Jillian Stuart and Eduardo Leon’s Amazing took first place in the ,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix on Friday, February 6, 2015, at HITS Thermal. (c) ESI Photography

$1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter PrixThirteen-year-old Jillian Stuart claimed the blue ribbon in Saturday morning’s $1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix, riding Eduardo Leon’s Amazing, with top scores of 83 and 84.“I showed him last weekend in the low junior hunters,” the eighth-grader said. “It felt really good,” said Stuart, a Rancho Santa Fe, California, resident, who has been riding since she was 5-years-old.Maeve O’Connor, of Santa Barbara, California, riding her own Second City, came in a close second with 85 and 81, to total one point below Stuart’s 167, at 166. Rounding out the top three was Lolly McLellan on her own Rockford, with scores of 75.5 and 83.$1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix (DV IV)Place      Horse      Owner      Rider      Prize      Rd. 1/2  Total 1 Amazing  Eduardo Leon  Jillian Stuart  $450     83/84     1672 Second City     Meave O’Connor     Meave O’Connor     $300  85/81  1663 Rockford  Lolly McLellan  Lolly McLellan  $200  75.5/83  158.54 Back in Business  Mary Kate Moulton  Tonya Johnston  $150  78/80  1585 Fine Design     Kaitlyn Lovingfoss  Kaitlyn Lovingfoss     $125  82/74.5  156.56 Valentino  Madeline Cristy  Megan Dalton  $100  76/79  1557 Czech Point  European Equine Associates  Emma Townsend  $100     76.5/78  154.58 Double Eagle     Nicolette Hirt     Jennifer Berman  $75  79/75  154

Desert Circuit III Hunter Prix$10,000 Devoucoux Hunter PrixThis Saturday’s Desert Circuit IV wins follow on the heels of the Desert Circuit III Hunter Prix, which boasted extra-large prizes: $10,000 for the Devoucoux Hunter Prix and $5,000 for the Platinum Performance Hunter Prix.The Devoucoux Hunter Prix is a qualifying class for the $500,000 Diamond Mills Hunter Prix Final and the Platinum Performance Hunter Prix is a qualifier for the $250,000 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix Final, which are both held in Saugerties in September.

Jamie Taylor and Julie Hancock’s Willow CFB won the blue ribbon in the 0,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix Sunday, February 1, 2015 at HITS Thermal. (c) ESI Photography

Jamie Taylor, on Julie Hancock’s Willow CBF, topped the Sunday, February 1, leaderboard, taking home a $3,000 prize, thanks to her high scores of 86 and 87, to total 173. Bragg, not far behind with scores of 85 and 87, to total 172, came in second place, this time on Moellenhoff’s Lukatoni (Week IV’s sixth place winner). Rounding out third was Grady Lyman on his Cansas, with scores of 85.5 and 86.After the win, Willow’s trainer Philip Cillis patted the mare’s neck and said, “It was a nice flowing course today. Lots of bending lines, open gallop space, and jumps off a corner. Willow is good about looking ahead, and yet waiting for the jump. She was Champion in the Amateur-Owners with Julie the last two weeks and I guess we can laugh and say Julie got her all warmed up for Jamie and this class. The win is a wonderful result.”Taylor also took sixth in the hunter prix, riding Caroline Eliades’ Jager, to earn scores of 83.5 and 85. Karazissis, again not far behind Bragg, came in fourth on Norwegian Wood with 85.75 and 85. Tommi Clark, on Stephen Borders’ Exemplar, earned scores of 83 and 86 to come in fifth.$10,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix (DC III)Place      Horse      Owner      Rider      Prize      Rd. 1/2   Total 1 Willow CBF  Julie Hancock  Jamie Taylor  $3,000  86/87  1732 Lukatoni  Pamela Moellenhoff     John Bragg  $2,000  85/87  1723 Cansas  Grady Lyman     Grady Lyman  $1,400  85.5/86  171.54 Norwegian Wood   Sierrah Gonzalez  Jenny Karazissis $1,000  85.75/85  170.755 Exemplar  Stephen Borders  Tommi Clark  $800     83/86  1696 Jager  Caroline Eliades  Jamie Taylor  $700 83.5/85 168.57 Legacy  Emily Sukert     Jenny Karazissis  $600     84/84  1688 Social Hour  Laura Strasburg  John Bragg  $500  84.5/82  166.5

Tonya Johnston and Mary Kate Moulton’s Back in Business win the Desert Circuit III $5,000 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix on Sunday, February 1, 2015, at HITS Thermal.(c) ESI Photography

$5,000 Platinum Performance Hunter PrixTonya Johnston placed first in the $5,000 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix last week, riding Mary Kate Moulton’s Back in Business to earn the top $1,500 prize, with scores of 81 and 83, for a total of 164.Johnston maintained the lead she set in the first round, being the only rider out of 12 to earn a score in that was in the 80s in both the first and second rounds.Seven points separated Johnston’s total with second place winner Anna Moellenhoff on Rosie Garlock’s Genry, who earned scores of 78 and 79. Root and Lio Cavallo were in sixth place after the first round, but their second round score of 79 moved them up to third.iJump Sports contributed to this report.

$5,000 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix (DV III)Place      Horse      Owner      Rider      Prize      Rd. 1/2   Total 1 Back in Business  Mary Kate Moulton     Tonya Johnston     $1,500     81/83     1642 Gentry  Rosie Garlock  Anna Moellenhoff  $1,000  78/79  1573 Lio Cavallo     Stacy Root  Stacy Root     $700  77/79  1564 Rio Negro  Yvette Lang-Einczig  Yvetter Lang-Einczig     $500  77.25/78     155.255 Rockford  Lolly McLellan  Lolly McLellan  $400  76.5/78  154.56 Gruyere SM  Martha Howe Crowley  Elli Yeager     $325  76/78  1547 Czech Point     European Equine Associates  Emma Townsend  $300  75/77     1528 Landino  Latigo Farms  Yvette Lang-Einczig  $275  79/72  151

Augusta Iwasaki and Somekindawonderful jump to victory in the ,000 Pony Hunter Classic at HITS Desert Circuit III on Friday, January 30, 2015. (c) ESI Photography

Augusta Iwasaki Takes First and Second Place in Desert Circuit III $1,000 Pony Hunter ClassicAugusta Iwasaki and her ponies took first and second place in the $1,000 Pony Hunter Classic at the HITS Desert Circuit III. Iwasaki scored 86 and 81 in the class to land in first place on somekindawonderful, which she co-owns with Elizabeth Reilly. She and Bit of Laughter, which the pair also co-own, scored 83 and 85, to secure second as well. Iwasaki also earned numerous ribbons in the pony classes last fall at HITS’ inaugural National Sunshine Series. Brooke Morin came in third place in the $1,000 Pony Hunter Classic — and took fourth and seventh, as well. All told, Morin and Iwasaki secured five of the top seven places in the class. In third place, Morin scored 84 and 82 on Laura Strasburg’s Madeline, and 82 and TK on Strasburg’s Party Favor.

Place     Horse     Owner     Rider     Prize     Rounds 1/2  Total1 somekindawonderful  Iwasaki & Reilly     Augusta Iwasaki  $300  86/86  1722 Bit of Laughter  Iwasaki & Reilly  Augusta Iwasaki  $200  83/85  1683 Madeline  Laura Strasburg  Brooke Morin  $140  84/82     1664 Party Favor     Laura Strasburg  Brooke Morin  $90  82/83  1655 Champagne Wishes  Madison England  Madison England  $75  77/81  1586 Kingston  Ava Peck  Ava Peck     $70  79/76  1557 Always Happy     Laura Strasburg  Brooke Morin    $65   75/80  1558 Captain America  MacKenzie Root  MacKenzie Root  $60    78/69.5  147.5