![Aaron_Vale_and_Tarco_on_course_at_HITS_Culpeper_[2]](http://farmvet.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/aaron_vale_and_tarco_on_course_at_hits_culpeper_22.jpg?w=640 "Aaron_Vale_and_Tarco_on_course_at_HITS_Culpeper_[2]")
CULPEPER, VA (July 13, 2009) —The Cavalier Classic came to a close on Sunday with High-Performance rider Aaron Vale leading Joan Kalman’s Tarco to the blue in the $40,000 Strongid C2 X Grand Prix at HITS Commonwealth Park, in Culpeper, Virginia.
Vale posted the fastest double-clear effort out of the 34 riders that tested course designer Doug Russell’s track, including the ten horse-and-rider pairs that advanced to the jump-off.
Hollberg’s time didn’t last long because Fenney returned with MTM Centano for her second round of the jump-off and became the new class leader when she stopped the clocks in 38.546.
Tracey Weinberg would show next aboard Linda Z. They jumped clean in 38.606 to finish in third place. Vale and Tarco were eighth in the jump-off order and made the dash for the cash in 37.409 to overtake the lead and, eventually, win the blue at the end of the class.
“I have gone up against Tracy and that horse a ton of times and they always seem to be just a hair faster,” said Vale. “Tracy is always determined to go fast, so I wasn’t too confident going in.”
“I did get a chance to see her go and noticed she didn’t step on it when she was going over the triple bar at the end of the course,” he continued. “Once I got through with the parts on the course that I was worried about, I went hell bent for leather over the triple bar and left all the jumps standing, so it worked out!”
Chuck Waters and 747 would show ninth and they jumped clean in 39.411 to grab fourth place. The final ride of the jump-off belonged to Weisberg and her second trip of the round; this time it was aboard Cromwell. The duo had four faults and finished in ninth place.
The Grand Prix win was the icing on the cake for Vale and his clients at Thinkslikeahorse. Vale won countless ribbons in the Grand Prix Ring and the Weekly Championship aboard his Pre-Green horse Tippecanoe.
Claudia Billups, who rides under the watchful eye of Vale, also had a tremendous week. Riding her horse Rockefeller, she won the $10,000 Jr/A-O Jumper Classic and had some other impressive ribbons along the way.
“Sunday was a big day for Claudia,” said Vale. “She was a star! There were fifty horses in the Lows and for her to be first and third against that level of competition is tremendous. She rides as a 13-year-old and to have this much success early is a very good thing!”
Show jumping at HITS Culpeper takes a short break and returns in August with the Winston National (August 12-16) and Constitution Classic (August 19-23). Highlighting the shows in August is the Tad Coffin Zone III Equitation Finals. For more information on the August shows, please click here.
HITS, Inc. is a special events management company primarily focused on producing hunter/jumper horse shows. Based in upstate New York in the village of Saugerties, HITS produced its first horse show circuit in Gainesville, Florida in 1982. Since that time, HITS has grown into a nationwide company with world-class hunter/jumper circuits in California, Florida, Arizona, New York and Virginia.
For more information and a complete schedule of classes and events, visit www.HitsShows.com.
Media should contact Chris Mayone at 845.246.8833 or e-mail Media_Info@HitsShows.com.
