HITS Saugerties Schedule Plus Offer Four Open Jumper Classes Weekly at 2009 Series

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO SELL RAFFLE TICKETS AT HITS AUGUST 30 If you havenâ€™t been able to sell all of your tickets; This is a GREAT opportunity! Contact Jessica Pierce jpierce@familyofwoodstockinc.org
(845) 331-7080

All proceeds from the gate go directly to Family of Woodstock, Inc., a non-for-profit organization serving Ulster County . Volunteers needed to staff Spectator gates during our Horse Shows.

This year, the first six weeks of the HITS Saugerties show circuit will offer an unprecedented opportunity for High Performance riders on the East Coast. Nearly $1 million in prize money will be offered in the Open Jumper Division alone during the Spring and Summer Show Series.

The Open Jumper Division will consist of four Open Jumper classes each week, including a $10,000 Open Welcome, $5,000 Open Speed, and two Grand Prixs, held each Friday and Sunday. The Friday class will offer $25,000 each week, while the Sunday class will offer increasing prize money of $50,000, $75,000 and $125,000 during each three-week series.

The entire Open Jumper Division will fall under the single Jumper Nomination Fee, which has been lowered to $100 this year. This is a bonus for riders who compete in more than one class per week, as there will not be a separate nominating fee for either Grand Prix.

Secure stabling and supervised schooling will be in effect for all Open Jumper classes. Horses will move into secure stabling prior to the first Open Jumper class they show in and will remain in secure stabling until they have finished showing in the Open Jumper Division. Horses will be allowed to show in jumper classes outside the Open Division from the secure stabling barn.

Secure stabling will be located in Barn 14 at the HITS-on-the-Hudson property. This barn has 90 permanent stalls, each measuring 12×12 feet. The barn was built for the specific purpose of secure stabling and has its own large, permanent schooling area with direct access to the Grand Prix Ring via its own in-gate. The footing in the secure schooling area has been redone for the 2009 season. A schooling supervisor will be appointed to observe all scheduled schooling times, and the secure schooling area will be restricted to only those horses in secure stabling.

To keep riders, owners, and grooms prepared for the events, there will be posted Orders-of-Go for every class in the Grand Prix Ring, as well as published start times for each class. Orders and times will be posted online the night before as well as posted at the show office and Grand Prix Ring in-gate.

HITS Saugerties will offer a total of eight AA-rated shows this year. The Spring Circuit, Weeks I-III, runs May 20-June 7; the Summer Circuit, Weeks IV-VI, runs July 15-August 2, and includes the USEF Junior Hunter National Championships. The Late Summer Circuit runs August 26-September 13, and includes the Marshall & Sterling League National Finals.

HITS Saugerties has plenty to offer, with excellent footing, permanent stabling, and great prize money. A range of classes will be offered every week, from Short Stirrup to Grand Prix, and plans are in the works to offer several special Hunter and Jumper Classics each week. Stay tuned for more news, and watch for your prize list in the mail at the end of March! To learn more, please visit www.HitsShows.com .

Photo Credit: Hillary Dobbs and Corlett, winners of the $50,000 EMO Grand Prix at the 2008 HITS Saugerties I Horse Show. Photo Â© Lili Weik. This photo may be used free of charge only in relation to this press release.

HITS Saugerties Spring and Summer Show Series and the 19th Annual Marshall & Sterling League National Finals Fast Facts

EVENT:
HITS Saugerties Spring and Summer Show Series presented by HITS, Inc.

WHAT:
An eight-week hunter/jumper horse show series produced by HITS, Inc. that runs from May through September annually. The HITS Saugerties Spring and Summer Show Series offer two Grand Prix events each week. Every Grand Prix offered at HITS Saugerties is a qualifying event for the $100,000 USGPL Invitational Grand Prix, which is held each year during the USGPL Finals at HITS Commonwealth Park in Culpeper , Virginia .

The 19th Annual Marshall & Sterling League National Finals is the Grand Finale of the season and highlights the League’s most accomplished riders in 12 different divisions. The Marshall & Sterling Finals marks the final week of the HITS Saugerties season each year and, in addition to the four-day competition, features the Annual Top Ten Awards Dinner, which honors the leading riders in each division based on their performance throughout the season. The League awards more than $30,000 in prize money during the National Finals.

WHERE:
HITS-on-the-Hudson
454 Washington Avenue Extension
Saugerties, NY 12477
Phone: 845.246.5515 (during horse shows)

WHEN:
Daily, Wednesday-Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during show weeks
HITS-on-the-Hudson I: May 20-24
HITS-on-the-Hudson II: May 27-31
HITS-on-the-Hudson III: June 3-7
HITS-on-the-Hudson IV: July 15-19
HITS-on-the-Hudson V: July 22-26
USEF Junior Hunter East Coast Finals: July 27-29
NY Horse & Pony Show (VI): July 29 – August 2
HITS-on-the-Hudson VII: August 26-30
HITS-on-the-Hudson VIII: September 2-6 New in 2009!
Marshall & Sterling League National Finals: September 10-13

ADMISSION:
Wednesday – Friday: Free
Saturday & Sunday: Adults $5, children under the age of 12 get free admission. All proceeds from the gate go directly to Family of Woodstock, Inc., a non-for-profit organization serving Ulster County . Volunteers needed to staff our Spectator gates during our Horse Shows.

DIRECTIONS:
The HITS Saugerties Show Series are held at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties , New York , located just two miles from Exit 20 on the NYS Thruway.

Trucks From The North: Exit 20 off of Interstate 87 (New York State Thruway) After tollbooth, turn right onto State Route 32 North and go 1.5 miles Bear slight right at Y, and go 0.1 miles to 4-way stop Turn right at 4-way stop onto Malden Tpke. (County Rt 34) and go 1.6 miles Turn right onto Route 9W South and go 0.4 miles Turn right onto Krout Road Show grounds will be on left

Trucks From The South: Exit 20 off of Interstate 87 (New York State Thruway) After tollbooth, turn left onto Ulster Avenue and go 0.2 miles Turn right and follow State Route 32 North for 1.6 miles Bear slight right at Y and come to 4-way stop. – 0.1 miles Turn right at 4-way stop and go 1.6 miles Turn right onto Route 9W South and go 0.4 miles Turn right onto Krout Road. Show grounds will be on left

Cars From The North: Exit 20 off of Interstate 87 (New York State Thruway) After tollbooth, turn right onto State Route 32 North and go 1.0 miles Turn right onto Peoples Road and go 0.9 miles Turn left after train tracks onto Canoe Hill Road and go 0.5 miles Canoe Hill Road becomes Krout Road – 0.8 miles Show grounds will be 1.8 miles on right

Cars From The South: Exit 20 off of Interstate 87 (New York State Thruway) After tollbooth, turn left onto Ulster Avenue 0.2 miles Turn right onto State Route 32 North and go 1.0 miles Turn right onto Peoples Road and go 0.9 miles Turn left after train tracks onto Canoe Hill Road and go 0.5 miles Canoe Hill Road becomes Krout Road – 0.8 miles Show grounds will be 1.8 miles on right

SPECTATOR PARKING& ENTRANCE: Gates D or E only. Parking is free.

EXHIBITOR ENTRANCES:
Gate A – Permanent Stabling, Gold Stalls
Gates B & C – Permanent Stabling, Silver Stalls
Gates D & E – Tent Stabling & Ship-In
Gate F – Trailer and RV Parking

THE FACILITY:
HITS-on-the-Hudson, Saugerties , New York The HITS equestrian facility is nestled at the foothills of the Catskill Mountains, just one mile outside the village of Saugerties . The show grounds feature 10 different competition rings, including a Grand Prix ring, a Main Hunter ring, two jumper rings, four hunter rings, an equitation ring and six separate schooling areas. Spectator seating is available at every ring and in the VIP Pavilion, which overlooks the Grand Prix ring. Spectator parking is located off the Washington Avenue entrances at Gates D or E. For a map of the property, please click here.

REFRESHMENTS:
HITS-on-the-Hudson offers an on-site Food Service Pavilion and Ice Cream Parlor featuring an assortment of frozen delights and Starbucks coffee. The HITS Bar and Grill serves up pizza and cold beer in a spacious air-conditioned lounge. Spectators can grab some lunch and find a grassy spot on the berm while watching some of the world’s best show jumping with the entire family right here in the Hudson Valley.

SHOPPING:
The HITS Saugerties Mall features clothing, tack, fine jewelry, custom footwear, art and photography, and custom HITS souvenirs.

HITS-TORY:
The HITS-on-the-Hudson equestrian facility was inaugurated in the spring of 2004. In just five years, the HITS Saugerties horse show circuit has become a mecca for East Coast horsemen hosting the largest hunter/jumper horse shows offered during the spring and summer in the United States .

During the course of the eight-week circuit, the HITS-on-the-Hudson equestrian facility offers stabling for over 2,000 horses, more than 250 different classes each week, and over $1 million in prize money, more than any other circuit during the spring and summer. Riders of all levels, including current and former Olympians – as well as some of the most popular up-and-coming riders – compete at HITS Saugerties. Each year, on average more than 3,000 horses, 4,500 horseman and 2,500 spectators attend HITS Saugerties and more than $1 million in prize money is awarded throughout the seven-week season.

The economic impact of the HITS Saugerties Show Series on the surrounding community is estimated at $50 million, which reflects spending on food, lodging, living expenses and entertainment in the area during the series of shows.

www.HitsShows.com
845.246.8833

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