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Canadian
Ian Millar Wins $50,000 HITS Ocala Grand Prix |
Ian Millar of Perth,
Ontario, a perennial favorite of show jumping fans world wide, led the
victory gallop of the $50,000 HITS Ocala Grand Prix at the new HITS Post
Time show facility on State Highway 27. A total of 26 horses competed
under gloomy skies and persistent rain around a course designed by Danny
Foster of Georgetown, Ontario, Canada. Foster's Round-one course included
a total of 13 efforts, including a triple at fence 5a, b, and c. At the
end of round one, only four horse-and-rider pairs had managed to turn
in a clean effort in today's King Shavings U.S. Grand Prix League event.
Of these, with McGee and Abby Converse just exceeded the 88 -second time-allowed,
resulting in 1/2 -fault time penalty and fourth place finish.
Keean White and Arriscaft
Libidou were the first pair to return for the jump-off. Like Millar, White
also hails from Ontario. The pair's jump-off time of 59.813 proved to
be the slowest of the afternoon and, their time, along with a rail at
Fence 10, dropped them to a third-place finish that earned them a prize
money check in the amount of $6,500.
Courtney Phibbs of
Solebury, PA was the second around during the jump-off aboard Snepts.
The pair turned in a faultless effort with a time of 55.674 seconds that
resulted in a second-place finish and a check in the amount of $11,000.
Millar had the advantage
of riding last in the jump-off, so he could plan his strategy based on
the performances of the other two riders. Riding Micos, owned by Todd
and Nancy Snell, he knew that he needed both a faster time than Phibbs
and a fault-free round. Millar used his well-honed Olympic skills to negotiate
Foster's course with no rails down in a time of 51.532 to take home the
blue ribbon and a check in the amount of
$15,000.
Show jumping action
continues at HITS Post Time in Ocala with the running of the $100,000
King Shavings Grand Prix on Sunday, March 10, beginning at 2:00 PM.
For Agate Records:
$50,000 HITS Ocala Grand Prix
March 3, 2002 - Ocala, FL
Course Designer: Danny Foster-Georgetown, Ontario, Canada
Place/Horse/ Rider/
Owner/ Faults - Time/ Prize Money
1/Micos/Ian Millar/Todd and Nancy Snell/0,0-51.532/$15,000
2 Snepts /Courtney Phibbs/Court-Lin-Frae Farm/0,0-55.674/$11,000
3 Arriscaft Libidou/ Keean White/Randy & Keenan White/0,4-59.813/$6,500
4 McGee/Abby Converse/Abby Converse/.5-n/a/$4,000
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