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Todd
Minikus Sweeps 1-2 In The $50,000 King Shavings Grand Prix |
Culpeper,
VA (August 25, 2003)—Todd Minikus of Loxahatchee, Florida,
captured the top two spots in Sunday's $50,000 King Shavings Grand
Prix at HITS Culpeper. Minikus bested a field of twenty-one horses
to place first on Gardenio, owned by Y Z Partners LLC, and second
on Roller Coaster, owned by Elaine Decanio. Alison Firestone of
Upperville, Virginia, rode her family's Casanova to third place.
Laura Linback of Mundelein, Illinois, finished in fourth on Grand
So So, owned by Woodrun.
Seven
of the first-round horses managed to jump clean on the Danny Foster
designed course. The shortened seven-fence jump-off course posed
no problems to these same seven horses, each horse posted a double-clear.
It was up to the clock to determine the final outcome. Laura Linback
and Grand So So were the first to attempt the course, turning
in a time of 42.53 seconds to finish fourth in the competition.
Todd Minikus' and Gardenio were next to perform, turning in a
clear round in the winning time of 39.39 seconds. Sulu Rose and
Cool Waters completed the course in 43.22 seconds, good enough
for sixth place. Laura Linback took her second trip around the
ring on Remember Me 9, posting a time of 44.56 seconds for seventh
place. Alison Firestone and Casanova attempted to topple Minikus
by blazing around the course in a time of 40.90 seconds, leaving
just splits between them. Todd Minikus took another turn in the
ring with Roller Coaster. With only his own time to beat, the
pair clocked in at 40.69 seconds, securing second place. Ian Silitch
and Brave Ally were last to enter the ring, but there was no catching
Minikus. Silitch completed the course in a time of 42.59 seconds,
good enough for fifth place.
Todd
Minikus' win at Culpeper will secure him a place at the National
Indoor Finals for the New Marshall & Sterling League and the
Invitational Finals for the King Shavings U.S. Grand Prix League.
The New Marshall & Sterling League will hold its inaugural
National Indoor Finals September 17-21, at Worcester's Centrum
Centre in Worcester, Massachusetts, and will offer a $100,000
Grand Prix on Sunday, September 21st. Thirty riders will be accepted
based on national standings. Those lucky qualifiers will have
the exceptional opportunity to ride in two back-to-back $100,000
Grand Prix, first at the Marshall & Sterling National Indoor
Finals, and a week later at the King Shavings US Grand Prix League
(USGPL) Invitational Finals.
Show
jumping will resume at HITS Commonwealth Park, Culpeper, with
the King Shavings USGPL Invitational Finals, September 24-28.
The King Shavings USGPL will feature the $15,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner
Low Invitational, $25,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner High Invitational,
$25,000 Pre-Green Hunter Invitational Classic, sponsored by Stillwell-Hansen
and Four Winds Farm, and of course the $100,000 Invitational Grand
Prix which will be the Grand Finale of the circuit.
HITS
CULPEPER: HITS Commonwealth Park, 13256 Commonwealth Parkway,
Culpeper, VA 22701. Telephone during horse shows: (540) 825-7469
$50,000 King Shavings Grand Prix - Sunday, August 24, 2003
HITS Culpeper, Constitution Classic - Culpeper, VA
Danny Foster, Ontario, Canada: Course Designer
Place Horse Rider Owner Prize Money Rd 1 Faults Rd 2 Faults JO
Time
1st Gardenio Todd Minikus Y Z Partners LLC $15,000 0 0 39.39
2nd Roller Coaster Todd Minikus Elaine Decanio $11,000 0 0 40.69
3rd Casanova Alison Firestone M/M Bertram Firestone $6,500 0 0
40.90
4th Grand So So Laura Linback Woodrun $4,000 0 0 42.53
5th Brave Ally
Ian Silitch November Hill Farm $3,000 0 0 42.59
6th Cool Waters Sulu Rose The Galloping Field $2,500 0 0 43.22
7th Remember Me 9 Laura Linback Woodrun $2,000 0 0 44.56
8th Iceberg Alison Firestone M/M Bertram Firestone $1,500 4
9th Graf Rossini S Mary-Lisa Leffler Bruch Chovnick LLC $1,500
4
10th Thrilled Todd Minikus Y Z Partners LLC $1,000 7
11th Matilde Lina Manuel Torres Andrea Torres $1,000 8
12th Espadon V Michael Walton Penlyn Farm $1,000 8
www.HitsShows.com
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