SAUGERTIES, NY (August 3, 2025)—Darragh Kerins and Night Train had the fastest double-clear round in Thursday’s $25,000 Ariat Grand Prix at HITS Saugerties to secure $7,500 in prize money for Double H Farm.
Course Designer Jack Robson trimmed the field from 25, down to just two combinations for the jump-off. Going first in the jump-off was Michael Walton and La Rocco Jun. The duo navigated the jump-off course without any faults as they set the Great American Time to Beat at 37.520.
Kerins and Night Train entered the ring next and took advantage of the envious last-to-ride position making it all the way home clean in 33.999 to take home the blue-ribbon. “It was a very tough course,” said Kerins. “The last line in the first round course got a lot of people.”
Night Train, eight years old, is owned by Double H Farm. Kerins has been showing him for just over a year.
Olympic Gold Medal winner, McLain Ward finished in third place aboard Quo Vadis. Ward won the $25,000 Ariat Grand Prix on Thursday, July 26. Chuck Waters rode his mount 747 to a fourth-place finish to secure $2,000 in prize money. Rounding out the top five were Candice King and Tarco.
“There could have been at least five in the jump-off,” said Robson. “But there were a few unlucky rails down on the last line.”
With the victory, Kerins earned some valuable points for the USGPL Standings. The top-30 USGPL pairs will be invited to compete in the $100,000 USGPL Invitational Grand Prix which will be held at HITS Culpeper during the USGPL Finals on Sunday, September 30.
“Coming into this week, I didn’t have any points towards the USGPL Invitational,” said Kerins. “I plan on competing a lot over the next couple of months at HITS to earn a spot in the field.”
HITS offers seven more qualifying Grand Prix classes for the $100,000 USGPL Invitational Grand Prix this summer at its HITS Saugerties and HITS Culpeper equestrian facilities. At HITS Saugerties, competitors have five chances remaining to secure enough prize money to make the cut. The next chance occurs on Sunday, August 5, in the $75,000 RV Sales of Broward Grand Prix. HITS Culpeper offers two more opportunities to qualify when show jumping returns to Commonwealth Park in late August.
Week V of show jumping at HITS Saugerties continues all weekend and culminates on Sunday, August 5, during the $75,000 RV Sales of Broward Grand Prix. The $22,500 Children’s/Adult Championship and the $40,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Championship close out three consecutive weeks of shows on August 10-12 at HITS Saugerties. The summer series concludes with one final week of show jumping beginning on September 5, followed by the Marshall & Sterling League Finals, September 13-16 when acclaimed singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega will be performing for the Year-End High Point Awards Celebration that will be catered by Tavern on the Green Catering.
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 on the HITS horse shows and a complete schedule of classes and events, visit www.HitsShows.com
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