HorseTV to Broadcast Full Six Weeks of HITS Ocala Winter Circuit
RELEASE: February 4, 2009
AUTHOR/ADMINISTRATOR: By HorseTV and HITS
HorseTV announced that an agreement had been reached with the Saugerties, NY-based HITS (Horse Shows in the Sun) organization for nose-to-tail broadcast coverage of the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit, February 3-March 15.
On February 3, 2009, HorseTV Live, the live broadcast component of the HorseTV.com television portal, will make equestrian industry history by providing simultaneous coverage of six active rings of competition for the entire six weeks of the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit, including the full roster of grand prix events.
The broadcast is the first in the back-to-back series of equestrian competitions covering all breeds, sports and disciplines, which will be available worldwide on HorseTV.com during its roll-out of live events in 2009.
HorseTV Chairman Bernard Uechtritz stated, "The Horse TV Live component of the multi-faceted online television portal now in development is one of the cornerstones of what will be the most revolutionary media platform to date to embrace and lead the equestrian sector. However, for all intents and purposes, this first broadcast under the HorseTV brand is really just a continuation of the building blocks already in place for our soft launch, as the company prepares for the unveiling of the fully interactive portal later this year. You'll be seeing a constant stream of announcements as we move towards that moment."
Jon Cromer, now director of the hunter/jumper division of HorseTV Live, and formerly the head of Productions East, a well-known provider of video services to some of the top shows on the east coast, will produce and direct the six-week long coverage.
Said Uechtritz, "Tom Struzzieri and Tony Hitchcock over at HITS are consummate professionals, lead a forward thinking organization, and have had an open-book approach with us. They were the perfect team with whom to start our broadcast roll out, and we are really privileged to have this opportunity. Cromer is a beloved and trusted figure in the hunter/jumper circuits, so for this segment of the horse world, we have really put together a great alliance. This will be great for everyone, and we'll have some fun along the way, as well."
Tom Struzzieri, CEO of the 27-year-old special events management company, which specializes in world-class hunter/jumper shows coast-to-coast, said, "We are very pleased to be part of the debut of HorseTV Live, and are looking forward to working with their team on our other shows, as well. This is a great synergy which benefits competitors, sponsors, advertisers and ultimately the industry as a whole."
In addition to providing the six-week long broadcast to jumping enthusiasts worldwide, HorseTV Live will also be making available individual competitor DVDs of the performances of every horse and rider during the competition, which can be ordered on the show grounds or online after the circuit is over.
Starting February 3, viewers can access the broadcast by going to
HorseTV.com, clicking on HorseTV Live, and selecting the "HITS 2009 Ocala Winter Circuit" from the schedule.
For more information visit
www.HorseTV.com or
www.HITSShows.com.