CULPEPER, VA (October 1, 2007)--A few months ago, Jill Henselwood (Oxford Mills, ON) became the first woman in 24 years to strike individual Gold at the Pan American Games. In Sunday's $100,000 USGPL Invitational Grand Prix at HITS Culpeper, the Canadian became the first female since 2001 to take home the top prize when she captured the blue ribbon aboard Special Ed.

Special Ed is a 13-year-old gelding owned by Juniper Farms. "I got him from a dressage rider who told me Special Ed needed a job and it wasn't dressage. It took me a while but when I finally rode him in the Six-Bar at home, he jumped 6'3" so I knew he was ready," said Henselwood.

Henselwood headlined the field of 29 riders that included several former Olympians. In the first round, she stopped the clocks in 81.054 to advance to course designer Olaf Petersen's jump-off route. "Olaf is a great course builder," said Henselwood. "He set a challenging course today that offered a lesson for everybody. And there were no casualties. He is a real horseman."

Five other riders joined Henselwood and Special Ed in the jump-off. Ken Berkley (Flemington, NJ) was first to go in the jump-off aboard Carlos Boy. The combination set the Great American Time to Beat right off the bat with a clear round stopping the clocks at 44.244. Berkley and Carlos Boy finished in second place and collected $22,000 in prize money for owners Krista and Alexa Weisman.

Second to go in the jump-off was Danielle Torano (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) and her mount Vancouver D' Auvrey. The combination was fast enough at 43.208 to capture the lead, but they experienced heartbreak at the final hurdle when they dropped a rail. Their performance eventually put them in fifth place. Torano collected $6,000 in prize money for Sir Ruly, Inc.

Sharn Wordley (Ocala, FL) and Rockville were next to challenge Petersen's jump-off course. An unlucky rail down midway through the jump-off course landed the combination in third place. Wordley, who won the $40,000 Footings Unlimited Grand Prix at HITS Culpeper earlier this season, collected $13,000 in prize money on Sunday.

United States Olympic Veteran Anne Kursinski (Frenchtown, NJ) rode Scott Hakim's Roxana 112 next in the jump-off. The pair had four faults and stopped the clocks in 42.114 to secure fourth place and $8,000 in prize money.

Fifth to go in the jump-off was Federico Sztyrle (Sagaponack, NY) and his mount Fatalis Fatum. The combination had eight faults and finished in sixth place. Sztyrle collected $5,000 in prize money for owner Christian Wolffer.

Finally, it was Henselwood who was sitting in the envious last-to-ride position aboard Special Ed. By then it was just a matter of keeping all the rails up and beating the time set by Berkley. And that's just what the pair did, stopping the clocks in 43.708 with a clean round to capture first place and $30,000 in prize money for owner, Juniper Farms.

"I rode just a little faster everywhere and it paid off," said Henselwood. "That's the thing about Special Ed, he is world class fast. All I have to do is to stay with him. He is race-car fast!"

"This is such a good class every year," added Henselwood. "Culpeper is in the heart of Virginia horse country and this class just gets better every year."

2007 is proving to be the best year to date for Henselwood. Earlier this year, she was a competitive force at the HITS Desert Circuit in Thermal, California winning the $75,000 Footing Authority Grand Prix during Week III and placing in the money 14 times over the six-week circuit, including four times aboard Special Ed. She also was instrumental in leading Canada to a team Silver Medal in July's Pan American Games, which qualified Team Canada for the Olympics in 2008. But before the torch is lit, Henselwood plans to compete at the HITS Desert Circuit this winter, in Thermal, California where $925,000 in Grand Prix prize money will be up for grabs in a total of 18 Grand Prix classes.

Grand Prix competition was not the only action at the USGPL Finals. In the Main Hunter ring, Scott Dirks (Manakin, VA) rode Key West to victory in the $10,000 Pre-Green Hunter Classic, sponsored by Stillwell-Hansen, Inc. and Four Winds Farm. While in the Jumper ring, Margaret  Lenfest (Birchville, PA) and her mount Respegi scored the win in the $15,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Low Jumper Classic and Kate Cummings (Metairie, LI) and her mount Tenfold secured the top prize in the $25,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner High Jumper Classic.

HITS also awarded the SHALANNO Farm Style of riding award to Sarah Chovnik (Rockville, MD). The SHALANNO Style of Riding Award Perpetual Trophy is presented to the Junior Jumper rider who best exemplifies the American style of equitation as modeled by Olympic medalists Joe Fargis, Conrad Homfeld, and George Morris. The award recipient must have the respectful, dignified, courteous and workmanlike manner of a true sportsman.