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SAUGERTIES, NY (December 6, 2007)-HITS is pleased to announce that EquiBase™ Arena Systems International, the official arena and footing materials supplier of the 2008 Olympics and the 2007 CSIO Rome, has been engaged to install their state-of-the-art EquiBase mats at the HITS Winter Circuits in Ocala, Florida and Thermal, California.
The EquiBase mats are the very same that were installed in Rome at the 75th Concourse Piazza di Sienna for the 2007 Samsung Super League Nations Cup and at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which will host the equestrian events during the 2008 Olympics.
Used extensively throughout Europe for a number of years, EquiBase mats are made from 100 percent recycled PVC and are proven to be environmentally friendly. The mats have a moisture-retention system on the topside while the underside ensures highly-efficient drainage of excess water. The design of the mats helps to increase the stability of the footing layer in a ring by preventing the "shear stress" or movement of the footing, enabling horse and rider to execute quick turns at high speed, making it ideal for Grand Prix show jumping. In addition, the mats have also been shown to provide shock absorption which helps to protect ligaments, tendons and joints.
"Footing is the critical component in the long term health and soundness of these magnificent athletes," said Joy Koch, Director of North American Operations for EquiBase Arena Systems International. "By making footing a priority in these Grand Prix venues, HITS is helping ensure that the horses competing there will be the best they can be over the long haul. We applaud Tom Struzzieri, Fred Bauer and the rest of the HITS management team for taking this decisive step for the well-being of our top show jumping horses."
The EquiBase system is an integral part of HITS' comprehensive plan to improve footing. Koch, along with EquiBase Chief Executive Officer, Wolfgang Bacher, who supplied the 22,000 mats and 500 tons of geotextile and fiber footing amendments for Internationally-renowned footing experts Oliver Hoberg and Bart Poels to install the Olympic arenas at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, have been working collectively with HITS and Poels to oversee the footing at all HITS-owned properties this winter. Under the direction of Poels, HITS will be installing footing similar to what was used in both Hong Kong and Rome on top of the new matting systems.
At HITS Post Time Farm in Ocala, the EquiBase mats will be installed in the new Grand Prix ring, which was added to the facility in 2007 and measures 98,000 square feet. The HITS Ocala Grand Prix ring will be the first outdoor installation of the EquiBase mats in the United States and it will also represent the single largest installation of the product anywhere in the world to date.
"This is a significant enhancement to our Grand Prix ring in Ocala," said Struzzieri, President and CEO of HITS, Inc. "Given the conditions in Florida, we felt it was important to not only address the top layer of footing in that ring, but the base as well. The installation of the EquiBase mats along with other measures we are taking should make for remarkably improved conditions for our Grand Prix competitions in Ocala."
At the HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, California, both the EquiBase arena foundation matting and the EquiBase geotextiles and fibers will be used in the covered FEI ring where the four World Cup Qualifiers will be held during the 2008 Desert Circuit. The FEI ring in Thermal will mark the second indoor installation in the United States, as EquiBase recently put the finishing touches on both indoor competition arenas at the DevonWood Equestrian Centre in Portland, Oregon.
"We are thrilled with the opportunity to work with HITS to introduce the EquiBase Arena Systems to the U.S. market," said Bacher. "The combination of the mats and the footing used by Bart [Poels] enables HITS to provide U.S. show jumping riders the opportunity to experience the same type of footing systems used with great success at both Hong Kong and Rome during the Nations Cup."
Both Poels and Bacher were quick to recount how the EquiBase mats and footing were put to the test this past August during the Olympic Trials in Hong Kong. "There was a soaking rain during the Trials in Hong Kong," said Poels. "The mats worked well and provided quick drainage. When you have the right base, the mats and good materials on top, the combination is good."
"After the August FEI Trials, members from the German Riding Team called to tell me that the footing was unbelievable," added Bacher. "There was so much rain but yet the footing system held up beautifully and was able to drain well in a short period of time. After that, we were very confident in our approach."
The Ocala and Thermal EquiBase installations will be completed in time for the start of the Winter Circuits in January of 2008. For more information on the EquiBase mats, please visit: www.equibasearenas.com or call 888.307.0855.
HITS, Inc. is a special events management company primarily focused on producing hunter/jumper horse shows. Based in upstate New York in the village of Saugerties, HITS produced its first horse show circuit in Gainesville, Florida in 1982. Since that time, HITS has grown into a nationwide company with world-class hunter-jumper circuits in California, Florida, Arizona, New York and Virginia.
Media should contact Chris Mayone at 845.246.8833 or e-mail Media_Info@HitsShows.com
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