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This year, HITS Saugerties will offer seven weeks of AA-rated hunter/jumper competition at its state-of-the-art facility, HITS-on-the-Hudson. Weeks V and VI of the series are your "Home for the Hunters" this year, and they will offer very special events for hunter competitors, including the 2009 USEF Junior Hunter Championships- East Coast, the $5,000 Pony Commotion Hunter Classic, and the $10,000 ASG Software Solutions/USHJA International Hunter Derby.

This marks the fifth year that the USEF Junior Hunter Championships- East Coast have been held at the HITS Saugerties. This year, the Championships will be held on July 27-29 (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday between HITS V & VI) and will offer $50,000 in prize money.

The Championships feature competition for Small Juniors 15 and Under, Large Juniors 15 and Under, Small Juniors 16-17 and Large Juniors 16-17. Also held during this competition is the popular and prestigious Hunterdon Cup, which offers an exciting equitation championship for junior riders. Equitation classes continue with the USEF/Pessoa Hunter Seat Medal, the ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship Medal, and the WIHS Equitation Classic.

This year, HITS, Inc. is extending a very special offer to competitors at the USEF Junior Hunter Championships. Those competitors who stay and show at Weeks V and VI (the weeks before and after the finals) will receive their stall for free during the finals, which is a $200 value per stall.

Don Stewart, Jr., a prominent trainer from Ocala, FL, will be bringing horses and students to the HITS Saugerties show series for the fourth year in 2009. He enjoys having his students compete in the Junior Hunter Championships. "I really like the huge ring, as well as the venue," he noted. "I'm also looking forward to the upgrade in the footing that they have this year. They take pride in the jumps; they have lots of color and fill. Plus, the prize money is fabulous for the hunters."

For those riders who aspire to some day show in the Junior Hunter Championships, there is a special class offered at HITS Saugerties. Younger pony riders can look forward to the $5,000 Pony Commotion Hunter Classic on Thursday, July 30. This class will be held in the Grand Prix Ring and is a great dress rehearsal for the USEF Pony Finals the following week. The Pony Commotion Hunter Classic was such a success at last year's show that not only is it returning to HITS Saugerties, but it is being held at HITS Thermal and HITS Ocala this year as well.

The $10,000 ASG Software Solutions/USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by Dietrich Insurance and featuring Walsh Harness and Saddlery, will return this year to Saugerties as well. The popular class, termed the "grand prix for show hunters," features two rounds of competition over natural obstacles. The class will be held this year on Thursday, July 30, and will again be held in the Grand Prix Ring.

Cynthia Williams, whose New England Farm is nearby in Bedford Hills, NY, will "definitely attend" this year's series. "The Junior Hunter Championships are a big thing for us," she said. "Any time that the hunter riders can get an opportunity to ride in the Grand Prix Ring is special. These big events like the Championships, the Pony Commotion, and the Hunter Derby bring punch back to the hunters, give riders something to aspire to, and make it fun."

Williams also appreciates the showing experience with HITS. "They have an ability to bring all levels together, and they cater to everybody. They have a convenient, well-thought-out schedule. It's a great place to show," she added.

HITS, Inc. is also exploring the opportunity of adding a covered ring at the HITS-on-the-Hudson facility and hosting special night classes during the HITS Saugerties show series. More information on this exciting development will follow.