OCALA, FL (February 23, 2026) — Tracy Magness gives the best presents. Just ask her sister Wendy, who turned 43 on the same day her sister took home the blue ribbon in Thursday’s $25,000 Ariat Grand Prix at HITS Ocala.
Magness rode her mount Tarco Van Ter Moude to victory and collected $7,500 in prize money for Mr. and Mrs. John Bartko. Ironically, the owners are Tracy’s parents and by collecting the winners share of the prize money they may feel as if today is their wedding anniversary. “We all called Wendy right after I won and said happy birthday,” said Magness. “She was thrilled for us. We wish she could have been here.”
Tarco Van Ter Moude is 10 years old and Magness has had him for almost a year. Already at HITS Ocala, the horse/rider combination have claimed three top-six finishes. “He is the best horse I have ever had,” she said. “Everything the horse does is so sound.”
Magness was second to go in course designer Anthony D’Ambrosio’s jump-off course. She set the Great American Time to Beat at 37.648. Her time was never challenged as she negotiated the only perfect trip in the jump- off. “The course was pretty technical,” said Magness. “It had some hard double verticals and some real tough related lines. Anthony gave us a real challenge today.”
D’Ambrosio funneled 35 competitors down to six for the jump-off, including Aaron Vale and Centus. They had the ever so tough position of first to go in the jump-off and had four faults in 36.168. Heartbreak at the final hurdle may have cost him his chance at the blue ribbon as he was the fastest of the trips with four faults. Vale was also ninth aboard Serval and collected more than $6,000 in prize money.
Sergio Campos and Shakira Do Jacare were third to go in the jump-off. Their 20 fault jump-off score landed him in sixth place. Daniel Geitner and Trading Places, Libby McKinny and Gun Du Desfi, and Derek Peterson and Cliff 28 each had four faults and finished third, fourth and fifth respectively.
The Ocala Winter Festival continues all weekend with show jumping at HITS Post Time Farm from 8 am until 5 pm. Sunday’s featured class is the $50,000 Duggan Equipment Grand Prix.
Weekends are always busy at HITS Ocala, but this Saturday and Sunday, there will be something extra special for owners and trainers to do. Four fully-furnished models of the HITS Post Time Farm Condominiums have just opened and from noon to 5 pm all exhibitors are invited to preview the brand new exclusive homes that are within walking distance to the HITS show grounds.
The project will be gated and limited to 29 units, offering 1,700 to 2,400 square feet of living area. “This is the only housing project with direct access to the horse show grounds,” said HITS President Tom Struzzieri. “The homes are ideal for a family. They allow children to go back and forth both to the barns and the school. If you winter in Ocala, you must see this development.”
HITS is proud to host competitions in its new Grand Prix ring and new Main Hunter ring with a raised berm for VIP seating that overlooks both rings. These rings are located at the east end of the current show ring area. Both rings feature state-of-the-art footing provided by Footing Authority™, a division of International Surfaces Group, Inc. The Grand Prix ring features Polyrite™; the industry’s most advanced polymer-coated synthetic footing, while the Main Hunter ring provides a soft ride on EuroFelt®-enhanced footing.
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 solidify 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. HITS generates significant economic impact in each of its five venues in California, Arizona, Florida, Virginia and New York.
Results
1 Tarco Van Ter Moude Tracy Magness Mr. and Mrs. John Bartko $7,500 0 0 37.64
2 Centus 4 Aaron Vale Aaron Vale $5,500 0 4 36.16
3 Trading Places Daniel Geitner Kyle Register $3,250 0 4 38.47
4 Gun Du Desfi Libby Mckinney Libby Mckinney $2,000 0 4 39.60
5 Cliff 28 Derek Peterson Patrick Gruninger $1,500 0 4 40.02
6 Shakira Do Jacare Sergio Campos Sergio Campos $1,250 0 20 38.49
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