John Anderson and Foxdale Farm’s Terrific won the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix on Sunday, February 14, during week three of the HITS Desert Circuit in Thermal, CA. Photo by Flying Horse Photography

February 16, 2010 – Thermal, CA – For the second week in a row, Calgary’s John Anderson stood in the winner’s circle in Thermal, CA, after capturing the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix on Sunday, February 14.

Anderson and his mount, Terrific, had also claimed victory in the $30,000 HITS Grand Prix held Thursday, February 4, during the second of six weeks of competition at the HITS Desert Circuit in Thermal, CA. At the half-way mark, following three weeks of competition, Anderson and Terrific now have a firm grip on the Catena Leading Grand Prix Rider Award standings, thanks to impressively consistent results. The pair has placed in the top 10 in all seven Grand Prix events they have contested. Their record currently stands at two wins, two second place finishes, a fourth, an eighth, and a ninth.

On Valentine’s Day, Anderson had a heartbreaking rail at the last fence in the jump-off over the course designed by Germany’s Olaf Petersen Jr. However, none of the other jump-off contenders were able to post a fault-free round, giving Anderson and Terrific the win with a four-fault performance in a time of 49.19 seconds. The final jump-off fence, an oxer set 14 strides out and beside the in-gate, proved to be the undoing of many of the jump-off contenders.

“I barely rubbed the final fence and it came down, and some of those that followed me tried to go for the cautious clear only to have the last fence down as well,” said Anderson who competed second in the seven-horse jump-off, which was narrowed down from an original starting field of 40 entries. “Now that we are into the third week of competition, the courses were raised up a notch.”

Anderson also spoke of his decision to compete in Sunday’s Grand Prix, with an eye towards the final event, the $300,000 Grand Prix of the Desert to be held on Sunday, March 14.

“We have been jumping indoors the past two weeks, but Sunday’s Grand Prix was outside, just like the big $300,000 Grand Prix will be at the end of circuit,” said Anderson, 43. “Terrific has been so good indoors - everything comes up fast, and he is quite attentive, always looking for the next jump. I thought a nice round jumping outside would be good for him.”

Terrific is a 10-year-old bay Dutch Warmblood gelding (Marlon x Lux) that owners Craig and Jan Maxwell of Foxdale Farms purchased as a five-year-old for Anderson to ride. Anderson has his sights set on this year’s FEI World Equestrian Games, which take place in the fall in Lexington, KY.

“The horse is really growing into his own,” said Anderson, who was a member of Canada’s fourth placed team at the 1986 World Championships in Aachen, Germany, where he also placed eighth individually. “I got lucky last year and had such a great summer that I was asked to ride on the Canadian Team at Spruce Meadows in September. Terrific went in and held his own against the best in the world, and we were contributors to Canada’s fourth place performance. If everything goes well, maybe we will get to go to Kentucky.”

The organizer of Rocky Mountain Show Jumping competitions in his hometown of Calgary, Anderson commutes back and forth between Calgary and Thermal. In addition to celebrating his own victory, he was thrilled that two other Alberta riders, Lisa Carlsen and Jenn Serek, joined him in the jump-off for the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix. Carlsen of Edmonton, AB, placed third riding La Boom while Serek of Calgary, AB, was fourth riding Eleonora.

“Both Lisa and Jenn are regulars at our Rocky Mountain Show Jumping competitions, and they have both developed their young horses at our facility,” said Anderson. “It was also great to see Lisa’s student, Ellicia Edgar, another Alberta rider, finish tenth in her first major grand prix. Alberta riders are tearing up the joint!”

Rocky Mountain Show Jumping competitions are held throughout the year at Anderson Ranch in the south end of Calgary. For more information, please visit www.rmshowjumping.com.