Will Simpson and The Dude, owned by Monarch International, win the $30,000 SmartPak Grand Prix Sunday, February 22, at HITS Thermal. (c) ESI Photography

Thermal, California (February 22, 2015): Topping a field of 62 riders, Will Simpson once again took home a blue ribbon from the HITS Grand Prix Ring, winning Sunday’s $30,000 SmartPak Grand Prix – his eighth Grand Prix victory this circuit – aboard The Dude, owned by Monarch International.Topping nine other horses that made it to the jump-off, and three who went double-clear, Simpson finished with a time of 40.007 with little room for error. The second and third place finishers – Lisa Carlsen on World’s Judgment owned by Alycia Hayes, and Richard Spooner on Cristallo owned by Show Jumping Syndications International’s – also finished clear, and both less than a half-second behind Simpson’s time at 40.192 and 40.455, respectively.

Will Simpson and The Dude, owned by Monarch International, take home the blue ribbon from the $30,000 SmartPak Grand Prix Sunday, February 22, at HITS Thermal. (c) ESI Photography

Simpson said of The Dude “He just will not be denied. Something has recently happened in his brain and he thinks he owns the place. He sets his sights on a clear round each time we come to this ring. He is a very, very special horse in a lot of ways. He has the entire team convinced we can do anything.”Olympian Simpson’s total Grand Prix earnings so far during this Circuit total $81,700, including $9,000 in Sunday’s Grand Prix and Thursday’s $34,000 HITS Desert Classic, presented by Michael and Kenzie 1911, which he also won. Simpson finished out a great week for Monarch International, which is owned by the Heidegger family. Hannah Heidegger, whom he trains, placed second on Monarch’s Geledimar in Saturday’s $50,000 Purina Animal Nutrition Grand Prix CSI2*-W FEI World Cup Qualifier.iJump Sports contributed to this report.$30,000 SmartPak Grand PrixPlace     Horse   Owner    Rider    Prize    R.1 Faults  JO Faults    JO Time1  The Dude  Monarch International  Will Simpson  $9,000 0  0  40.007 2  World’s Judgment  Alycia Hayes  Lisa Carlsen    $6,600    0  0  40.1923  Cristallo  Show Jumping Syndications Int’l    Richard Spooner    $3,900    0  0  40.4554  Prunella D’Ariel  Federico Fernandez Senderos  Paola Amilibia  $2,400  0  0    48.4005  S.F. Ariantha  Olivia Cox-Fill  Will Simpson     $1,800   0  4    37.3746  Asb Conquistador  Signe Ostby  Eric Navet  $1,500  0    4  39.3427  Tembla  Signe Ostby    Karl Cook  $1,200  0  4    40.1288  Gitano  Federico Fernandez Senderos    Federico Fernandez Sendersos  $900  0  4  40.1529  Going Global    Caledonia Stables  Greg Broderick  $900    0  4  42.35410 The Governor     Mattias Ekeroth, LLC    Mattias Ekeroth    $600  0     4  45.72411 Chivas Z  Richard Spooner  Richard Spooner    $600  2    *  *12 Bybalia SMH    Stal Minion  Jeffrey Fields  $600  2  *  *