Robert Lee and El Grecco, owned by Brook Run Farm, won the bi-coastal $50,000 East Meets West Hunter Challenge, a qualifier for the Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final in Saugerties this September. (c) ESI Photography

Ocala, Florida/Thermal, California: Geography proved no object when top HITS hunter riders from the East Coast and West Coast squared off in the $50,000 East Meets West Hunter Challenge Friday and Saturday at HITS Ocala and HITS Thermal.The Hunter Challenge was judged simultaneously via video by two judges on each coast, with Round 1 taking place on Friday and the top 12 from each coast coming back for Round 2 on Saturday. Riders who made the cut went in reverse order of their first round scores, but everyone started with clean slate and scores did not carry over to the second round. Despite best efforts by all contenders, the East Coast proved victorious, with Robert Lee and El Grecco taking first place at HITS Ocala with a total score of 182.Lee, on another horse, also won the $25,000 U-Dump Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic High, presented by Vetera® XP Vaccines on Saturday at HITS Ocala. Lee said El Grecco, a Hanoverian by Esprit, used to be a jumper. “He has won Grand Prix in the past, but he is 15 now so I switched him to the hunter ring last year. I’ve won two hunter derbies with him since then. I was happy with him today — he rode a lot better than yesterday. He likes these impressive jumps. He was feeling it. I save him for these big classes,” he said.The West Coast wasn’t far behind the blue. Jenny Karazissis, a regular contender at the HITS Thermal, who has consistently placed among top contenders in the Devoucoux Hunter Prix,  took second place on Undeniable, owned by Hope Town Farms, with a 180 total score. Samantha Schaefer, East Coast, rounded out third place on her Classified, with a 174.5. Fourth place went to Amanda Steege, who has won three $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix this season at HITS Ocala. Steege’s total in the Hunter Challenge Saturday was 174. In fifth, was John French, on Gambler’s Choice, owned by Con Caletto Enterprises with a score of 171. French is a regular Thermal competitor and three-time winner of the Charles Owen Leading Hunter Rider Award this circuit.The East Meets West Hunter Challenge is a qualifier for the Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final at the HITS Championship in Saugerties, New York, this September. The class was open to juniors, amateurs and professionals.On Saturday, viewers of the webcast could watch as the competition alternated between hunter riders in Florida and California. A replay of the $50,000 East Meets West Hunter Challenge is available free to watch on usefnetwork.com.$50,000 East Meets West Hunter ChallengePlace  Horse  Owner  Rider  East/West  Prize  Score1 El Grecco  Brook Run Farm  Robert Lee  East  $15,000     1822 Undeniable  Hope Town Farms  Jenny Karazissis  West  $7,500  1803 Classified  Samantha Schaefer  Samantha Schaefer  East  $5,000  174.54 Balou  Lisa Arena Dvis  Amanda Steege  East  $3,000  1745 Gambler’s Choice  Con Caletto Enterprises  John French  West     $2,000     1716 King’s Peak  Emma Waldfogel  Emma Waldfogel  West  $1,600  1717 Zidane  Susan Darragh  Amanda Steege     East  $1,500  169.58 Lukatoni  Pamela Moellenhoff     John Bragg  West  $1,400  169.59 Cold Case  Donald Stewart  Ashton Alexander  East  $1,300  16610 Broadway  Lindsey Ward  Morgan Ward     East  $1,200  16411 Frido  Megan Camaisa  Tanya Levorchick  West  $1,100  16212 Nostalgic  Penelope Murray  Jennifer Jones  West  $1,000  16213 Cameron  Marianne Huss  Robert Lee  East  $750  16014 Social Hour     Laura Strasburg  John Bragg  West  $750  15815 Bunistar  Naomi Rubin  Hugh C. Mutch  West  $750  15516 Nonchalant  Tylor Nowell  Tylor Nowell  West  $750  15517 MTM Hands Down  Beechwood Stables LLC  Amanda Steege  East  $700  148.518 Quebo  Beechwood Stables LLC  Annabel Revers  East  $700  14419 Valor  Sarah Lambert  Deirdre Catani  East  $700  14320 Moneypenny  Animation  Samantha Perlman  East  $700     13621 Stallone  Samantha Schaefer     Samantha Schaefer  East  $650  13622 Riesling  John Bragg  Jennifer Jones  West  $650  13323 Berlin  Marielle Fries  Morgan Thomas  West     $650  9024 Puissance R     Lisa Hankin  Jenny Karazissis  West  $650  80