John Pearce and Archie Bunker take home the blue ribbon in the $75,000 Footing Authority Grand Prix at HITS Thermal

THERMAL, CA (March 5, 2007) When Canadian Olympian John Pearce and his mount Archie Bunker cleared the final hurdle on course designer Danny Foster’s jump-off route it was like a piano was lifted off his back.

Pearce, who dominated the Desert Circuit in 2006, has been winless at HITS’ new facility in Thermal, California; however, he was the only rider to negotiate a double clear round on Sunday, as he captured the $75,000 Footing Authority Grand Prix.

“I needed that for sure,” said Pearce. “I had been a little unlucky here so far. But sometimes in life you need to go through a stretch like that to keep your ego in check.”

Pearce had the last-to-ride position in the jump-off that included only one other rider, Richard Spooner. Spooner and Airtime clipped the final hurdle of the jump-off course resulting in a four fault score. However, his time of 42.81 was very fast and put the pressure on Pearce.

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“Richard had me in a tight situation,” said Pearce. “I was debating on going quick or going clean. After I jumped the second jump, I started to slow down and it worked out for me.”

Pearce stopped the clocks in 50.43 to secure $22,500 in prize money. Fellow Team Canada member Jill Henselwood was the first to greet him after the triumph. “Oh Canada,” she said with a hug near the Grand Prix schooling ring.

Pearce and Henselwood could find themselves representing their country at April’s World Cup, in Las Vegas. Pearce is currently first in the standings and should earn a spot with a pedestrian finish in the World Cup qualifier, next weekend at HITS Thermal. Henselwood could clinch a spot as well with at least a sixth place finish.

As well as being a qualifier for the World Cup, next Sunday’s $150,000 HITS Grand Prix of the Desert, presented by Cessna Aircraft Corporation, offers the largest amount of prize money for any single class west of the Mississippi. Henselwood took home the blue ribbon aboard Black Ice in the same class last year.

“Winning the big money next week will make up for my slow start,” said Pearce. “I still won’t be the leading money winner at HITS Thermal like I was last year, but it will help.”

Thirty-four competitors took on Foster’s first round course with only Pearce and Spooner advancing to the jump-off. Three horse/rider combinations had one time fault. “Great riders always seem to find a way to win,” said Foster. “Was the course tough? Yes. But there are two schools of looking at it. This is a big show and a place like HITS needs to set the standard for horse shows. The top riders want it that way.”

Audra Fleck-Snijders and Rainland Mel secured a third place finish with their lone fault. One of the hottest young riders in the world, Jill Humphry was fourth and fifth aboard Felix 360 and Kaskaya. She had both rides for Leone Equestrian and secured $10,500 in prize money. “It doesn’t get much better than Jill,” said horse owner Rudy Leone.

Humphry is second in the FEI West Coast World Cup standings. The 24-year-old old trails Spooner, who has secured one of the three spots already. Dueling it out for the third and final position on Sunday will be Rich Fellers and Mandy Porter.

The HITS Desert Circuit returns on Tuesday, March 6. On Friday, March 9, the featured class will be the $30,000 Ariat Grand Prix. And on Sunday, March 11, the featured class will be the $150,000 HITS Grand Prix of the Desert, presented by Cessna Aircraft Corporation as the 2007 HITS Desert Circuit comes to a close.

For the past 15 years, HITS has produced a six-week winter horse show circuit in Indio, California. The 2007 HITS Desert Circuit is being held just five miles from its previous home at the new, state-of-the-art HITS Desert Horse Park equestrian facility on Airport Boulevard in Thermal, California.

The new horse park is the largest Hunter/Jumper horse show venue in the United States and has more than $10,000,000 in improvements, including stabling for more than 3,000 horses and 12 competition rings. HITS Thermal also features the new state-of-the-art footing provided by Footing Authority .

In January 2006, HITS entered into a private equity arrangement with Leonard Green & Partners, L.P. in Los Angeles. As a result, HITS, Inc. is able to develop and execute exciting operational and strategic initiatives that both solidify its well-established position as the leader in horse show management and allows for new growth opportunities including the construction of the HITS Desert Horse Park. HITS generates significant economic impact in each of its five venues in California, Arizona, Florida, Virginia and New York