News

Aaron Vale takes home first and fourth-place ribbons

Mar 17, 2013

OCALA, FL – As the last week of HITS Ocala turns on the warm weather for a spectacular finale, Aaron Vale got the excitement started early on with a win in Thursday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, aboard Zippo II, owned by 2VR Showjumpers.

Forty-one horse-and-rider combinations made up the starting list on Thursday. First to produce a double-clear effort and set the Great American Time to Beat was last Sunday’s winner, Lisa Goldman aboard Centurion B. Goldman’s season, her first at HITS Ocala, has been nothing short of superb with three grand prix win and several more top-five finishes. She set the pace at 37.49 seconds and eventually finished in third place.

The lead would quickly change hands as Vale and Zippo II entered the ring next and shaved nearly a full second off the clock in 36.81 seconds. Vale is no stranger to success during the final week of HITS Ocala and has his sights set on Sunday’s $100,000 grand prix. Having won the title three times before, and finishing in second place last year, Vale clearly means business again this year.

Tracy Fenney and MTM Centano finished the jump-off in 37.24 seconds to take second place. Also no stranger to victory in the $100,000 Grand Prix of Ocala, she and her two grand prix mounts – MTM Centano and MTM Timon – are also eager to claim top honors on Sunday.

Rounding out the top five was New Jersey’s Amanda Flint on Superbad. Flint crossed the timers in 39.53 seconds with no faults.

1 Zippo II - Aaron Vale  0 0 36.81
2 MTM Centano - Tracy Fenney  0 0 37.24
3 Centurion B - Lisa Goldman  0 0 37.49
4 Palm Sunday - Aaron Vale  0 0 39.12
5 Superbad - Amanda Flint  0 0 39.53
6 Calando Z - Harold Chopping  0 0 39.94
7 Quincy Car - Dr. Fernando Cardenas  0 0 39.95
8 Monterrey EJC - Santiago Medina  0 4 37.43
9 Captain Krutzmann - Callie Morgan Smith  0 4 41.55
10 Domar - Frank Hendriks   0 4 49.04

Source: Press release from the HITS Media Team