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“Tom Struzzieri and the HITS staff have created a successful world class series of events and Pfizer Animal Health is very proud to continue being a part of that success,” said Stuart Meikle, Director at Pfizer Animal Health.

The 2012 Pfizer Million will be the culmination of 58 qualifying Grand Prix held at all HITS horse shows nation-wide and a Wild Card class that will provide one rider not already qualified the opportunity to ride for show-jumping glory in the landmark event. The first of the 58 qualifiers took place this past October at HITS Commonwealth Park in Culpeper, Virginia where Texas’ Tracy Fenney captured the $40,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, aboard MTM Farm’s MTM Centano. The winter circuits in Thermal, California, Ocala, Florida and Tucson, Arizona will hold the next opportunities for High-Performance riders to get a jump on securing the eight qualifying Grand Prix needed to become eligible for the 2012 Pfizer Million Rider Rankings. The top 40 riders will continue on to the final show-down on September 9.

“We are thrilled to have the continued support of Pfizer Animal Health,” said Tom Struzzieri, HITS President and CEO. “The Pfizer Animal Health team is a dedicated, hard-working group of professionals who are committed to ensuring the health and well-being of our horses, so it’s only natural that they would be the title sponsor for one of the most important events in our sport. We are proud to have their support and everyone on the HITS team is dedicated to ensuring that this year’s Pfizer Million will be another extraordinary event.”

In addition to being the title sponsor for the world’s richest Grand Prix, Pfizer Animal Health will be the presenting sponsor for nearly all Grand Prix offered at HITS in 2012 and their flagship equine health product, STRONGID® C 2X – a daily dewormer that provides a continuous, preventive level of pyrantel in the intestinal tract – will be the title sponsor of five Grand Prix qualifiers throughout the year. The $53,000 STRONGID C 2X CSI-W Grand Prix will take place at the HITS Desert Circuit during Week II. In Ocala, the $50,000 STRONGID C 2X Grand Prix will be the highlight of Week IV’s Ocala Masters competition, while the HITS Arizona Winter Circuit will present the $25,000 STRONGID C 2X Grand Prix as the grand finale competition during Week VI’s Arizona  Desert Finals. In the summer, HITS Culpeper will host the $40,000 STRONGID C 2X Grand Prix Week II’s Showday National and HITS Saugerties will host the ever-popular $100,000 STRONGID C 2X Grand Prix during Week VI’s New York Horse and Pony Show.

The HITS Championship Weekend is scheduled to take place September 7-9 at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York and will include not only the third-annual Pfizer Million but the return of the Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix as well as the all-new $250,000 HITS 3’ Hunter Prix, the Marshall & Sterling Junior Medal, and PHA National Medal Finals for a one-of-a-kind show jumping finale. The weekend will welcome the top High-Performance riders from around the world, as well as the top Junior and Adult hunter and equitation riders from across the nation.

“The Pfizer Million helped set the stage for the creation of this super finale where, true to the core HITS strategy, we will bring together the very best in all levels of competition for a year-end celebration like none other,” added Struzzieri. “We believe this weekend will soon become the single most important equine event in this country and we look forward to what that means for the future of the sport, Pfizer Animal Health, and HITS.”

Pfizer Animal Health’s leading equine health product STRONGID® C 2X (pyrantel tartrate) is designed for daily administration to horses and foals, killing parasites before they can take your animal’s nutrition, energy, and good health. Left unchecked, parasites can impair growth and performance, and may be a cause of colic. STRONGID C 2X top-dressed over your horse’s feed helps destroy emerging adult worms while protecting your horse’s internal organs. The result: a horse that feels better, looks better and performs better, typically just weeks after beginning a strategic program of daily parasite prevention. To learn more about STRONGID C 2X, please visit Strongidc2x.com.

The HITS 2012 winter show season kicks-off with the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit on January 18 and runs through March 18. On the West Coast, the HITS Desert Circuit in Thermal, California will take place January 24, through March 11, while the HITS Arizona Winter Circuit will run six consecutive weeks from February 1, through March 11.

Prize lists for all three HITS Winter Circuits have been mailed and are available on-line at HitsShows.com. For more information on the HITS Winter Circuits, please visit HitsShows.com or call 845.246.8833.

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