Feb. 27, Tucson, Ariz.

When Bjorn Ikast woke up this morning, he took one look out the window, turned to his wife and said, “There’s no way there’s going to be a grand prix.” The snow he saw covering everything drove him to climb back into bed, resigned that he’d have the afternoon off.

Yet a few hours later, with the morning’s flurries melted and just a few rogue flakes passing through the air, Ikast found himself in a familiar scenario: accepting the blue ribbon for the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix aboard Brave Heart.

This marked the second week in a row that Ikast and Brave Heart won the Sunday grand prix at HITS Arizona. Last week he topped the class without a jump-off, but this week, during Week 4 of circuit, Michelle Parker and Clever forced him to ride for his money, finishing as runners up.

“We didn’t have to ride flat out last week,” said Ikast. “This week we rode a bit fast in the jump-off, maybe 75 percent fast. I had to put pressure on the second rider, but it was most important to go clear. In the end we had almost the same time.”

None of the combinations before Ikast and Brave Heart had managed to find a clear go around the grand prix track, and for a while it looked like it would be a jump-off among the many four-faulters for the top check. Second last to go, Brave Heart and Ikast rode a precise track to notch a faultless effort. Parker followed immediately after to force a ride-off. In the jump-off Clever ticked a single rail to take second.

For Ikast, the day’s conditions dictated his strategy, which had as much to do with selecting which horses to compete as how to ride them to the fences. He scratched two of his six mounts, horses he didn’t think would excel over that day’s track.

“Management did a great job with the ring, really incredible when you saw the snow this morning,” said Ikast who came to Tucson from Laredo, Texas. “The conditions were just a little slick, so I tried to be smart about who I took in the class. I took two horses who were a little younger, and one of the most experienced horses I have, Brave Heart. Both my young horses had 11B down, one in front and one behind, but Brave Heart got through clear. By now he knows how to touch one if he has to.”

Ikast dismissed any of his own skill in his win, crediting his team and wife, Clara, with providing the organization and support to get to blue. And this last year especially Bjorn’s made use of that support. Shortly before the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix in Saugerties, N.Y., last September, Bjorn suffered a freak riding accident that grounded him. Against doctor’s orders (and his wife’s protestations), Ikast returned to the saddle shortly after breaking his foot and several ribs and has been posing for winning snapshots ever since.

Check out photos from earlier in the week at HITS Arizona.

For results, please visit www.hitsshows.com.