Sunny Drescher and Sting on their way to a HITS Equitation Championship win at HITS Ocala (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - It was a picturesque evening under the lights of the Ocala Horse Properties Stadium for the return of the HITS Equitation Championship. High school senior Sunny Drescher, of Hinesburg, Vermont, and her own Sting proved that determination and drive pay off, moving up five spots from the 2014 event, to take home the blue ribbon and top honors. After ten weeks of qualifying...

Piergiorgio Bucci and Heartbreaker vd Achteroe (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - Olaf Petersen Jr. of Germany set the 1.45m speed course on Friday with 42 entries and 12 clear rounds. Bucci and SPCS's Heartbreaker vd Achteroe had the winning time of 64.15 seconds. They beat out Laura Chapot and Quointreau un Prince, owned by Chapot and McLain Ward, who finished second in 65.19 seconds. Sweetnam and Spy Coast Farm LLC's Beluga clocked in at 66.54 seconds to place third. Eric Lamaze (CAN)...

Ocala, Fla. – The bucolic Live Oak Plantation set the backdrop for a morning of combined driving dressage as the 2015 USEF Driving National Championships for Single Pony, Pair Pony, Pony Teams, and Pair Horse divisions got underway. USEF Single Pony Driving National Championship Tracey Morgan (Beallsville, Md.) was first in the ring and presented a performance that could not be bested, scoring 43.84. Morgan and her own Fuego 88, a 14-year-old German Riding Pony gelding, executed a solid...

Lexington, Ky. - USA Equestrian Trust is pleased to announce it is now accepting proposals from IRS-registered equine non-profit organizations for its 2015 grants program. In 2014, the Trust awarded nearly $300,000 to help fund nearly 20 projects. To submit an application, visit trusthorses.org and complete the online form. Any organization applying must submit copies of its IRS non-profit determination letter and most recent Form 990, as well as a proposed budget for its project. The deadline...

Thermal, Calif. - Jamie Azcarraga, of Mexico City, Mexico, and his Anton Radio Formula, claimed Sunday's AIG $1 Million Grand Prix, presented by MortgageCall, which is the first jewel of the HITS Triple Crown of Show Jumping. Azcarraga was one of only three riders out of a total field of 44 in the first round and only five in the jump-off who rode double-clear at HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, California. Olympic Gold Medalist McLain Ward, who went first in the fast-paced jump-off on...

Conor Swail and Tahiti Island (Kendall Bierer/Phelps Media Group) Wellington, Fla. - Ireland's Conor Swail rode Fortis Fortuna to a blazing time of 33.669 seconds in the Ridge at Wellington's 1.40m Grand Prix at Tonkawa Farms to snatch up the win today. Not only did Swail secure the first place, but he also guided his other mount, Tahiti Island to the third place finish, proving that his winning streak is more than just the luck of the Irish. It was Olympian Laura Kraut and Zeremonie...

Kristen VanderVeen and Bull Run’s Faustino de Tili Star in the $50,000 Horse Power Grand Prix at HITS Ocala (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - The bleachers were full and the grass berms surrounding the Ocala Horse Properties Stadium were lined with spectators for Sunday’s $50,000 Ring Power Grand Prix, and fans were treated to an exciting class with a race to the finish. Kristen VanderVeen from St. Charles, Illinois, came out on the top with an all-out gallop to the finish on Bull Run's...

Perfect blue skies made way for blue ribbons for Kocher and Carolina Suarez' Ufarno in the $15,000 Horseflight Open Welcome at the Gulf Coast Winter Classic Week IV (Allison Hartwell) Gulfport, Miss. - Friday's feature jumper competition, the $15,000 Horseflight Open Welcome saw thirty-three horse and rider teams compete on the world class grass turf grand prix field at the Gulf Coast Winter Classic Circuit in Gulfport, Mississippi. Manual Esparza of Mexico City, Mexico designed the 1.40...

Wellington, Fla. - The Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team proved unbeatable in Friday’s FEI Nations Cup presented by Kingsland Equestrian as they romped to victory over eight other teams on a two-round total of eight faults. With their strong performance, the team of Todd Minikus, Candice King, Margie Engle, and McLain Ward secured the sixth American win at CSIO Wellington. “We’ve always said that winning our home Nations Cup is a priority,” said Chef d’Equipe...

The winning Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - The Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team proved unbeatable in Friday’s FEI Nations Cup presented by Kingsland Equestrian as they romped to victory over eight other teams on a two-round total of eight faults. With their strong performance, the team of Todd Minikus, Candice King, Margie Engle, and McLain Ward secured the sixth American win at CSIO Wellington. “We’ve always said that winning our home (FEI)...