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Laura Linback doubles her fun at HITS Culpeper

August 25, 2025

Laura Linback and her mount Asdi Villagana captured the first-place check for Woodrun in Sunday’s $40,000 HITS Grand Prix in her second big win of the week during the Winston National at HITS Culpeper.

Linback and her mount also won Friday’s $15,000 Brook Ledge Open Jumper Prix making it a fantastic weekend for the combination. Not only did the Illinois native collect a total of $16,500 in prize money from the two classes, she also earned some valuable points towards the USGPL Standings moving from 17th place into the top 10.

“That’s one of the main reasons why we came to Culpeper this week,” said Woodrun’s Troy Linback. “We wanted to really cement ourselves near the top of the standings. We knew we were somewhere in the middle so this win certainly helps.”

Linback and her mount are looking forward to earning more points in the USGPL Standings with another top showing in next Sunday’s $40,000 Avalon Saddlery Grand Prix at HITS Culpeper and the final two qualifying Grand Prix classes of the season during HITS-on-the-Hudson VII at HITS Saugerties in early September.

The $100,000 USGPL Invitational Grand Prix will take place during the USGPL Finals at HITS Culpeper in late September and the standings boast some of the top riders in the sport. Holding onto the top spot is Patty Stovel and her mount Shandor 41, who finished in fourth place during Sunday’s feature class.

Three pairs advanced into course designer Jerry Dougherty’s jump-off course with Linback and her mount holding off the field to win the blue. The winning combination actually started off the jump-off round and had eight faults in 40.865.

Eliza Ferguson Shuford and her Grand Prix horse Little John were next to show and had two rails down midway through the course and stopped the clocks in 45.714 to take third place. Sulu Rose-Reed entered the ring last in the jump-off aboard Leondor. However, a rail down at the first obstacle and another midway through the round landed the pair in second place nearly four seconds off the pace.

Show jumping at HITS Culpeper will resume with the Constitution Classic (August 27-31) and will feature a full schedule of nearly 250 classes including the $15,000 Brook Ledge Open Jumper Prix, $5,000 Low Jr/A-O Jumper Classic, $10,000 High Jr/A-O Jumper Classic, Central Equine Junior Medal and the Adequan Hunter Division.

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 Chris Mayone · Filed Under Chris Mayone, Culpeper, Hunters & Jumpers, USA 
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