Skilled
Contractors Make Vision For HITS-On-The-Hudson A Reality
Horse
Shows In The Sun To Premiere World-Class Equestrian Facility In
May
SAUGERTIES,
NY April 21, 2004 In May 2002, Tom Struzzieri, owner
and president of Horse Shows In The Sun, walked the site for his
new horse show facility with excavation contractor Glen Metzger.
The pair surveyed the land and devised a preliminary sketch for
HITS-On-The-Hudson. Throughout the two years of planning and construction,
that sketch underwent several revisions at the hands of engineers
Bob Hagopian and Mark Day. Despite the necessary changes, the plans
have remained true to the original vision for HITS-On-The-Hudson.
First
and foremost, we set out to build a horse show facility that was
tailored to the specific needs of the Hunter/Jumper exhibitor,
said Tom Struzzieri. A lot of thought went into the design
of the show grounds, and the end result is a practical and convenient
place to show, with all of the added comforts one would expect at
a world-class sporting facility.
The
property on which HITS-On-The-Hudson now stands was unused for a
number of years. Metzger Construction Co., Wappingers Falls, New
York, worked on every square foot of the 200-acre property to prepare
the ground for the installation of the show rings. In the Northeast
some inclement weather is inevitable, so each ring has an underlying
drainage system to ensure that there are no interruptions to competition.
The excavation crew adopted minimally invasive practices to help
maintain a careful balance between functionality and the preservation
of the natural beauty of the Hudson River Valley. Grass berms and
native stone walls were formed to help blend the show grounds into
the surrounding landscape. From start to finish, the excavation
work and the installation of the footing took nine months to complete.
A
large proportion of our budget went towards footing, said
Tom Struzzieri. We pride ourselves on the quality of our footing,
and for HITS-On-The-Hudson we are using a combination of what is
popular in Europe right now, together with the type of footing used
at our other show sites.
John
Hornbeck Construction, Rosendale, New York, is responsible for the
impressive buildings that form a radius around the feature Hunter
and Jumper arenas. The VIP Pavilion is the focal point and within
easy access are the permanent restrooms, administrative offices,
veterinarian building, vendor boutiques, and restaurant with dining
courtyard. Crews are doing the finishing work on some of the buildings,
with May 1st being the projected date of completion.
HITS
horse shows are favored by hunter/jumper exhibitors because the
emphasis is placed on the needs of their horses. At HITS-On-The-Hudson
this guiding principle is clearly evident when one sees the six
state-of-the-art barns that line the entrance to the show grounds.
Barnmaster Barns was awarded the project and their crew flew in
from California to construct the barns. Construction began in November
of 2003 and despite the severe winter weather, the job was completed
by the end of February. Plans are already in place to add more permanent
stabling for the 2005 season.
With
the final preparations being made for a May opening, the staff at
HITS is excited to see the arrival of the first horses. On the original
rough sketch drawn up by Tom Struzzieri, the feature Hunter and
Jumper arenas were designed to be theatrical in nature with the
rest of the facility emanating out from them. When you stand
in the arenas and take in the view of the Catskill Mountains, I
believe we have achieved that, said Tom Struzzieri. We
look forward to welcoming our exhibitors to share in the experience.
The
HITS-On-The-Hudson Grand Opening celebration is scheduled for Sunday,
May 30th. The festivities will pay tribute to Equestrian Olympians
past, present and future. There will be demonstrations of
the international sports of Dressage and Driving. Guests at the
celebration will sample the local produce of New Yorks bountiful
Hudson River Valley, specially prepared by several of the areas
finest gourmet restaurants. The Bard College chamber music group
will entertain as guests take their seats ringside to enjoy the
highlight of the day the $75,000 HITS-On-The-Hudson show
jumping Grand Prix.
Spectators
will be admitted free to HITS-On-The-Hudson, Wednesday through Friday.
Tickets are $5 on Saturday and Sunday with the proceeds benefiting
Family of Woodstock. Children under 12 will be admitted without
charge, and parking is free.
HITS
produced its first series of horse shows a three-week circuit
in Gainesville, Florida in 1982. Today HITS produces five
horse show circuits the Ocala Winter Circuit in Florida;
Indio Desert Circuit in California; Arizona Winter Circuit in Tucson;
HITS Culpeper in Virginia; and the newest addition, HITS-On-The-Hudson
in New York. Individually, each is a first rate horse show series;
collectively, they represent the largest group of equestrian events
under a single management group in the United States.
HORSE
SHOWS IN THE SUN HITS Corporate; 319 Main Street, Saugerties,
New York 12477; 845-246-8833; Fax: 845-246-6731; website: www.HitsShows.com.
HITS-On-The-Hudson GENERAL INFORMATION
WEDNESDAY
THROUGH SUNDAY, 2004 SHOW DATES
Show
jumping takes place daily, starting at 8:00 AM
HITS-On-The-Hudson
I May 26-30
HITS-On-The-Hudson II June 2-6
HITS-On-The-Hudson
III June 9-13
HITS-On-The-Hudson IV July 21-25
HITS-On-The-Hudson V July 28-August 1
New York Horse & Pony Show VI August 4-8
HITS-On-The-Hudson VII September 1-5
FEATURED
EVENTS:
$25,000 Grand Prix Every Thursday
$75,000
Grand Prix Every Sunday
SPECIAL
EVENTS:
Week I, Grand Opening - Sunday, May 30th
Week
II, Antique Show Saturday, June 5th and Sunday, June 6th
Week
III, Equine Art Exhibit Saturday, June 12th and Sunday, June
13th
Week
IV, Taste of the Hudson Valley Saturday, July 24th
Week
V, Chili Cookoff Saturday, July 31st
Week
VI, Kids Day Saturday, August 7th
Week
VII, Seniors Day Saturday, September 4th
HITS-On-The-Hudson www.HitsShows.com
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