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California’s Jill Humphrey leads the way in the USGPL Standings

August 27, 2025

CULPEPER, VA (August 27, 2025)-The countdown to the USGPL Finals is in full swing with Jill Humphrey leading the pack as Grand Prix riders vie for a spot in the $100,000 USGPL Invitational Grand Prix. The USGPL Finals are the culmination of the 2007 HITS show season and take place September 26-30 at HITS Commonwealth Park in beautiful Culpeper, Virginia.

The USGPL Finals will feature the $100,000 USGPL Invitational Grand Prix on Sunday September 30. The top-30 riders in the USGPL Standings will be invited to compete in the Invitational. Grand Prix riders who are members of the Marshall & Sterling League earn points by competing throughout the season in any of the 49 Grand Prix classes offered at HITS’ shows in Thermal, California; Ocala, Florida; Tucson, Arizona; Saugerties, New York; and Culpeper, Virginia.

Thanks to a magnificent showing at HITS Thermal, California’s Jill Humphrey is sitting in the cat-bird’s seat with $78,750 won in prize money. Maryland’s Tracy Magness was named the leading Grand Prix rider at HITS Ocala this year, and her winnings from HITS Ocala and HITS Saugerties put her in second place with $60,700 in qualifying prize money. Canadian Olympian John Pearce is sitting pretty in third place with $59,150, thanks in large part to his first-place finish in the $150,000 Grand Prix of the Desert, presented by Cessna Aircraft Corporation at HITS Thermal this past March.

The top-30 also includes several former members of the United States Olympic teams including Todd Minikus, McLain Ward, Nona Garson, Anne Kursinski and last year’s winner of the $100,000 USGPL Invitational Grand Prix, Chris Kappler. In 2006, Kappler rode VDL Orame to victory to unseat three-time defending champion Aaron Vale. Vale is currently 22nd in the standings and will be looking to regain his crown.

Canadian Olympian Jill Henselwood, who recently secured the individual Gold Medal at the Pan Am Games in Brazil, will also be in the field aboard her top gun, Special Ed. “It’s a privilege to come to the Finals,” said Henselwood. “Culpeper is one of my favorite locations and I am looking forward to a great class.”

“It’s certainly shaping up to be an exciting class,” said HITS’ Senior Vice President Tony Hitchcock. “Some of the most seasoned Grand Prix riders in the world will all come to Culpeper to compete for $100,000 in prize money. It’s an event you won’t want to miss because anything can happen!”

Grand Prix riders who are not already qualified for the Invitational will have one last chance to earn a spot in the field on Friday, September 28 during the $25,000 Wild Card Grand Prix. The highest finisher in the Wild Card who is not already qualified will earn the coveted final spot in the Invitational and a chance at the winner’s share of the prize money.

Grand Prix action is not the only highlight of the week at HITS Culpeper. The USGPL Finals are a full week of competition that includes additional feature events like the $10,000 Pre-Green Hunter Classic, sponsored by Stillwell-Hansen, Inc. and Four Winds Farm, the $15,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Low Jumper Classic and the $25,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner High Jumper Classic.

“It’s been a terrific season at Culpeper. In fact, it was our biggest year since we started in 1998,” said Tom Struzzieri, President and CEO of HITS, Inc. “We’ve made some nice improvements to the property, more and more people are seeing that Culpeper is a great place to show. The Finals are going to be the perfect end to our 2007 show season.”

Show jumping at HITS Culpeper continues with the Constitution Classic, (August 29 - September 2). One of the three remaining qualifying events for the $100,000 USGPL Invitational Grand Prix takes place at during the final weeks at HITS Culpeper. The final two Grand Prix qualifiers will take place when show jumping returns to Saugerties, New York for HITS-on-the-Hudson VII, September 5 -9.

The first Culpeper Horse and Colt Show was held at Monte Vista Park in 1897 and it continued for the next 54 years. In the 1980s, show jumping returned to Culpeper in a grand fashion with the opening of Commonwealth Park, one of the finest horse-sport facilities in the country. Some of the richest show jumping events in America have been held at Commonwealth Park, including the $200,000 U.S. Cup, the grand finale for the United States Grand Prix League in 1986. HITS purchased Commonwealth Park in 1997 and began restoring the grounds to its former glory. In 1998, HITS reintroduced the United States Grand Prix League, and has presented the USGPL Finals at Commonwealth Park ever since. Approximately $1 million in total prize money is offered at the six HITS Culpeper events.

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.

Written by HITS · Filed Under Contributors, Culpeper 
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