Saturday morning brought sunny skies to HITS Post Time Farm as exhibitors enjoyed a delicious lunch and anxiously awaited the day’s featured event. Saturdays during the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit bring out the best and brightest as top show jumpers contest for the ultimate prize in the grand prix. Sixteen pairings geared up for the $75,000 Ocala Marion County Grand Prix, but it was Canada’s Francois Lamontagne and Chanel du Calvaire that delivered the fastest performance to win the class.
Meghan Rowlins (CAN) built the course that would decide the fate of the event’s contenders and, with a majority of riders bringing their best efforts, saw nine clear rounds over her first track. Then it was onwards to the jump off with the likes of Tracy Fenney (USA), Aaron Vale (USA), and Devin Ryan (USA) all making their way back. Lamontagne made sure he had a good shot at the top title after qualifying both of his mounts to return for the short course, but it was his 16-year-old Belgian Sport Horse mare (Lucciano) that got the job done in a tight time of 35.43 seconds.
“She’s been going well since the beginning of the circuit this year,” Lamontagne explained. She has been feeling better and younger than ever, so she’s been going great but I just hadn’t won any grand prixs so far. Still I felt that everything was good and in the right place so it was just a matter of time and luck. All the stars were aligned today for me.