Beaches & Adventure Insider

This is me competing my jumper at HITS. Credit: Paul Tjaden

Winter means it’s time to watch some of the country’s best equine athletes and riders compete at Horse Shows in the Sun. The 2013 “HITS” Florida show series runs out of the 450-acre Post Time Farm (13710 U.S. Highway 27, Ocala, Fla., 34482, 352-620-2275).

The series begins Jan. 16, 2013 and continues until March 17, 2013. The Circuit features 14 Grand Prix events worth a total of $575,000 in prize money, including the $100,000 Sullivan GMC Truck Grand Prix that closes HITS Ocala Winter Celebration circuit.

What to know at a glance: Be sure to watch the jumper divisions, in addition to the hunter or equitation divisions. Try to get there for a Grand Prix. Two Grand Prix events will be held each week of the rated shows, on Thursdays and Sundays.

Post Time Farm: Close your eyes and picture ancient oak trees with Spanish moss draped from their branches, miles of board fences and horses everywhere, trotting around the track, being bathed, led, schooled or strutting their stuff in one of the 12 show arenas.

What it costs: There’s no admission charge Wednesday through Saturday. Sunday admission is $5 per person, and children under 12 are free. Parking’s free, too.

How jumpers are judged: Form doesn’t count, nor does relaxation. Jumpers can have strong opinions, and often do. They can get excited, and often are. In the most common format , the competition consists of two rounds.

In the first round, competitors aim to "jump clean” and within the time allowed. Jumping clean means the horses don’t knock down any rails and  don’t stop (refuse) any fences. It's not a race, but if they exceed the time allowed they will be penalized. Penalties resulting from rails and refusals usually take a horse out of contention for an award. Those that jump clean in the allotted time progress to the "jump off."

The second round, the "jump off," is a race. The goal is simple: Go as fast as possible – and this next part is the trick – but make sure to leave all the rails up. This is where it gets really exciting. Taking a fence at an angle, or wheeling into it quickly makes it harder for a horse to clear (and sometimes has the effect of making the horse decide he doesn’t want to play the game all) – but that’s exactly what they have to do if they are going to be fastest and nab the prize money.

Insider tips:

• Bring a hat with a brim, sunglasses, and maybe a can of insect repellent.
• Wear the most comfortable shoes you own.
• Food is available on the show ground.
• Don’t cheer until a horse has completed the round.
• Have the utmost courtesy when driving your car near horses, and give them the most room possible. Even well-trained horses can be unpredictable.