Ocala, FL - February 15, 2011 - It wasn't just an illusion when Taylor McMurtry and her own Just An Illusion won Sunday's $50,000 EMO Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health. The horse-and-rider combination celebrated their first Grand Prix win ever to conclude the Ocala Winter Classic. "I'm so happy!" exclaimed McMurtry, 18, who found her way to the top on a beautiful sunny day at HITS Post Time Farm. "I'm overwhelmed. Especially since it was my goal to win a Grand Prix this year, I am...

Steffen Peters and Ravel. (Photo by Susan J. Stickle.) Wellington, FL - February 14, 2011 - Eight North American riders have been invited to the 2011 World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach, which will take place on March 9-11. The invitations include the world's leading American and Canadian dressage riders, Steffen Peters and Ashley Holzer. Peters, riding Akiko Yamazaki's gelding Ravel, won the individual Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Freestyle...

Burbank, CA - Riders who dream of competing at the Pan American Games will begin their quest at the Mid-Winter Dressage Fair CDI 1*/Y/J in Burbank, CA, February 24-27, 2011. As the first official qualifying competition on the West Coast, horses and riders will compete in front of FEI judges Jayne Ayers ("I" USA), Natalie Lamping ("I" USA), and Lorraine MacDonald ("I" CAN). In addition, this competition will serve as an early-season qualifier for the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival of...

Wellington, FL - February 14, 2011 - The fifth week of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) has concluded at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, and another week of fantastic competition was held. The FTI WEF hosts the best that the sports of show jumping, hunters and equitation have to offer in 12 rings of competition. $150,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix presented by Spy Coast Farm An exciting jump-off topped off a fantastic class on Saturday evening in the $150,000 FEI World...

Nick Skelton and Big Star. (Photo by Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - February 13, 2011 - The fifth week of competition at the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival concluded on Sunday with the $25,00 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Classic, and it was Nick Skelton (GBR) and Big Star, owned by Beverly and Gary Widdowson, who proved victorious over a field of 65 entries. Alan Wade of Co. Tipperary, Ireland, designed today's courses and set a first-round track that 11 combinations would clear....

Thermal, CA - February 13, 2011 - Eduardo Menezes rode his own Tomba to a triumph over some of the top equestrians in the world during Saturday's $50,000 HITS CSI-W Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, in the indoor arena at the HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, CA. Menezes, who now calls Carlsbad, CA, home and has been knocking on the door for the past three weeks looking for his first Grand Prix victory of the Desert Circuit. In that time, he’s enjoyed two top placings, including a...

Wellington, Florida - February 12, 2011 - In only its second year the FTI Great Charity Challenge Presented by Fidelity Investments® has galloped out of the gates to become one of the largest fundraising events in Palm Beach County with a goal of one million dollars to benefit 32 Palm Beach charities at an exciting Pro-Am show jumping family event on Saturday Feb. 19th, 2011. To be held at the prestigious Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, Florida which has recently...

Silvio Mazzoni and Remonta Habano. (Photo by ESI Photography©.) Ocala, FL - February 11, 2011 - After a successful two-week Pre-Circuit and a short break, show jumping resumed at HITS Post Time Farm in Ocala, FL, on Tuesday with the Ocala Winter Classic, the first of six AA-rated weeks of competition. Silvio Mazzoni of Leesburg, VA, piloted his own Remonta Habano to a decisive win in Thursday afternoon’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health. “It was a beautiful...

Wellington, FL - February 11, 2011 - Six European participants have been confirmed for the 2011 World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach, which will take place on March 9-11. In addition, Dutch Olympian Hans Peter Minderhoud, a member of the gold medal dressage team at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, will give a Master Class clinic during the WDM Palm Beach. The World Dressage Masters is the richest and most prestigious dressage series in...

Lexington, KY - February 11, 2011 - Kentucky Spring Horse Shows' management company, Kentucky Horse Shows LLC, is pleased to announce that the hunter/jumper competition's prize list is currently available online. The prize list and entry blank are posted at www.kentuckyhorseshows.com . Entries for the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows close on March 29, 2011. The Kentucky Spring Horse Show will mark the first week of competition, from May 11-15, 2011, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. The...