CULPEPER, VA (August 27, 2000)--Tracy Bartko, an amateur rider from Waldorf, Maryland, riding Arbus bested a field of 25 today to win the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix at the Constitution Classic Horse Show at Commonwealth Park in Culpeper, Virginia. Bartko's double-clear score earned owner John Bartko $15,000 in prize money.

Course Designer Michael Curtis set a 16-element Round One course that included a double combination at Fence No. 4 that was followed by another double at Fence No. 5, leading into a triple at Fence. No. 7--the element that faulted the most horses, with eight unable to clear it cleanly. Four horses were eliminated on course. Five horses had clear rounds and moved on to the Jump-Off.

First to go on the short course was Mary Lisa Nicholson from Brookeville, Maryland, on Kick the Clouds who jumped the eight elements clean in 44.600 seconds, but that time proved to be only good enough for third in the final results. Nicholson owns Kick the Clouds with Rolling Acres Farm and took home $6,500 in prize money. Allison Firestone of Upperville, Virginia, in the irons on Fein Cera was next to go and had a clear round in 44.339 to take the lead, but she had to settle for second place and $11,000 after Bartko's round. Fein Cera is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Bertram Firestone.

Concerto owned by Jane Forbes Clark and ridden by Leslie Burr Howard was third to go on the short course. Howard and Concerto were the fastest in the jump-off with a time of 41.201 seconds, but knocked a rail down for four faults and finished in fourth place. Bartko and Arbus were fourth in the order and took the lead with a clear round in 43.262, more than one second faster than Firestone. Bartko kept her first place status over the next rider, Mary Lisa Nicholson who returned to the ring with her second ride, Graf Rossini owned by Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Chovnik. Nicholson was also faster than Bartko, but she had the same rail down as Howard at the sixth element. With four faults in 42.926, Nicholson and Graf Rossini finished in fifth place.

The Cosequin U.S. Grand Prix League Invitational Finals, September 27 to October 1, is the next horse show in the summer series of HITS Culpeper Horse Shows presented by Panacur Powerpac. The featured event is the $100,000 Cosequin Grand Prix on Sunday, October 1.

$50,000 HITS Grand Prix, August 27, 2000
HITS Culpeper 2000, Constitution Classic, Culpeper, Virginia
Course Designer: Michael Curtis

Pl  Horse   Rider         Owner       Prize $  Faults/J-O Time

1   Arbus                             $15,000  0-0/43.262

      Tracy Bartko        John Bartko 

2   Fein Cera                         $6,500   0-0/44.600

      Allison Firestone   M/M Bertram Firestone 

3   Kick the Clouds                   $6,500   0-0/44.600

      Mary Lisa Nicholson Nicholson/Rolling Acres Farm    

4   Concerto                          $4,000   0-4/41.201

      Leslie Burr Howard  Jane F Clark    

5   Graf Rossini                      $3,000   0-4/42.296

      Mary Lisa Nicholson M/M Bruce Chovnick  

6   Think Big                         $2,500   4/NA

      Sulu Rose           The Galloping Field 

7   Cable                             $2,000   4/NA

      Ian Silitch         Ian/Jacquelyn Silitch  

8   Inspector Clouseau                $1,500   4/NA

      Karen Murphy        M/M Vincent Murphy Jr/K Murphy  

9   Clover Leaf                       $1,500   4/NA

      Leslie Burr Howard  Jane F Clark    

10  Herriot                           $1,000   4/NA

      Amy Reistrup        Double R Partners   

11  Bergerac                          $1,000   4/NA

      Kimberly Frey       K. Miracle/Overlook Farm   

12  Cool Waters                       $1,000   4/NA

      Sulu Rose           The Galloping Field 

Number of horses who competed in this class: 25
Class Prize Money: $50,000

Cosequin USGPL Finals Wraps Up the 2000 Season at Commonwealth Park Wednesday through Sunday, 8am to approximately 4pm

Cosequin® USGPL Invitational Finals, September 27-October 1
Featured Event at Cosequin USGPL Invitational Finals, Commonwealth Park, Culpeper, Virginia, $100,000 Cosequin® USGPL Invitational Grand Prix, Sunday, October 1, 1:00pm

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