Written by: Jennifer Wood Client:HITS-on-the-Hudson and Culpepper Release Date:2009-05-06
Saugerties, NY - May 6, 2009 - The HITS Saugerties Spring and Summer Show Series will offer eight weeks of top notch competition this year, May 20-June 7, July 15-August 2, and August 26-September 13. But in between shows is another opportunity for equestrians. The HITS-on-the-Hudson facility will be open for layover stabling, and trainers are taking advantage of what it has to offer.
Permanent Stabling, a maintained riding area, and spacious grassy paddocks, as well as RV hook-ups are available in specially priced packages between the shows. Several trainers, including Candice King, Gary Duffy and Bert Mutch, have already made plans to make HITS-on-the-Hudson their home for the summer.
Show jumper Candice King plans to show throughout the summer at HITS Saugerties with 16 to 18 horses. She is a returning customer to Saugerties, and this is the second time that she has taken advantage of the facility for layover stabling.
“For the costs and logistics, it just makes sense,” King acknowledged. “Everyone is very accommodating at Saugerties. It’s a nice central location for me. It’s close to the highway and wherever you would want to go show. The stabling is good, the footing is good, and the accommodations are great. We have a bus, and my owners have a bus, so that housing is really easy there. We’re a little bit removed from the city, so the cost is a little less for me, my grooms, and my owners. It’s a nice area, and it’s quiet.”
King believes that having her horses at HITS Saugerties will save money and provides younger horses with more familiarity at competitions. “The main reason is economic, to be proactive for the year. I’ve got a lot of nice young horses that need experience and exposure to a show situation,” she explained. “We thought this would be a nice time to not go to a private farm, and we made the decision to layover at Saugerties. I’ll definitely be showing all of those weeks and have horses that interchange which weeks they show.”
Trainer Gary Duffy is also going to stable his horses at HITS Saugerties this year. His Little Brook Farm will keep 15 horses at the facility, and he plans to have other local clients meet him at the HITS Saugerties shows. Although Duffy usually works out of his farm in Ithaca, NY, during the summer, he found that it will be more economical to keep his barn closed this year and use Saugerties as his base.
“Saugerties is a lot closer to the shows that we will do this year,” Duffy pointed out. “The shipping costs will be greatly reduced. This is our first trial run in the 30-odd years that I have been in business where I’m changing the plan. I’m going to keep the horses at the horse show instead of going home and bringing the horses to the shows. We’ll already be at the facility. From Saugerties, the longest drive I have to other shows in between is three hours. It’s a lot better.”
“I’m quite excited about it,” Duffy went on to say. “HITS helped us get a house to rent and got it organized. It’s nice that we have a house this year for my wife Donna, my youngest daughter Kelsey, and me. The riding ring that we have right in front of the barn is great, and Tom has organized for us to have paddocks.”
Duffy has judged at HITS Saugerties throughout the years, but last year was the first time that he came as an exhibitor. “We had a wonderful time. Tom and everyone there were very gracious. They made us feel like they wanted us to be there,” he noted.
In addition to a useful facility, Duffy is looking forward to spending some time in the town of Saugerties. “The town is very quaint, and there are lots of unique shops. I love antiques; I’ve been in every one of them. One year I asked if they could stay open later because I was working at the show. I went back the next day, and they were open. How often do you get service like that?” he smiled.
HITS, Inc. recently revamped the footing in the grand prix ring, all of the jumper rings and schooling areas, as well as many of the hunter rings. The new footing is a mixture of sand and textiles (a fiber/felt mix) that HITS is the sole provider for, and it is the same footing used to rave reviews at the HITS Desert Circuit in Thermal, CA. HITS plans to use the old footing from the rings to improve the walkways around the competition areas.
Also at the facility are a number of parking spots for campers and RVs, which is a very cost-effective option for equestrians and their employees. Those staying in Saugerties can enjoy much of what the area has to offer. There is a wide range of activities and attractions in the Saugerties and the surrounding areas, including spas, golf, hiking, kayaking, fishing, shopping, and fine dining. A list of Fun Things to Do as well as great lodging options can be found on the HITS website.
If you are interested in reserving space for layover stabling at HITS Saugerties this year, please call Kristen Vale at 845-246-8833 or email Kristen@hitsshows.com.
The staff at HITS is happy to help exhibitors and those who are using layover stabling with their lodging arrangements. All host hotels are advertised in the prize list, but there are many more lodging choices, including area B&Bs, listed on the HITS website. In addition, HITS has an official realtor who can help find house rentals. For assistance, please visit the Lodging page or contact Missy Nevil in the HITS office at 845.246.8833 or missy@hitsshows.com.
The HITS Spring and Summer Show Series prize list has been mailed and is available online. Entries for the summer competition (starting with Week IV) are due on June 17, so please visit www.HitsShows.com for more information and to reserve your spot today.
PRIZE LIST INFORMATION
Prize List | Schedule
Online Feed & Bedding Order
HITS Saugerties Spring and Summer Show Series and the 19th Annual Marshall & Sterling League National Finals Fast Facts
EVENT:
HITS Saugerties Spring and Summer Show Series presented by HITS, Inc.
WHAT:
An eight-week hunter/jumper horse show series produced by HITS, Inc. that runs from May through September annually. The HITS Saugerties Spring and Summer Show Series offer two Grand Prix events each week. Every Grand Prix offered at HITS Saugerties is a qualifying event for the $100,000 USGPL Invitational Grand Prix, which is held each year during the USGPL Finals at HITS Commonwealth Park in Culpeper, Virginia.
The 19th Annual Marshall & Sterling League National Finals is the Grand Finale of the season and highlights the League's most accomplished riders in 12 different divisions. The Marshall & Sterling Finals marks the final week of the HITS Saugerties season each year and, in addition to the four-day competition, features the Annual Top Ten Awards Dinner, which honors the leading riders in each division based on their performance throughout the season. The League awards more than $30,000 in prize money during the National Finals.
WHERE:
HITS-on-the-Hudson
454 Washington Avenue Extension
Saugerties, NY 12477
Phone: 845.246.5515 (during horse shows)
WHEN:
Daily, Wednesday–Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during show weeks
HITS-on-the-Hudson I: May 20-24
HITS-on-the-Hudson II: May 27-31
HITS-on-the-Hudson III: June 3-7
HITS-on-the-Hudson IV: July 15-19
HITS-on-the-Hudson V: July 22-26
USEF Junior Hunter East Coast Championships: July 27-29
NY Horse & Pony Show (VI): July 29 - August 2
HITS-on-the-Hudson VII: August 26-30
New in 2009! HITS-on-the-Hudson VIII: September 2-6
Marshall & Sterling League National Finals: September 10-13
ADMISSION:
Wednesday – Friday: Free
Saturday & Sunday: Adults $5, children under the age of 12 get free admission. All proceeds from the gate go directly to Family of Woodstock, Inc., a non-for-profit organization serving Ulster County.
DIRECTIONS:
The HITS Saugerties Show Series are held at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York, located just two miles from Exit 20 on the NYS Thruway.
Trucks From The North: Exit 20 off of Interstate 87 (New York State Thruway) After tollbooth, turn right onto State Route 32 North and go 1.5 miles Bear slight right at Y, and go 0.1 miles to 4-way stop Turn right at 4-way stop onto Malden Tpke. (County Rt 34) and go 1.6 miles Turn right onto Route 9W South and go 0.4 miles Turn right onto Krout Road Show grounds will be on left
Trucks From The South: Exit 20 off of Interstate 87 (New York State Thruway) After tollbooth, turn left onto Ulster Avenue and go 0.2 miles Turn right and follow State Route 32 North for 1.6 miles Bear slight right at Y and come to 4-way stop. - 0.1 miles Turn right at 4-way stop and go 1.6 miles Turn right onto Route 9W South and go 0.4 miles Turn right onto Krout Road. Show grounds will be on left
Cars From The North: Exit 20 off of Interstate 87 (New York State Thruway) After tollbooth, turn right onto State Route 32 North and go 1.0 miles Turn right onto Peoples Road and go 0.9 miles Turn left after train tracks onto Canoe Hill Road and go 0.5 miles Canoe Hill Road becomes Krout Road - 0.8 miles Show grounds will be 1.8 miles on right
Cars From The South: Exit 20 off of Interstate 87 (New York State Thruway) After tollbooth, turn left onto Ulster Avenue 0.2 miles Turn right onto State Route 32 North and go 1.0 miles Turn right onto Peoples Road and go 0.9 miles Turn left after train tracks onto Canoe Hill Road and go 0.5 miles Canoe Hill Road becomes Krout Road - 0.8 miles Show grounds will be 1.8 miles on right
SPECTATOR PARKING& ENTRANCE: Gates D or E only. Parking is free.
EXHIBITOR ENTRANCES:
Gate A – Permanent Stabling, Gold Stalls
Gates B & C – Permanent Stabling, Silver Stalls
Gates D & E – Tent Stabling & Ship-In
Gate F – Trailer and RV Parking
THE FACILITY:
HITS-on-the-Hudson, Saugerties, New York The HITS equestrian facility is nestled at the foothills of the Catskill Mountains, just one mile outside the village of Saugerties. The show grounds feature 10 different competition rings, including a Grand Prix ring, a Main Hunter ring, two jumper rings, four hunter rings, an equitation ring and six separate schooling areas. Spectator seating is available at every ring and in the VIP Pavilion, which overlooks the Grand Prix ring. Spectator parking is located off the Washington Avenue entrances at Gates D or E. For a map of the property, please click here.
REFRESHMENTS:
HITS-on-the-Hudson offers an on-site Food Service Pavilion and Ice Cream Parlor featuring an assortment of frozen delights and Starbucks coffee. The HITS Bar and Grill serves up pizza and cold beer in a spacious air-conditioned lounge. Spectators can grab some lunch and find a grassy spot on the berm while watching some of the world's best show jumping with the entire family right here in the Hudson Valley.
SHOPPING:
The HITS Saugerties Mall features clothing, tack, fine jewelry, custom footwear, art and photography, and custom HITS souvenirs.
LODGING:
(in Saugerties & Kingston, more listed online and in the prize list)
Holiday Inn | 845.338.0400
Comfort Inn | 845.246.1565
Marriott Courtyard | 845.382.2300
Howard Johnson Inn 845.246.9511
Quality Inn & Suites | 845.339.3900
Rodeway Inn 845.331.2900
HITS-TORY:
The HITS-on-the-Hudson equestrian facility was inaugurated in the spring of 2004. In just five years, the HITS Saugerties horse show circuit has become a mecca for East Coast horsemen hosting the largest hunter/jumper horse shows offered during the spring and summer in the United States.
During the course of the circuit, the HITS-on-the-Hudson equestrian facility offers stabling for over 2,000 horses, more than 250 different classes each week, and over $1 million in prize money, more than any other circuit during the spring and summer. Riders of all levels, including current and former Olympians – as well as some of the most popular up-and-coming riders – compete at HITS Saugerties. Each year, on average more than 3,000 horses, 4,500 horseman and 2,500 spectators attend HITS Saugerties and more than $1 million in prize money is awarded throughout the seven-week season.
The economic impact of the HITS Saugerties Show Series on the surrounding community is estimated at $50 million, which reflects spending on food, lodging, living expenses and entertainment in the area during the series of shows.
