 1.5 miles Bear slight right at Y, and go 0.1 miles to 4-way stop Turn right at 4-way stop onto Malden Tpke. (County Rt 34) and go 1.6 miles Turn right onto Route 9W South and go 0.4 miles Turn right onto Krout Road Show grounds will be on left
Trucks From The South: Exit 20 off of Interstate 87 (New York State Thruway) After tollbooth, turn left onto Ulster Avenue and go 0.2 miles Turn right and follow State Route 32 North for 1.6 miles Bear slight right at Y and come to 4-way stop. - 0.1 miles Turn right at 4-way stop and go 1.6 miles Turn right onto Route 9W South and go 0.4 miles Turn right onto Krout Road. Show grounds will be on left
Cars From The North: Exit 20 off of Interstate 87 (New York State Thruway) After tollbooth, turn right onto State Route 32 North and go 1.0 miles Turn right onto Peoples Road and go 0.9 miles Turn left after train tracks onto Canoe Hill Road and go 0.5 miles Canoe Hill Road becomes Krout Road - 0.8 miles Show grounds will be 1.8 miles on right
Cars From The South: Exit 20 off of Interstate 87 (New York State Thruway) After tollbooth, turn left onto Ulster Avenue 0.2 miles Turn right onto State Route 32 North and go 1.0 miles Turn right onto Peoples Road and go 0.9 miles Turn left after train tracks onto Canoe Hill Road and go 0.5 miles Canoe Hill Road becomes Krout Road - 0.8 miles Show grounds will be 1.8 miles on right
SPECTATOR PARKING& ENTRANCE: Gates D or E only. Parking is free.
EXHIBITOR ENTRANCES:
Gate A – Permanent Stabling, Gold Stalls
Gates B & C – Permanent Stabling, Silver Stalls
Gates D & E – Tent Stabling & Ship-In
Gate F – Trailer and RV Parking
THE FACILITY:
HITS-on-the-Hudson, Saugerties, New York The HITS equestrian facility is nestled at the foothills of the Catskill Mountains, just one mile outside the village of Saugerties. The show grounds feature 10 different competition rings, including a Grand Prix ring, a Main Hunter ring, two jumper rings, four hunter rings, an equitation ring and six separate schooling areas. Spectator seating is available at every ring and in the VIP Pavilion, which overlooks the Grand Prix ring. Spectator parking is located off the Washington Avenue entrances at Gates D or E. For a map of the property, please click here.
REFRESHMENTS:
HITS-on-the-Hudson offers an on-site Food Service Pavilion and Ice Cream Parlor featuring an assortment of frozen delights and Starbucks coffee. The HITS Bar and Grill serves up pizza and cold beer in a spacious air-conditioned lounge. Spectators can grab some lunch and find a grassy spot on the berm while watching some of the world's best show jumping with the entire family right here in the Hudson Valley.
SHOPPING:
The HITS Saugerties Mall features clothing, tack, fine jewelry, custom footwear, art and photography, and custom HITS souvenirs.
LODGING:
(in Saugerties & Kingston, more listed online and in the prize list)
Holiday Inn | 845.338.0400
Comfort Inn | 845.246.1565
Marriott Courtyard | 845.382.2300
Howard Johnson Inn 845.246.9511
Quality Inn & Suites | 845.339.3900
Rodeway Inn 845.331.2900
HITS-TORY:
The HITS-on-the-Hudson equestrian facility was inaugurated in the spring of 2004. In just five years, the HITS Saugerties horse show circuit has become a mecca for East Coast horsemen hosting the largest hunter/jumper horse shows offered during the spring and summer in the United States.
During the course of the circuit, the HITS-on-the-Hudson equestrian facility offers stabling for over 2,000 horses, more than 250 different classes each week, and over $1 million in prize money, more than any other circuit during the spring and summer. Riders of all levels, including current and former Olympians – as well as some of the most popular up-and-coming riders – compete at HITS Saugerties. Each year, on average more than 3,000 horses, 4,500 horseman and 2,500 spectators attend HITS Saugerties and more than $1 million in prize money is awarded throughout the seven-week season.
The economic impact of the HITS Saugerties Show Series on the surrounding community is estimated at $50 million, which reflects spending on food, lodging, living expenses and entertainment in the area during the series of shows.
