HITS bows $1 Million Grand Prix in Thermal

By Paula Parisi May 1, 2012

 

We’d call him the $2 million man, except he is priceless! HITS president and CEO Tom Struzzieri is giving the U.S. its second seven-figure grand prix, the Thermal $1 Million, to cap the West Coast’s winter season, falling at the end of the Dessert Circuit in Thermal, CA, beginning in 2013.

The class will culminate a new high-performance show jumping league that networks the shows of three other West Coast event managers―Dale Harvey, Larry Langer and Robert Ridland―to form the Thermal Million Grand Prix League, comprised of 15 West Coast competitions.

The move is a huge coup for the West Coast show jumping community, since there are only a handful of $1 million classes in the world. Previously the top money class in the Pacific region was the $200,000 HITS Lamborghini Grand Prix of the Desert, so this ups the ante quite a bit.

Struzzieri said that while the idea was the result of brainstorming over the last 24 months with the other show organizers about “really helping raise the level of high performance show jumping on the West Coast. Candidly, few of us think we’re well-served by the World Cup Qualifiers.”

The Fédération Equestre Internationale’s decision to reduce by three the number of World Cup qualifiers held on the West Coast  for the 2012/2013 season.  “We wanted to control our own destiny with a team effort that gave us a qualifying series that culminated in a big class. This is not the last of our thoughts that way, but it’s the first,” Struzzieri said by phone from an office at his new Diamond Mills Hotel in Saugerties yesterday. “We wanted to make sure we could replicate some of the importance of those [World Cup classes] with something that we did ourselves.”

“This is incredible news,” said Rich Fellers, winner of this year’s World Cup, April 22 in ’s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. “I thought I was excited about winning the World Cup Final, but I have to say I’m pretty excited about having a million dollar class in Thermal. It’s fantastic for the sport and will be a draw for even more competitors to come west in the winter.”

As with the HITS Pfizer $1 Million which bowed two years ago as the finale to the HITS on the Hudson circuit in Saugerties, NY, the Thermal $1 Million will require riders and horses to qualify as a single unit by competing in previously identified classes. Riders will qualify for the Thermal Million based on prize money won in grand prix at the participating shows and must compete in at least four Grand Prix during four different weeks at the HITS Desert Circuit shows to qualify.

Money won will be calculated by rider/horse combination with the rider’s top money winning horse determining the rider’s final ranking. The top 40 riders in terms of prize money on the Thermal Million Grand Prix Rider Rankings will qualify.

Blenheim Summer Classic II, August 14-19
Showpark Summer Classic, August 22-26
Showpark Summer Tournament, August 29 – September 2
Blenheim Fall Tournament, September 12-16
LA International Jumping Fest, September 19-23
Sacramento Int’l – WC Week, October 2-7
Del Mar Fall Festival II, October 24-28
LA National, November 6-11

In addition to the top 40 qualified riders, the League will have the option to choose five additional riders as Manager Picks. One Wild Card slot will be awarded to the winner of a Wild Card Grand Prix, which will be held during the 2013 Desert Circuit and the top performing grand prix rider at the six-week HITS Arizona Winter Circuit will also qualify. Like the Pfizer Million, prize money and ribbons will be awarded to the top 20 finishers with first place receiving a check for $350,000.

“No question, this should be a big boost for the sport in the West Coast and nationwide as well,” Ridland said.

HITS will continue to host FEI World Cup qualifiers during weeks II, III, and IV of the 2013 Desert Circuit, albeit three this year instead of four.

“Thermal this year was dual purpose as far as Flexible was concerned,” said Fellers. “We were preparing both for the Olympic trials and the World Cup Finals, so it was doubly important. I’ve always believed that there’s plenty of great opportunity to prepare horses on the west coast without having to travel east and the level of show jumping is certainly on par. We just don’t have the same numbers yet, but even that’s changing.”

Fellers went on to say that the news of a million dollar class in Thermal would most certainly further that dynamic and give high performance riders a reason to want to spend more time jumping in California as opposed to the East Coast.

Complete specifications and qualifying criteria for the Thermal Million Grand Prix League will be available soon on the HITS website. The 2013 HITS Desert Circuit will begin Tuesday, January 22. Preparations for the show schedule and prize list have already begun and HITS will be meeting with its Trainer & High Performance Committee to solicit feedback and ideas for the upcoming show season.

“This past season in Thermal was a true tipping point,” Struzzieri said. “The atmosphere was phenomenal and the contribution from the West Coast in our sport is as strong as it’s ever been, as evidenced by Rich Feller’s recent World Cup victory and Robert’s [Ridland] appointment as the Chef d’Equipe. There is an electricity of excitement happening west of the Mississippi and by collaborating with Dale, Larry and Robert we have yet another product that should ignite a spark in American show jumping.”

 

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