News
Francie Steinwedell Carvin wins HITS Desert Classic
Feb 2, 2013
It was an explosive start to the HITS FEI series at Desert Circuit II, as Francie Steinwedell-Carvin, of La Canada, California, and Prentiss Partners' Lapsus du Lavoir claimed victory in the $33,000 HITS Desert Classic, presented by Pfizer Animal Health.
The Thursday event welcomed 40 horse and rider pairs under sunny skies in the Grand Prix Stadium. Things got off to a strong start as Irish rider Jennifer Crooks and S.F. Uryadi went clear around Bernardo Costa Cabral's highly technical course. The track included 12 jumps and 15 efforts set at up to 1.45m.
The fourth pair out, Elizabeth Gingras and Floreen SFN were also clear, and marked the onset of perfection that saw 14 more pairs go fault-free, for a total of 16. Two who moved on—Crooks and New Zealand rider Duncan McFarland, riding Mr. Whoopy—would opt-out of the jump off.
Spectators burst into enthusiastic applause as the fifth rider out, Rusty Stewart riding Bristol, finished clear. Stewart and Bristol currently lead the AIG Thermal $1 Million Grand Prix Preliminary Top 40 Rider Standings, and the Desert Classic was a qualifier for that March 17 mega-prix, presented by Lamborghini Newport Beach. The duo would ultimately land just out of the money at 13th, with one rail down in the jump off.
The crowd crackled with visible excitement as U.S. Olympians took to the field – first Rich Fellers Colgan Cruise, then Will Simpson on Acornia. Alas, it was not to be their day.
Team Germany Olympic rider Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum placed third on Malou. Saer Coulter, who trains with Michaels-Beerbaum and husband Markus Beerbaum, placed fourth on her own Graciella 50, while Ashlee Bond was second with Little Valley Farms' Cadett 7.
Gingras and Floreen SFN were the first in for the jump-off, and they did not disappoint, going clear over the seven obstacles in 44.42 seconds, against a time-allowed of 50. Then Stewart and Michelle Parker riding Socrates De Midos, each had a rail.
Of the remaining 11, only two would have faults, but Gingras held the Great American Time to Beat until the eighth trip when Misti Cassar took the lead, riding Poeme D'Amour, at 41.39. They would ultimately place fifth.
Source: Press release from HITS, Inc.