OCALA, FL (March 20, 2025) - Kyle King certainly took advantage of his second chance in Sunday’s $100,000 Footing AuthorityTM Grand Prix of Ocala, presented by Great American Insurance Group. Aboard Spitfire, King beat out eight other competitors and scored the triumph to conclude the Ocala Winter Finals at HITS Post Time Farm.
King brought two mounts into course designer Buddy Brown’s jump-off course. Aboard Capone I, he dropped a rail resulting in a fifth place finish. Just two trips later aboard Spitfire, he made his mark navigating the course unscathed setting the Great American Time to Beat at 46.148. Canadian Olympian, Beth Underhill, was next to show and posted the only other clear round in the jump-off. Her time of 48.835 aboard Magdaline would only be good enough for second place, as she collected $22,000 in prize money.
“I have been showing in Ocala all of my life,” said King. “I’ve never won the big class. But I knew this horse gave me the best chance I have ever had. He is just a winning machine.”
Spitfire is a 9-year-old French Gelding. King has had the ride since August and won a blue ribbon in their first class together and was second in their first Grand Prix together. King collected $30,000 in prize money for owner, Linda Opdycke. “From the moment I got on this horse we haven’t looked back,” he said. “On Sunday, we just wanted to keep all the rails up. I had a definite advantage with two horses in the jump-off.”
According to King, in his first trip he dropped fence 17 in the jump-off because he miscalculated and took an inside turn. The next time around he made an adjustment and was able to make it all the way home clean. “A lot of people seemed to have trouble at that jump,” he said. “It was a perfect course for that level of competition. It was long and technical and everyone had rails down all over the course. Buddy Brown did a fantastic job. He got 10 competitors to come back for the jump-off and that made the crowd happy. It was just a great day for everyone involved.”
King and Spitfire also won the $25,000 Ariat Grand Prix during week III at HITS Ocala. King was not the only rider receiving accolades this week, the leading Grand Prix Rider award went to Tracy Magness. She won three Grand Prix classes at HITS Post Time Farm this season for Mr. and Mrs. John Bartko. Magness finished out of the money on Sunday.
“She was fantastic this circuit,” said HITS President Tom Struzzieri. “It was unfortunate that she didn’t make it into the jump-off on Sunday but three wins is something for her to be extremely proud of.”
Now that the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit has come to an end, Tom Struzzieri and company will shift their focus to the upcoming spring and summer shows. HITS Culpeper is up next with the first week of show jumping for 2007 beginning on Wednesday, April 25 with the Commonwealth National featuring the $50,000 EMO Grand Prix on Sunday, April 29. After that, the spring season of HITS Saugerties is set to get underway on May 30 with three consecutive weeks of shows. The $22,500 Children’s/Adult Championship and the $40,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Championship will close out the spring shows during week III at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York.
Since its introduction in 1982, the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit has become a fixture on the East Coast show jumping circuit. Each winter, the Ocala Circuit attracts national and international participants from the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe. Classes offered range from the Grand Prix show jumping classes to a selection of divisions for both the beginning and experienced rider. Located in Ocala/Marion County, the heart of Florida’s horse country, the area is home to over 600 horse farms and hundreds of supporting facilities and businesses. HITS moved the Ocala horse shows from the 100-acre Golden Hills International Show Grounds to the circuit’s new home, the 300+ acre Post Time Farm in 2002. HITS Post Time Farm is located just a few miles west of the Golden Hills International Show Grounds on Highway 27. The Post Time Training Center was originally built for thoroughbred racehorses. The facility is professionally landscaped and features gated entrances, 52 miles of four-board fencing, 26 permanent barns that house 500 stalls, numerous paddocks, bridle paths, and additional buildings for the horse show office, restaurant, and on-site school.
In January 2006, HITS entered into a private equity arrangement with Leonard Green & Partners, L.P. in Los Angeles. As a result, HITS, Inc. is able to develop and execute exciting operational and strategic initiatives that both solidifies its well-established position as the leader in horse show management and allows for new growth opportunities including the construction of the new HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, California.
Results
1 Spitfire Kyle King Linda Opdycke $30,000 0 0 46.14
2 Magdaline Beth Underhill Beth Underhill $22,000 0 0 48.35
3 Chambacunero Manuel Torres Ana Maria Cadena $13,000 0 1 50.87
4 Heaven Bound Derek Petersen Derek Petersen $8,000 0 4 47.25
5 Capone I Kyle King Corrine Super $6,000 0 4 47.40
6 Jestar Du Lozon Derek Braun Split Rock Farm $5,000 0 6 51.07
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