News

Hughes and Luxina Capture the EMO Grand Prix

Feb 12, 2013

Michael Hughes, 17, topped a star-studded field on Sunday in the $50,000 EMO Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, at HITS Ocala IV. Hughes of Allendale, NJ had two rides in Sunday's main event and captured the win aboard Christina Fried's Luxina.

Olaf Petersen designed a visually stunning, but technical track for a superbly talented group of 35 horse and rider combinations, which included Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix winners Andre Thieme of Germany and Olympian McLain Ward of Brewster, New York. Also stacking the field was Olympian Peter Wylde and USA WEG Team rider Candice King, both hailing from Wellington, Florida. The riders certainly brought their Sunday best and 14 riders produced clear first rounds to advance to the jump-off. With only 12 ribbons to pin, taking home a check on Sunday was not an easy feat.

Peter Wylde was first to go in the jump-off aboard Lewin 5, owned by Societe Cirile de Necurie de Meautry, but fell victim to the challenges Petersen set in the jump-off, with two rails down for eight faults in a very fast time of 48.80 seconds.  Sharn Wordley was next to show aboard Filip Amram's Quick Blue Z and rode clear to set the Great American Time to Beat at 57.73 seconds. His early lead would soon come to an end at the reins of Callan Solem and VDL Wizard in a time of 50.66 seconds. Solem and Torlando Group's VDL Torlando captured a win earlier in the week in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, and was hoping to keep a trend going – riders have gone back-to-back with grand prix wins each of the first three weeks of the Ocala circuit this year.

It was not to be, however, as Andre Thieme and Seth Vallhonrat's Catharina 9, took over the lead several trips later with a time of 50.12 seconds. King also posted a clear round riding Campbell VDL to earn a spot in the ribbons, but was unable to catch Thieme.

Second-to-last in the jump-off was Hughes, who, though still a junior, is definitely a rising star on the grand prix circuit. He has already proven himself with his success at Young Riders, the Junior Hunter Championships and the major Equitation Finals. Hughes was also 16th in the 2012 Pfizer Million. Hughes and Luxina skimmed nearly two seconds off the clock in a time of 48.70 to take over the lead and ultimately the win.

1 Michael Hughes Luxina 0.00 0.00 48.703
2 Andre Thieme Catharina 9 0.00 0.00 50.120
3 Callan Solem VDL Wizard 0.00 0.00 50.663
4 Candice King Campbell VDL 0.00 0.00 53.871
5 Sharn Wordley Derly Chin De Muze 0.00 0.00 57.571
6 Sharn Wordley Quick Blue Z 0.00 0.00 57.733
7 McLain Ward Zhum CW 0.00 4.00 47.798
8 Tracy Fenney MTM Centano 0.00 4.00 48.559
9 Aaron Vale Palm Sunday 0.00 4.00 48.648
10 Lauren Patava Sly 0.00 4.00 57.796
11 Peter Wylde Lewin 5 0.00 8.00 48.806
12 Tracy Fenney MTM Timon 0.00 8.00 49.147

Source: Press release from HITS, Inc.