PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
February 17, 2006
OCALA, FL (February
17, 2006) -- In an exciting six-horse jump-off, Callan Solem topped
Aaron Vale's time by 2/10ths of a second to snatch the win in Thursday's
$25,000 Grand Prix at HITS Ocala. Riding Mianta, Solem hit
top gear to clear Javier Fernandez' jump-off course in 40.36 seconds.
Mary Lisa
Leffler and Gerona 92 posted the only other clear for third
place.
Aaron Vale opened the jump-off round with Serval, winner of the $25,000
HITS Grand Prix in week 2. Vale cut the corners to finish with a very
fast time of 40.59 seconds. Mary Lisa Leffler was the next rider to
go clear. Her time of 42.88 seconds still left Vale on top.
Callan Solem was fifth in the order in the jump-off and did not get
to see the others go before her. For her there was only one real track
issue,
and that was whether she
should
go
around
or inside
one of the jumps. "Some friends reported back to me that everyone had
gone around, so that made me feel comfortable to do the same," said
Solem. "Mianta is very fast across the ground,
so I knew if I took the same track
as
everybody else then I could be faster."
Solem's confidence in her mare rang true. The 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood
made a strong gallop across the ring to Fernandez' single oxer, and
that gallop was perhaps what gave her the win. "I don't
think
the turns I made were as short as Aaron's or even Mary
Lisa's, but on a long gallop Mianta is a very fast horse. She is out
of a Thoroughbred
mare, so she has a good amount of blood."
Callan Solem competed with Mianta in Rotterdam last year as a member of
the 2005 Samsung Super League team. She came fourth in the qualifier for
the Grand Prix, and also picked up a win in a class in Sweden. She would
love
to compete Internationally again, but it would have to be as part of a
team because of the enormous costs. "If I just concentrate
on winning as many classes as I can, then they say they will come
looking for you. That was my plan last
year and it worked out.
If
I can keep
all the horses in good shape and keep winning the classes, then hopefully
I will get another chance to go to Europe."
Callan Solem's other Grand Prix horse, Allison, with which she also competed
in Europe, is returning to fitness after a minor injury. "She's great and
tries
to buck me off every day," says Solem. "She just loves Ocala."
We look
forward to seeing Callan Solem and Allison compete in the Grand Finale
of the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit,
the $100,000 Grand Prix of Ocala presented by Great American Insurance
Group on Sunday, March 12.
The next Grand
Prix show jumping event at HITS Ocala will be the $50,000 Duggan
Equipment Grand Prix on
February 19.
For complete horse show results
please visit http://www.hitsshows.com.
$25,000 HITS Ocala Grand Prix -
Thursday, February 16, 2006
HITS II - Ocala Winter Festival, Ocala, FL
Course
Designer
|
Placing |
Horse |
Rider |
Owner |
Prize
Money |
Rd 1
Faults |
JO Faults |
JO Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
MIANTA |
CALLAN SOLEM | QUIET WINTER FARM / REDFIELD FARM | $7,500
|
0 |
0 |
40.36 |
|
2 |
SERVAL | AARON VALE | SERVAL GROUP | $5,500
|
0 |
0 |
40.59 |
|
3 |
GERONA 92 | MARY LISA LEFFLER | ROLLING ACRES FARM INC | $3,250
|
0 |
0 |
42.88 |
|
4 |
DARVIN GARBO | HANRIK GUNDERSEN | HENRIK GUNDERSEN | $2,000
|
0 |
4 |
44.96 |
|
5 |
NATURAL DREAM | CHRIS STARR | GRANDE FARMS | $1,500
|
0 |
4 |
45.36 |
|
6 |
SHANDOR 41 | PATTY STOVEL | SHANDOR SYNDICATE | $1,250
|
0 |
4 |
49.61 |
|
7 |
SHAKIRA DO JACARE | SERGIO CAMPOS | SERGIO CAMPOS | $1,000
|
4 |
||
|
8 |
KILPATRICK | TRACY MAGNESS | TRACY MAGNESS | $750
|
4 |
||
|
9 |
GUN DU DESFI | LIBBY MCKINNEY | LIBBY MCKINNEY / FOR SURE PARTNERS | $750
|
4 |
||
|
10 |
HEAVEN BOUND | DEREK PETERSEN | DEREK / ANITA PETERSEN | $500
|
4 |
||
|
11 |
ROMULUS 16 | AARON VALE | HOLLOW CREEK INVESTMENTS | $500
|
4 |
||
|
12 |
ODISSEUSS | DAVID JENNINGS | JOHN PEREZ | $500
|
4 |
2006 HITS OCALA WINTER CIRCUIT SIDEBAR INFORMATION
WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY REMAINING SHOW DATES ARE:
OCALA WINTER FESTIVAL - February 15-19
OCALA MASTERS - February 22-26
OCALA TOURNAMENT - March 1-5
OCALA WINTER FINALS - March 8-12
FEATURED EVENTS:
$25,000 HITS Grand Prix - Thursday, February 23 at 1:00pm
$50,000 Footings Unlimited Grand Prix - Sunday, February 26 at 1:00pm
$25,000 HITS Grand Prix - Thursday, March 2 at 1:00pm
$50,000 HITS Grand Prix - Sunday, March 5 at 1:00pm
$25,000 HITS Grand Prix - Thursday, March 9 at 1:00pm
$100,000 Grand Prix of Ocala presented by Great American Insurance Group - Sunday, March 12 at 1:00pm
$25,000 Team Barber Junior / Amateur-Owner High Jumper Classic, March 12 at 9:00am
$25,000 Marshall & Sterling Child / Adult Jumper Classic - Sunday, March 12 at 8:00am
SPECIAL EVENTS:
Kids Day - Sunday, February 26
Grand Finale - Sunday, March 12
Champions of the Week Presentations are held on Sundays prior to the 1:00pm Grand Prix.
MEDIA CONTACT: Mary Creech, HITS Media & Public Relations, 319 Main Street, Saugerties, New York 12477-1330. Tel: 845-246-8833, Fax: 845-246-6371, E-Mail: mcreech@frontiernet.net. Web: www.HitsShows.com