by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 8, 2022
After more than 40 years heading HITS LLC, its founder, Tom Struzzieri will be leaving his post as chief executive officer at the end of the 2022 season, it was announced this morning.
The organization, known for its hunter/jumper shows around the country, will be led by its management team during the search for a new CEO. Traub Capital Partners became a majority partner in HITS in March.
Tom will remain a part-owner and director of the company while providing strategic consulting as well as significant involvement in the launch of the Del Mar, Calif., Showpark in 2023.
“I have been extremely fortunate over the four decades of running HITS to have a terrific group of employees who have been by my side through some very hard climbs as we together have grown the company,” Tom said.
“I remain committed to those people and will be in constant touch as a consultant as we face the next challenges together. On a parallel course, I have also been blessed to have very loyal clients and because of that loyalty, they too can continue to count on me as a liaison to all things HITS-related. The future of HITS is bright and I plan on doing what I can behind the scenes to help it shine.”
The move will enable Tom to pursue his life-long goal of cycling across the U.S. as he supports the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) with Team Alpha.
“It has been a pleasure to witness the industry through Tom’s eyes. He has been, and will continue to be, a guide and advisor to us all.” said Mortimer Singer, managing partner of Traub Capital Partners.
“Tom has built a great business and we look forward to continuing our work together as partners.”
With venues in New York, Florida, Vermont, Illinois, Virginia and California, “HITS will continue its mission of providing top quality competitions for riders at every level, while improving its facilities, technology and overall customer experience,” according to a statement from the company, which also offers dressage shows.
New developments are promised at the beginning of 2023 as the HITS Ocala Winter Show Series kicks off at Post Time Farm, as well as at Del Mar Showpark, where teams are already in place to begin renovations.
Those who want to donate to the organization Tom will be supporting with his bicycle trek may do so at https://www.alphabikeride.com/team.
Traub Capital Partners is a New York-based strategic private equity firm specializing in building value in consumer companies using its unique combination of investment, strategic and operational expertise. The fund targets investments in companies with revenue between $50 and $250 million. To learn more about Traub Capital Partners, visit www.traubcapitalpartners.com
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 15, 2022
Great Britain, as expected, is heading the standings in the FEI World Eventing Championships on the first of two days of dressage at Pratoni del Vivaro in Italy. The Olympic champs are on 45.5 penalties, as their Laura Collett leads the way individually with 19.3 penalties aboard London 52.
New Zealand has 53 penalties and the U.S. is just a bit behind in third at 53.5. Individually, the USA’s Will Coleman was marked at 26.4 on Off the Record, putting him in a tie for fifth, while Lauren Nicholson and Vermiculus scored 27.1 to be seventh.
Will Coleman and Off the Record. (Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)
The other American riders, Boyd Martin, Tamie Smith and Ariel Grald, will ride on Friday. It’s worth noting that this is the first time since 1994 that Phillip Dutton has not been part of a world championships team.
Looking ahead to Saturday and Guiseppe Della Chiesa’s cross-country course over rugged terrain, French rider Thomas Carlile assessedit this way: “It seems to me like a balance between a true championship test and a modern look at eventing, with a lot of frangible pins that we all have our ideas about.
“But it’s the way the sport is going and we need to choose and produce our horses in that aspect now. There are plenty of different routes to make sure everyone has the possibility to get around and it will require proper cross-country riding with the terrain,” added Thomas, who tied with Will in fifth place aboard Darmagnac de Bellard.
This is the last of the world championships this year in which the U.S. will have a team. The four-in-hand driving championships, which follow the eventing at Pratoni next week, will not have an American squad because Misdee Wrigley dropped out for health reasons. Chester Weber is the lone American driver competing.
There is no endurance championship because the event was cancelled due to a problem with track.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 10, 2022
The Region 2 Maclay championship today went to Jordan Gibbs, a Coloradan who trains with Stacia Madden of Colts Neck, N.J.
Jordan led the top 33 from a field of 49 at Old Salem Farm who are eligibile to ride in the ASPCA Maclay Championship at the National Horse Show in Lexington, Ky., in November.
Reserve champion was Kate Egan of Glen Gardner, N.J., trained by Luke Olsen of Redfielf Farm in Califon, N.J.
Discussing her strategy, Jordan said, “I came into today just wanting to put down a smooth round and make it into the top 33 and make it to the Finals. I trust my horse and I trust myself and I am so happy with how it turned out.”
Stacia explained, “Our goal was to have what we call a `lock-it-in’ round, where we just avoid making any blatant, big mistakes. Sometimes that takes the pressure off and we get better results. Jordan has a tendency to be an overachiever, so we weren’t working on having the brilliant round, but she wound up having the brilliant round.”
Holly Orlando and Lyman T. Whitehead, who judged the class, saw it as “a nice stepping stone to the Finals at the National Horse Show.”
“The course was very well done,” said Holly,speaking of the route designed by Paul Jewell and Nancy Wallis that mimicked the look of the Alltech Arena at the National.
“In a lot of ways, the class judged itself, with the top 12 separating themselves from the others. Jordan was clearly the leader after the first round and there was no doubt that she earned the win.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 11, 2022
The $3 million (Canadian) CP International, presented by Rolex, went to German star Daniel Deusser on Killer Queen VDM after a jump-off today against Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat (Venard de Cerissy) and Gilles Thomas of Belgium (Aretino 13).
Daniel Deusser and Killer Queen VDM. (Photo© Spruce Meadows Media/Mike Sturk)
Daniel received his $1 million share of the purse with the only clear round in the tie-breaker.
McLain Ward had a seventh-place finish on HH Azur, who won a class earlier in the week. It ended the show at Spruce Meadows in Calgary, Alberta on a better note for the U.S. after the team failed to make the second round in yesterday’s Nations Cup.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 1, 2022
The Nations Cup of show jumping, a contest that epitomizes a country’s equestrian pride in its achievement, will continue as a two-round competition next year.
The International Jumping Riders Club noted the FEI (international equestrian federation) has confirmed the format for 2023, even though some organizing committees have expressed interest in making it just one round. Economically, a two-round approach is expensive for a number of reasons, including the cost of consecutive hours of media coverage.
A Nations Cup win is always a cause for celebration. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
Remember how removing roads and tracks and steeplechase from three-day eventing changed that game? Making the Nations Cup one round instead of two would have a similar effect on a different discipline.
As IJRC points out, the Nations Cup is the oldest and most prestigious class in equestrian sport. Riders wearing team colors are a symbol of the competion’s sporting importance.
In terms of its value, dropping a second round would not be in keeping with the Cup’s philosophy concerning consistency in horse and rider performance. They must prove their teamwork and freshness over longer courses involving two rounds. A second round enables a team to improve its standing in the class, or create an opportunity for redemption. A team can correct its mistakes or change its strategy in the second round.
IJRC maintains, “It is the most coveted and important competition in an athlete’s sporting career. This is underlined by the fact that riders agreed to the formation of three-combination teams at the Olympics, being assured that the Nations Cup formula would not be affected.”
Outside of the Olympics, as in last month’s world championships, four-member teams have always been the rule. IJRC contends joint solutions to the economic issues should be found in order to support the organizing committees and address their concerns.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 25, 2022
Popular combined driving competitor Bill Orth, once one of the top single-horse drivers, died at the age of 90 on August 20 at his home in Eaton, N.Y.
A native of New Jersey who once had a farm in Stockton, he did a lot of winning with a Morgan named Bentley and gained international fame in 1992 with the Morgan New-Ran’s Hawk. He and Hawk traveled to the Royal Windsor show in England and won the Single Horse title at the Harrods International Driving Grand Prix competition. The trophy and ribbons were presented by Queen Elizabeth.
His closest competitor at Windsor was another Hunterdon County resident, George Hoffman. The two were members of the Possumtown Five, a group of fun-loving drivers that also included George Millar, Joe Urso and Stan Rosania during the heyday of combined driving in New Jersey. He also was an active member of the Hunterdon County Horse & Pony Association.
Bill Orth
Born in Passaic, N.J., Bill went to work for the Noll family farm, where he met Marilyn Noll, who became his wife in 1957. After his time in the dairy industry, Bill became a long-distance driver for several trucking companies before starting his own B-Line Trucking, which he ran until his 1985 retirement.
Bill and Marilyn relocated to Southern Pines, N.C., but after her death, he moved to Eaton, N.Y., and built a log cabin on the Orth family dairy farm.
A self-taught musician who played several instruments, he also was a bird-watcher, historian, a competitive card player and quite a storyteller.
He also was known for his sense of humor. Katie Whaley, another driver who was a close friend, remembers the time he showed up with his friends at the Fair Hill, Md., driving event’s exhibitors’ party in late October. They came as Snow White and the seven dwarves. Bill was dressed as Snow White, and the other Possumtown members were the dwarves. Margie Margentino, who narrated their skit as Merlin, helped Pat Rosania make the costumes.
Margie remembered Bill as a “good mentor and great horseman who was a good supporter of the sport and always encouraged new people.”
Bill is survived by his sister-in-law, Dorothy Hostage and her husband, Michael. The family has requested that instead of flowers, those wishing to remember Bill with a gift should make a contribution to a charity of their choice.
A celebration of Bill’s life will be held at 2 p.m. Oct. 15, at the Orth family farm, 2861 Evans Road, Eaton, N.Y. 13334. Arrangements are by Burgess & Tedesco Funeral Home, 31 Cedar St., Morrisville, N.Y.
