SAUGERTIES, NY (August 7, 2012) – Patricia Griffith of White Plains, New York used a dominant performance aboard Heritage Farm’s Pioneer on Saturday to top 52 competitors and win the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix during the NY Horse & Pony Show at HITS Saugerties. The win delivered her fourth qualifying class – just one away from being eligible for the second-annual Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final, which will take place September 8-9 at HITS-on-the-Hudson.

Griffith is one of four Heritage Farm riders who hope to find themselves listed in the order of go this September. Looking to join her will be fellow professional riders Matthew Metell and Laena Romond as well as top junior rider Lillie Keenan.

Pioneer is a popular mount among all the Heritage Farm riders, according to head trainer Andre Dignelli, but will only carry one at the Diamond Mills Hunter Prix Final. Griffith says she is unsure at this point who will get the ride on Pioneer at the Final. Saturday was a busy day for Pioneer at HITS, as he also carried Schaefer Raposa of Wellington, Florida to a victory in the Platinum Performance/USEF Talent Search Medal.

“Pioneer is the only horse to win the Talent Search at eight in the morning and then the Devoucoux [Hunter Prix] at six at night,” said Griffith.

Griffith and Pioneer achieved the top score in both rounds from judge Chance Arakelian with an 88 and an 89.

“The horse just keeps on giving,” said Dignelli of Pioneer.

Their overall score of 177 was nine points higher than Melissa Feller of Lincoln Park, New Jersey and Miranda Scarpone’s Rosso Rossini, who finished in second. Feller picked up the second-place ribbon after winning last week’s Devoucoux Hunter Prix. Third-place honors went to Heather Caristo of Saugerties, New York riding Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Caristo’s Cameo. They earned an overall score of 165.

Brian Feigus of Colts Neck, New Jersey and Melissa Lee’s Chiparoe Z finished in fourth with a score of 164. Rounding out the top five was Lexi Selldorff of Farmington, Connecticut aboard Stone Horse Farm’s Zilver Star with a two-round total of 163.5.

©ESI Photography.
Patricia Griffith and Heritage Farm superstar Pioneer win the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix at HITS Saugerties and set their sights on September’s Diamond Mills Hunter Prix Final.

©ESI Photography.
Patricia Griffith and Pioneer collect first-place awards from HITS' Crystal Zettl and Ann Kobylenski after their win the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix at HITS Saugerties.

$1,500 HITS Hunter Prix
On Sunday afternoon, Brendan Weiss of Southampton, Pennsylvania and Kathy Weiss’ Piedmont edged out the 55 starters who competed over Rian Beals’ first round track in the $1,500 HITS Hunter Prix.

Weiss and Piedmont slipped past Jennifer Frank of Elverson, Pennsylvania who won last week’s class. This time, Frank and Born to Roll finished in second place with a total of 160 points. Weiss finished with a final score of 161.25 to pick up his second required qualifier for the HITS $250,000 Hunter Prix Final during HITS Championship Weekend. In third place was Brittany Matters of Southampton, New York aboard Twin Oaks Stables’ Eye Spy with a final score of 159.5. Margot Peroni of Califon, New Jersey and Pam Wildman’s Cha Cha were fourth with a score of 159. Frank and her own Pax Mundi rounded out the top five with a score of 149.5.

©ESI Photography
Brendan Weiss and Piedmont on their way to a win in the $1,500 HITS Hunter Prix at HITS Saugerties.

©ESI Photography
Brendan Weiss and Piedmont receive first-place honors from HITS’ Crystal Zettl after their win the $1,500 HITS Hunter Prix at HITS Saugerties.

About Devoucoux
Devoucoux, makers of fine French saddles, is proud to be the title sponsor of each and every qualifying Hunter Prix leading up to the phenomenal Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final. The Devoucoux Hunter Prix will be a featured event at all HITS horse shows this season as riders from around the country set out to qualify for the second-annual Diamond Mills Hunter Prix Final, which will take place September 8-9 at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York.

About Diamond Mills Hotel & Tavern
Just 100 miles outside of New York City, nestled in the Village of Saugerties, Diamond Mills is a 30-room luxury hotel featuring stellar accommodations, fine-dining at The Tavern and full-service events at a state-of-the art Special Events Center. Diamond Mills is a proud member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World^TM, an unsurpassed collection of over 520 luxury hotels around the world. Saugerties' newest luxury hotel is also the proud sponsor of the Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final, which will take place at HITS-on-the-Hudson as part of the HITS Championship Weekend. For more information about Diamond Mills or the special VIP packages available to HITS-on-the-Hudson exhibitors, please visit DiamondMillsHotel.com or call 845.247.0700.

$5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix

Place	Horse	Owner	Rider	Prize $
1	Pioneer	Heritage Farm	Patricia Griffith	$1500
2	Rosso Rossini	Miranda Scarpone	Melissa Feller	$1000
3	Cameo	Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Caristo	Heather Caristo	$700
4	Chiparoe Z	Melissa Lee	Brian Feigus	$500
5	Zilver Star	Stone Horse Farm	Lexi Seldorff	$400
6	Generous	Lori Gaudet	David Oliynyk	$350
7	Tres Bien	Southfield Farms	David Raposa	$300
8	Carma	Chloe Stables	Debbie McCarthy	$250

$1,500 HITS Hunter Prix

Place	Horse	Owner	Rider	Prize $
1	Piedmont	Kathy Weiss	Brendan Weiss	$450
2	Buckwheat	Montoga, Inc.	Eloise Robert	$300
3	Eye Spy	Twin Oaks Stables	Brittany Matters	$200
4	Cha Cha	Pam Wildman	Margot Peroni	$150
5	Pax Mundi	Jennifer Frank	Jennifer Frank	$125
6	Dinner Jacket	Jessica Rubin	Jessica Rubin	$100
7	Corvet Z	Streett Moore	Sarah Cohen	$100
8	Maxim	KJ Robinson, LLC	Alexa Effron	$75