Mary Lisa Leffler riding Gerona 92 posted the only double-clear round out of a field of 39 starters to win Sunday’s $50,000 HITS Grand Prix at HITS Ocala. Manuel Torres joined Leffler in a two-horse jump-off. Torres’ sixteen-fault round aboard Chambacunero left it wide open for Leffler to steal the win.
Anthony D’Ambrosio set a challenging first-round course with a few options to go inside or around, but if riders went too wide then the time-allowed of 86 seconds became an issue. Three riders left all the rails up, Lexy Reed and Ludwig, Aaron Vale and Droxello, and Mark Jungherr and Enterprise, but going over the time-allowed meant they were on the sidelines for the jump-off.
Mary Lisa Leffler and Manuel Torres were the only riders to conquer D’Ambrosio’s first-round test, giving the Ocala crowd a head-to-head jump-off.
Torres went first, bringing four rails down with 46.89 seconds on the clock.
It looked like an easy steal for Mary Lisa Leffler, but she wasn’t counting her chickens yet. “When Manuel had the 16 faults I thought, well, all I have to do is go around. You never know though, you could trip or you could fall. I kept her (Gerona 92) together as much as I could, and when I made the turn to the last two jumps then I relaxed and said, ‘ok we have it now.’”
Gerona 92, owned by Rolling Acres Farm Inc., is an eleven-year-old Hannoverian mare. Peter Pletcher imported the mare from Germany two years ago and Mary Lisa Leffler went to try her out when she was still in quarantine. “I just happened to be in the right place at the right time,” said Mary Lisa who describes the mare as being “such a pleasure to ride.”
Mary Lisa Leffler and Gerona 92 have been knocking on the door each week at HITS Ocala, placing in each Grand Prix and now they have their first win together. “I worked pretty hard with her last year before the winter circuit. She always places, and this year I went in saying I need to make her go faster in the jump-off. I spent a lot of time with a Dressage trainer, and Debbie Stevens also helped me, so finally I feel like she has got it all together.”
With a lot of the serious training behind her, and Gerona 92 showing top form, the future only looks bright for Mary Lisa Leffler.
The next Grand Prix show jumping event at HITS Ocala will be the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix on Thursday, March 9. The Grand Finale of the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit, the $100,000 Grand Prix of Ocala presented by Great American Insurance Group will finish out the week on March 12.
Other major award winners at HITS IV Ocala Tournament included:
HBO Children’s Medal (Pony) - Karla Woch
HBO Children’s Medal (Horse) - Danielle Johnson, Andover, MA
HBO Junior Medal - Megan Massaro, Summerfield, FL
HBO Adult Medal - Virginia Louis, Amesbury, MA
Farnam Adult Hunter Division Champion (18-35) - Quiet Arrival, ridden and owned by Jodi Czaplick, Long Island, New York
Farnam Adult Hunter Division Champion (36-45) - Movado, ridden by Courtney Grimm, Green Cove Springs, FL and owned by Quiet Hill Farm
Farnam Adult Hunter Division Champion (46 & over) - Cachet, ridden and owned by Lee Cesery, Jacksonville, FL
Adequan® Open Hunter Division Champion - Untold ridden and owned by Jodi Czaplick, Long Island, New York
Marshall & Sterling Children’s Hunter Classic - Monaco, ridden and owned by Sophie Read, Lake Mary, FL
Marshall & Sterling Adult Hunter Classic - Movado, ridden by Courtney Grimm, Green Cove Springs, FL and owned by Quiet Hill Farm
Marshall & Sterling Child Jumper Classic - Larissa Laffey, Byfield, MA riding Landmark
Marshall & Sterling Adult Jumper Classic - Stephen Green, Sag Harbor, NY riding Harvest Wine owned by Andre Deleyer
$50,000 HITS Grand Prix - Sunday, March 5, 2025
HITS IV - Ocala Tournament , Ocala, FL
Course Designer: Anthony D’Ambrosio, Red Hook, New York
Placing Horse Rider Owner
1 GERONA 92 MARY LISA LEFFLER ROLLING ACRES FARM INC
2 CHAMBACUNERO MANUEL TORRES ANA MARIA DE CADENA
3 LUDWIG LEXY REED LEXY REED
4 DROXELLO AARON VALE HOLLOW CREEK INVESTMENTS
5 ENTERPRISE MARK JUNGHERR R A FRANCOEUR
6 SHAKIRA DO JACARE SERGIO CAMPOS SERGIO CAMPOS
7 LORO PIANA GORGIOS ERIN MCCABE GEM STABLES INC
8 NARITAS HELEN GODDARD PICOLO 3
9 POLYFAX ROBERTO TERAN KING RIDGE STABLES
10 LANDINTENDANT KYLEE JO JOHNSON DEREK / ANITA PETERSEN
11 SHANDOR 41 PATTY STOVEL SHANDOR SYNDICATE
12 747 CHUCK WATERS M/M CHUCK WATERS
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