Laura Chapot Earns the Win in the $10,000 Brook Ledge Open Welcome at HITS Saugerties
Saugerties, NY (September 2, 2016): Show jumping competition returned to HITS-on-the-Hudson for Week VII of the Saugerties Show Series. A full week of classes, preluding next week’s highly anticipated Saugerties $1 Million Grand Prix FEI CSI-5*, kicked off with the $10,000 Brook Ledge Open Welcome.
Neshanic Station, New Jersey equestrian, Laura Chapot is no stranger to the winner’s circle at HITS Saugerties. With multiple Grand Prix victories under her belt this season, Chapot started another week off on a high note, grabbing the blue ribbon in Wednesday’s Welcome.
Thirteen jumped clear to advance to the immediate jump-off over the course designed by Danny Foster of Milton, Ontario. Seven produced double clear rounds in a race against time for the top spot. The top three went within the first few trips in the order, and finished less than two seconds apart.
Arturo Parada of Zapopen Jal, Mexico, was first in the order piloting his own Constar. They gave the crowd a double-clear round right off the bat to set the tone for the remaining field, crossing the timers fault-free in 41.667 — ultimately earning them the second place prize.
Chapot followed fourth in the order with Umberto, owned by Mary Chapot. After a clear first round, they blazed through the shortened course, stopping the clock in 41.376, three-tenths of a second ahead of Parada, taking a lead they would never relinquish.
Julia Madigan of Vancouver, British Columbia, put down another fault-free effort immediately following Chapot. Madigan and Farfelu du Pringtemps, owned by John Madigan, clocked in at 42.866, less than a second behind Parada for third place.
Several more valiant trips went including a double clear round for two eventual ribbon holders: Jonathan McCrea for sixth place and Victoria Birdsall for seventh place.
Ali Ramsay of Victoria, British Columbia, grabbed the final spot in the top five aboard Hermelien VD Hooghoeve. They crossed the markers clear in 43.188 for fifth place.
The last double clear round in the jump-off belonged to Cassandra Kahle of Langley, British Columbia. A consistent finisher in the ribbons at HITS Saugerties, Kahle piloted Calvados, owned by Davenport Enterprises, to the finish in 43.158 for fourth place, edging out Ramsay’s time by mere fractions.
Place
Horse
Owner
Rider
Prize
Rd. 1 Faults
JO Faults
JO Time
1
Umberto
Mary Chapot
Laura Chapot
$2,800
0
0
41.376
2
Constar
Arturo Parada
Arturo Parada
$1,800
0
0
41.667
3
Farfelu du Pringtemps
John Madigan
Julia Madigan
$1,250
0
0
42.866
4
Calvados
Davenport Enterpries
Cassandra Kahle
$900
0
0
43.158
5
Hermelien VD Hooghoeve
Ali Ramsay
Ali Ramsay
$800
0
0
43.188
6
D Carolus
Candy Tribble & Windsor Show Stables
Jonathan McCrea
$700
0
0
46.249
7
Tanaka III
Drumnacross Farm LTD
Victoria Birdsall
$600
0
0
47.024
8
VDL Bravo S
Hays Investment Corp
Brandie Holloway
$400
0
4
40.760
(C) ESI Photography Laura Chapot and Umberto on their way to a $10,000 Brook Ledge Open Welcome win.
About HITS, Inc. HITS, Inc. produces high-quality, international-level hunter/jumper horse shows. Based in upstate New York in the Village of Saugerties, HITS has been producing shows since 1982 and is now a nationwide company with world-class circuits in California, Florida, Arizona, New York, and Virginia.
While hosting the richest weekend in show jumping at HITS-on-the-Hudson, HITS also formed the Triple Crown of Show Jumping. This includes the AIG $1 Million Grand Prix in Thermal, California, the Great American $1 Million Grand Prix in Ocala, Florida and the Saugerties $1 Million Grand Prix in Saugerties, New York.
