THERMAL – In a stunning repeat performance, Germany’s Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and the 9-year-old mare, Malou, owned by Octavia Farms, scored victory March 10 the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis. The win comes on the heels of a $50,000 HITS Grand Prix on the previous Sunday.

“Malou has emerged as my most successful horse of the Desert Circuit,” Michaels-Beerbaum said.

Entering the final weekend March 16-17, Malou had been in the money in every Thermal grand prix in which she’s shown – a total of nine beginning with Desert Circuit II. She also landed in the ribbons in the $5,000 PCHA Jimmy Williams Classic that was her starter class during week one.

“The mare is jumping beautifully. I’m delighted,” Michaels-Beerbaum said.

Michaels-Beerbaum has been competitive with every horse she has ridden. She took Windward Farm’s Unbelievable 5 to fourth-place in a very hard-fought contest for DC VI’s $50,000 HITS Grand Prix. There were 47 starters, with seven making the jump-off, and of those seven only four were able to go double clear.

In what was a climactic finish to an electrifying competition, Michaels-Beerbaum and Malou were the first in on the jump-off and laid down a Great American Time to Beat that could not be topped – 41.07 seconds. New Zealand rider Duncan McFarlane, who lives in San Ramon, was second to go on Simone Coxe’s Mr. Whoopy, and their time of 41.51 seconds put them into a snug red-ribbon position.

“Hopefully we’re peaking at just the right time,” said McFarlane, who came in second in the 2011 HITS Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix in Saugerties with Whoopy and was set to ride the stallion in the AIG Thermal Million March 17.

Two rides later, Will Simpson of Westlake Village and the Monarch International mare, Acorina, gave it their best shot, but landed in third with a time of 41.60 seconds.

“It was a great grand prix – the best course Olaf Petersen, Sr. designed all week,” said Simpson, a crowd favorite.

Paige Dotson of Laguna Hills and her family’s Rockford I was fastest of the four-faulters in the jump-off, earning fifth place with a time of 48.47 seconds. Woodside-based Karl Cook had a rail and a refusal at the third fence, but still finished within the time allowed four sixth with an eight fault score in a time of 51.91 seconds.

Earlier in the day, Canada’s Jackie Herod rode Shima to the $3,000 Marshall & Sterling Insurance Amateur Jumper Low Classic title. The $3,000 Marshall & Sterling Insurance Junior Jumper Low Classic went to fellow Canadian Tess Disturnal on her own Lafayete, followed by Bethany Bolen riding Blair Cudmore’s Odaus, and in third, Sarah Jane Haskins with her Weopatra.

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