SAUGERTIES, NY - Kitt Ritter’s trip to HITS Saugerties from Charleston, South Carolina certainly paid off as she walked out of the state-of-the art equestrian facility as the Champion of the 2006 ASPCA Maclay Region 2 Finals.
The Regional Finals was the next-to-last stop for riders on the road to the much-coveted Maclay National Championship that will be held in Syracuse, NY in November. The Maclay Regional Finals represent the Pinnacle of Junior Equitation Competition in the United States. Junior Riders competed during the year in the ASPCA Horsemanship Class held at hundreds of horse shows throughout the country all with the same goal of accumulating enough points to qualify for the Regional Finals. Sixty riders competed in Saugerties at the Regional Finals with Ritter coming out on top.
Ritter and her mount Cadeau were one of six pairs asked to come back for additional testing. Coming into the final test, Ritter was in fourth place. “She had a beautiful and elegant round,” said her trainer Andre Dignelli. “I thought her performance in the third round was good enough to win because everyone in front of her had minor errors.”
Cadeau is leased by Ritter from Heritage Farm. The horse is an eight year old German-bred that Ritter has been riding for over a year.Dignelli, who runs Heritage Farm with his brother Michael, also trains Addison Phillips, the winner of the USHJA Hunterdon Cup, sponsored by World Equestrian Brands held at HITS Saugerties in July.
The event required junior riders to compete over at least eight fences at 3′6″. Then two groups were invited back for the under saddle phase where they were asked to walk, trot and canter their horses. Finally, the top six riders were asked to come back for additional testing that eventually determined the champion. The six riders asked to come back were Elizabeth Lubrano, Alyssa Grieco, Emma Lipman, Kacey Mccann, Maria Schaub and Ritter. Shaub, who lives in Holmdel, NJ was named the Reserve Champion.
“I showed all over Florida and the rest of the East Coast this year,” said Ritter. “It was a lot of hard work but I have a great trainer and he told me that if I put in the time I would have a great year. All of my hard work is paying off.”
“She has good style and a good brain,” said Dignelli. “When she goes to Syracuse, I definitely think she has a great shot at competing for for the Championship when she is up there.”
“I am going to Syracuse to do my best,” she added. “Lets hope my best is better than everyone else’s.”
Another notable finish was Phillips, who finished seventh aboard Icon.
Course Designer Jerry Dougherty’s route got high praise from several trainers after the event. The consensus was that the course was “just right” with pretty much everyone getting around but hard enough to separate the best from the rest.
Show jumping at HITS Saugerties resumes on September 14-17 when HITS proudly hosts the 2006 Marshall & Sterling League Finals. The Marshall & Sterling League offers members the opportunity to compete throughout the year for points that will earn them a place at the Marshall & Sterling League Finals Horse Show. If you’re interested in becoming a member for 2007 please call a Marshall & Sterling League Representative at 845.246.8833 or visit the Marshall & Sterling League section of the HITS Website.
HITS wraps up its season with the USGPL Finals at HITS Culpeper September 27-October 1. The week of exciting show jumping features the $10,000 Pre-Green Hunter Classic, the $15,000 Junior/A-O Jumper Low Classic, the $25,000 Junior/AO Jumper High Classic, the $25,000 Wild Card Grand Prix and the $100,000 USGPL Invitational Grand Prix in its final week in Culpeper. There is no question that this prestigious event saves the best for last, as the lineup includes $175,000 in prize money for special classes alone.
The USGPL Finals will be the last HITS Horse Show before HITS switches to International Surfaces Group (ISG) footing at most of its locations. ISG is proudest of its revolutionary dust-free footing that allows horses to compete under a wide range of weather conditions while minimizing the risk of injury.
For more information about show jumping at HITS Saugerties as well as all other HITS venues call 845.246.8833 or visit the HITS website www.HitsShows.com.
2006 ASPCA Zone 2 Maclay Regional Finals, September 4, 2025
1 Kitt Ritter Charleston, SC
2 Maria Schaub Holmdel, NJ
3 Kacey McCann Palmyra, PA
4 Emma Lipman Bedford, NY
5 Alyssa Grieco Mahwah, NJ
6 Elizabeth Lubrano Glenmore, PA
7 Addison Phillips New York, NY
8 Hillary Dobbs Sussex, NJ
9 Jessica Springsteen Colt’s Neck, NJ
10 Alexandra Duval Cold Spring Harbor, NY
You must be logged in to post a comment.