British Columbia Equine ...On-Line News: Two-time Olympian Robert Ridland has Been Invited to Round Out the Field

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Two-time Olympian Robert Ridland has Been Invited to Round Out the Field

for the $200,000 Invitational Grand Prix of the Desert

March 12, 2008

Thermal, CA --- HITS is pleased to announce that Robert Ridland has accepted an invitation to compete in the $200,000 Invitational Grand Prix of the Desert on Sunday, March 16 at HITS Thermal.

“In our inaugural year of offering an Invitational in California, we were aiming to bring together the absolute best riders in the state,” said HITS President and CEO Tom Struzzieri. “And, it goes without saying, no list would be complete without Olympic veteran Robert Ridland.”

With the addition of Ridland to the field, Sunday's class is complete and will feature the top performers based on Grand Prix prize money won during the 2008 HITS Desert Circuit. The Invitational Show Committee has awarded two invitations to riders not otherwise qualified for the class. Will Simpson, one of the riders recently short-listed to be named to the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, was the first rider to receive an invitation, followed by Ridland.

Ridland is a two-time member of the U.S. Olympic Team and served as color analyst for NBC during the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, as well as the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. He also runs several horse shows in California throughout the year.

"Robert Ridland's credentials speak for themselves," said HITS' High-Performance Liaison Dale Harvey. "We are excited that he will be competing in the class. He brings a ton of valuable experience into the show ring."

Joie Gatlin sits on top of the mountain in the standings and will have the advantage of going last in Sunday's $200,000 Invitational Grand Prix. It is expected that she will ride her mount Cameron Hills Shan Roe in the class. Together, the pair accumulated $61,000 in Grand Prix prize money to earn the top spot; however, the qualified riders may ride any horse they chose.

"There is a lot of prize money on the line Sunday," said Gatlin. "It should be a fantastic class, especially now, since Will Simpson and Robert Ridland will be competing."

Joining Gatlin in the top five are Rich Fellers, John Pearce, Mandy Porter and Jill Henselwood, respectively. Rich Fellers and his mount Flexible dominated the $50,000 Tourneau FEI World Cup Qualifiers, presented by Adequan as they won three out of the four classes. Joie Gatlin and Cameron Hills Shan Roe were responsible for breaking Fellers' winning streak during DC IV.

"What a great way to close out the circuit," said Pearce. "Personally, HITS Thermal was great for me and a win in this class would certainly be an exclamation point."

The Invitational is the crown jewel of the new Desert Circuit Championship, which will close out the season with 17 different championship classes, including the R.W. "Ronnie" Mutch Equitation Classic and the $10,000 ASG Software Solutions/USHJA International Hunter Derby Classic.

HITS, Inc. is a special events management company primarily focused on producing hunter/jumper horse shows. Based in upstate New York in the village of Saugerties, HITS produced its first horse show circuit in Gainesville, Florida in 1982. Since that time, HITS has grown into a nationwide company with world-class hunter/jumper circuits in California, Florida, Arizona, New York and Virginia.

For more information and a complete schedule of classes and events, visit www.HitsShows.com.

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