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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Andre Thieme on Chakaria won the $1 Million Grand Prix at HITS Ocala

OCALA, Fla.-Andre Thieme rode Chakaris to win the $1 Million HITS Grand Prix in Ocala on March 28, winning the $1 Million class for the fourth time.

Andre Thieme on ChakariaAndre Thieme on ChakariaIt was the 22nd $1 Million Grand Prix and the seventh $1 Million Grand Prix in Ocala, and the field of 63 included previous Million Winners from Ocala, Saugerties, N.Y., and Thermal, Calif., first time Million riders, Grand Prix and Olympic Veterans.

This class was a varied group of riders," said course designer Bernardo Cabral of Lisbon, Portugal. "Some have been in Ocala all circuit, and some came from other parts of the state. It was a big field, so I thought it was a hard class to put together. I didn't make it overly big but it was technical, and I thought asked a lot of questions to the riders, but also left an easy way out for the horses if there was a mistake by the pilot."

The first round course consisted of 14 fences and included several delicate verticals throughout the track, often with wide oxers right before or after, making riders plan their adjustments quickly.

The triple bar to the triple combination was a unique effort early in the course, and the last line of a wide oxer away from the ingate to the final vertical foiled many a rider.

 

EIGHT WERE clean to move on to the jump-off course which featured several new elements as well as parts from the first round course.

"I think everybody can tell by now that this class means something to me," said Thieme. "It's my goal every year and while I’m not giving away other classes, I definitely don't put as much effort toward some of the other classes. I try to really produce my horses for this class every single time. I try to be sure that everything on the day of this class goes perfect because this is the class that I really want to win each year."

Thieme's first HITS Million win was on Aragon Rouet in the 2011 Saugerties Million, followed by his first win in Ocala on Contanga 3 in 2014, and the third was back in Saugerties with Conthendrix in 2017.

"Now that I've won this class four times, it’s just unbelievable to me," Thieme said. "I would have never thought that it is possible, but I have a superstar horse for the first time in my life and it’s just so much easier with that kind of a horse."

Thieme has been riding Chakaria for the past year-and-a-half and said that it didn't take him long to realize how amazing the chestnut mare is.

“I couldn’t believe my luck that for the first time in my life I was a little bit quicker than someone else buying the horse." he said. "She is fast, sound, a fighter, careful and scopey. I don’t know how to start and how to end, she’s just an amazing horse."

“When I first walked the course, I thought that it was probably going to be a little bit too small," said Thieme. "I was expecting something bigger for the number of horses entered, to not have 15 clear rounds. Bernardo Cabral explained it to me, and I realized that the course was a touch trickier than I thought."

Going 41st in the order Thieme was the fifth to go clean in the first round, giving him an advantage of returning later in the in the jump-off.

In the jump-off, several early riders had rails or other mistakes, so Thieme knew a clear round was most important, but a fast time would put the pressure on the final three.

Thieme was clean in 34.393 to claim the lead.

"It worked for my horse because she is really careful," said Thieme. "I have to thank Tom Struzzieri and HITS once more because without him we wouldn’t have a class like this and I and many of the other riders really appreciate it."

In second place was Eduardo Menezes on H5 Chaganua, a second slower in 35.696.

"I’m a little bit sad that Andre was a bit faster today but there’s no bad second," Menezes said. "I thought the course was unbelievable. From the moment that I walked it, I told Bernardo that he did a fantastic job. It was very careful, but still had some scope questions. You couldn’t just have a horse that was flying today and go around – you had to ride proper. I thought that it was going to be easy, but I was definitely wrong. It ended up being perfect, and I really thought as I was walking how much I wanted to jump the course. It was just fantastic."

Menezes is no stranger to the HITS Million, having competed in several of these classes at the HITS Desert Circuit.

"I used to live in California and Thermal was my second home, so I jumped a lot in Thermal," said Menezes. "I have come to Ocala a couple times. Last year I was planning to jump the Million, but unfortunately it got cancelled because of Covid. I don’t remember how many of the HITS Millions I’ve jumped but I know it’s been a few and this is the first one that I jumped with Chaganus. I try to jump as many as I can."

Rounding out the top three was Darragh Kerins on Lissino, the only other rider to jump double clear as he crossed through the timers in 40.661.

"This is right up there in my list of accomplishments," said Kerins. "I have to say well done to Tom and his team for running a $1 Million class in these times. It’s absolutely amazing. I was fourth in the Million one-time in Saugerties and third today. I think these classes are amazing."

McLain Ward, the only other rider in the Ocala class to have won three previous $1 Million classes, was fourth on HH Azur, the fastest four faulter in the jump-off.

The next $1 Million Grand Prix is in Saugerties, N.Y., in September.

FULL RESULTS

1 | Andre Thieme on Chakaria, 0, 0, 34.393
2 | Eduardo Menezes & H5 Chaganus, 0, 0,  35.696
3 | Darragh Kerins on Lissano. 0. 0. 40.661
4 | McLain Ward on HH Azur, 0, 4, 34.704
5 | Jordan Coyle on Ariso, 0, 4, 35.322
6 | Schuyler Riley on Roin De Pontual, 0 8, 38.363
7 | Coyle on Eristov, 0 8, 45.436
8 | Kristen VanderVeen on Bull Run's Prince of Peace, 0, Elim in J.O.

9 to 20 decided on time in 1st round
9 | Thieme on Cellisto, 4
10 | Vanessa Mannix on Catinka 25, 4
11 | Shane Sweetnam on Karlin Van't Vennehof, 4
12 | Nayel Nassar on Lucifer V, 4
13 | Margie Engle on Dicas, 4
14 | Brian Moggre on MTM Vive Le Reve, 4
15 | Abdel Said on Arpege du Ru, 4
16 | Conor Swail on Vitsl Chsnce de la Roche, 4
17 | David Raposaon The General. 4
18 | Aaron Vale on Elusive, 4
19 | Harrie Smolders on Monaco, 4
20 | Devin Ryanon Eddie Blue, 4

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