Maritimes Equine ...On-Line News: Solem Soars! Callan Solem and Allison win the $50,000 Ring Power Grand Prix, Presented by Pfizer Animal Health, on Sunday at HITS Ocala

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Solem Soars! Callan Solem and Allison win the $50,000 Ring Power Grand Prix, Presented by Pfizer Animal Health, on Sunday at HITS Ocala

March 8, 2010

OCALA, FL --- It was starting to feel like Florida again as the warm weather arrived just in time for Callan Solem and Allison, owned by Quiet Winter Farm/BJ Maghan, to win the $50,000 Ring Power Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, for their third Grand Prix victory this winter at HITS Ocala.

"She’s [Allison] a good girl," said Solem of New Jersey, who took second in Thursday’s $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health. "I thought the first round was really smooth – Allison just loves this sport so much, she knows when it’s Sunday and gets very excited."

Starting the class that featured 24 competitors on a course designed by Danny Foster, was Maryland native Tracy Magness and Tarco Van Ter Moude, owned by Mr. and Mrs. John Bartko. Magness set the bar high with a clean round to earn the first spot in the jump-off.

Four rounds later, Aaron Vale of Morriston, Florida, and Paparazzi, who were the winning team of Thursday’s $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, followed Magness to the jump-off with a clean round.

Without a moment to waste, Solem and Allison showed next with a clean round, as the jump-off continued to grow with the biggest names of High-Performance riders at HITS Ocala.

By the end of the first round, Tracy Fenney on MTM Timon and Taylor McMurtry on Just An Illusion joined the group, as all five competitors looked for the blue and a chance to continue qualifying for the Pfizer Million.

The crowd grew larger in the stands and VIP Tent as Magness was first to show in the jump-off and ended with four faults in a time of 42.430 seconds for fourth place.

Vale and Paparazzi were next and looking for their second Grand Prix win of the week, but four faults in a time of 44.986 seconds was good enough for fifth place. Despite not winning, the relatively young Paparazzi continues to grow each week and looks to be a perennial contender for the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix, which takes place on September 12 in Saugerties, New York.

Solem on Allison was next to take the field, and, even with a cast on her surgically repaired finger, she became the leader of the group with a clean round in 41.454 seconds.

"I knew going into the jump-off that anyone could win," said Solem. "Aaron [Vale] and the Tracys (Magness and Fenney) are always so fast and even though Tracy [Magness] and Aaron [Vale] had a rail down I knew they were still fast."

"Allison just knows me so well and really helps me out there, especially since I wasn’t as confident in the turns with the cast on," she said. "I’ve shown her with the flu and when I broke my arm – so whether I’m sick or hurt or she’s sick or hurt, it doesn’t matter. We just help and know each other so well."

Fenney and MTM Timon followed clean, but were a fraction of a second away with a time of 41.748, which put them in second.

Finishing the jump-off was Taylor McMurtry and Just An Illusion, who showed clean in 45.738 seconds for third place.

Solem currently has seven of the eight Grand Prix classes needed to make the initial qualification for the Pfizer Million and, thanks to Sunday's win, an impressive $42,500 in prize money aboard her leading horse, Allison. With four more Grand Prix classes offered at HITS Ocala this season, including the big ticket $100,000 DeLuca Toyota Tundra Grand Prix, presented by Great American Insurance Group, on Sunday, March 21, Solem has every chance to finish the winter with a very strong position in the Rider Rankings for this historic class. Fellow Ocala High-Performance riders Fenney, Magness and David Jennings are each towards the top of the current rankings in fourth, fifth and sixth place respectively.

The road to the Pfizer Million continues this week at HITS Ocala, as the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, and the $50,000 Purina Mills Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, highlight the Ocala Winter Finals.

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