Kimberly Maloomian, riding her mother Terry Maloomian’s horse, Urlala, had a triumphant return to the winner’s circle in her first Hunter Prix since winning the $250,000 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix Final last September. Maloomian and Urlala won $1500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix Saturday with scores of 82 and 84 to top the leaderboard. Riders in the top 20 in the year-end standings for the $1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix can also ride two horses in the $250,000 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix Final. Maloomian, who trains with Steege, said, “Urlala was originally purchased for my Mom to do the 2-foot division. She may not be the fanciest horse that I have, but she’s the nicest one. You always know when you are standing at the in-gate that you are going to jump all the jumps -- she’s not going to spook at anything and it’s such a nice feeling.” Steege said of her student’s win, “It was a thrill for team Ashmeadow (Steege’s farm) to have dominated the Hunter Prix in week three of HITS Ocala.” Casey Zuraitis of Sutton, Massachusetts, riding her own KT Four Seasons, scored a first round of 85 and a second round score of 80 to finish just one point behind and take home second place and a check for $300. Third place with an 83 and a 78 went to Alexa Riccio of Ogunquit, Maine, riding Captain Millet, owned by Kevin Davis of Lincoln, Nebraska.
