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Anne Kursinski and Roxana 112 capture the $75,000 Tavern on the Green Catering Grand Prix at HITS Saugerties

July 30, 2007

Saugerties, NY --- Anne Kursinski and her mount Roxana 112 negotiated the fastest double-clear round on course designer Danny Foster's route to take home the blue-ribbon in the $75,000 Tavern on the Green Catering Grand Prix Sunday at HITS Saugerties.

Kursinski was a member or an alternate member of four consecutive United States Olympic teams, including the 1988 Seoul and 1996 Atlanta squads that each won a team Silver Medal. On Sunday, she was one of four former United States Olympians to compete in the featured class at HITS' state-of-the-art equestrian center, in Saugerties, New York. Three other former Olympians, McLain Ward, Margie Engle and Nona Garson each had at least one entry in the Grand Prix.

"It's always competitive when I go against my former teammates," said Kursinski. "I wasn't thrilled to be going fifth in the class and first in the jump-off because of some of the riders that were behind me. I thought to myself I better jump pretty darn fast."

"What a great class," said Foster. "It was exactly what I had hoped for when I set the course. Rails were down all over the place and the riders who went clear really earned it."

The Grand Prix started with 27 horses and only five made it to the jump-off. Kursinski and Roxana 112 kicked off the jump-off with a lightning fast effort, stopping the clocks in 44.349 as she established the Great American Time to Beat right off the bat. That time proved to be almost four seconds faster than Nona Garson and Languster, who finished in second place.

Next to go was Sergio Campos and his mount Mill Creek Poncho. Campos had two rails down and that pushed him into fifth place. Garson and Languster were third to go in a jump-off. They made it all the way home clean but their time of 48.217 landed the duo in second place. Campos was also sixth aboard Shakira Do Jacare.

McLain Ward was next to go aboard Quo Vadis. Ward, who won Thursday's $25,000 Ariat Grand Prix had an unlucky rail midway through Foster's jump-off course. They finished in third place.

Eliza Lehrman couldn't take advantage of the envious last-to-ride position aboard VDL Platini. The pair had four faults and finished the day in fourth place.

In the end it was three Olympians who rounded out the top-three places in the class as Kursinski and Roxana 112 were first followed by Garson and Languster in second place and in third place was Ward and Quo Valdis.

"I'm glad I made the trip to Saugerties," said Kursinski. "There is truly something for everyone here. Two hours ago I was in one of the back rings training an adult hunter and now I am jumping for $75,000."

This week was Kursinski's first appearance at HITS Saugerties this season. And it's a good thing she came because with the win, she catapults into the thick of things in the USGPL Standings. The top-30 USGPL pairs will be invited to compete in the $100,000 USGPL Invitational Grand Prix which will be held at HITS Culpeper during the USGPL Finals on Sunday, September 30.

HITS offers six more qualifying Grand Prix classes for the $100,000 USGPL Invitational Grand Prix this summer at its HITS Saugerties and HITS Culpeper equestrian facilities. At HITS Saugerties, competitors have four chances remaining to secure enough prize money to make the cut. The next chance occurs on Thursday, August 2, in the $25,000 Ariat Grand Prix. HITS Culpeper offers two more opportunities to qualify when show jumping returns to Commonwealth Park in late August.

Week V of show jumping at HITS Saugerties continues this Wednesday and culminates on Sunday, August 5 with the $75,000 RV Sales of Broward Grand Prix. The $22,500 Children's/Adult Championship and the $40,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Championship close out three consecutive weeks of shows on August 10-12 at HITS Saugerties. The summer series concludes with one final week of show jumping beginning on September 5, followed by the Marshall & Sterling League Finals, September 13-16 when acclaimed singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega will be performing for the Year-End High Point Awards Celebration that will be catered by Tavern on the Green Catering. 

1 Roxana 112 
 Anne Kursinski  Scott Hakim 
 $22,500 0 0 44.349 
2 Languster
 Nona Garson 
 Ryan Automotive 
 $16,500 0 0 48.217

 
 
3 Quo Vadis
 McLain Ward 
 McLain Ward 
 $9,750 0 0 42.673 
4 VDL Plantini 
 Eliza Lehrman  VDL Stud 
 $6,000 0 4 49.432 
5 Mill Creek Poncho 
 Sergio Campos  Sergio Campos 
 $3,750 0 8 48.201 
6 Shakira Do Jacare 
 Sergio Campos 
 Sergio Campos 
 $3,000 4

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