Ben Maher and Urico (Sportfot) Wellington, FL - Week five of the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) featured another exciting "Saturday Night Lights" event with over 4,000 spectators looking on as Great Britain's Ben Maher won his second grand prix in a row for the winter circuit. Maher jumped to victory in the $82,000 Adequan® CSI2* Grand Prix aboard Jane Clark's Urico after also taking top honors in last week's $100,000 Fidelity Investments® CSI 2*...

Francie Steinwedell-Carvin and Lapsus du Lavoir were in competitive company yesterday, but rose to the top of the $33,000 HITS Desert Classic, presented by Pfizer Animal Health. The class introduced the first of the FEI class at HITS Desert Horse Park this season, which continues this weekend with the $54,500 Strongid® C 2X Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health (Flying Horse Photography) Thermal, CA - It was an explosive start to the HITS FEI series at Desert Circuit II, as Francie...

Aaron Vale and Palm Sunday were two-for-two during the first week of competition at HITS Ocala and capped their streak with a win in the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health. (ESI Photography) Ocala, FL - Week I of the 2013 HITS Ocala Winter Circuit is in the history books with Aaron Vale leading the way. After a win last Thursday in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, aboard Palm Sunday, owned by Amen Corner Farm, LLC, the duo kept the...

Rich Fellers, 2012 USEF Equestrian of the Year (Susan J. Stickle/PhelpsSports.com) Louisville, KY - He was the first American in 25 years to win the Rolex/FEI World Cup Final, highest placing U.S. Equestrian at the London 2012 Olympic Games, and winner of all four observation classes he entered. Now you can call Rich Fellers 2012 USEF Equestrian of the Year as well. Eight equestrians were nominated for the award and Fellers was revealed as the winner Saturday night at the USEF Pegasus Awards in...

Peter Pletcher and Ivory Coast (Anne Gittins Photography) Wellington, FL - Ivory Coast and Peter Pletcher were named champions of the Second Year Green Working Hunter division after two days of competition at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Ivory Coast, owned by Eva Bisso, and Pletcher led the division after day one of competition when they placed third and sixth over fences before winning the under saddle. Ivory Coast and Pletcher picked up another blue ribbon, this...

Wellington, FL - January 7, 2013 - Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP) looks forward to kicking off the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) season with its first week of competition coming up on January 9-13, 2013, sponsored by The Mar-a-Lago Club. The week will feature a full schedule of exciting hunter/jumper competition, including the $55,000 Nespresso Battle of the Sexes exhibition class as the start of the "Saturday Night Lights" series and fun events like the Jump for...

Lexington, KY - To reach the highest level of excellence in equestrian sport requires talent, perseverance, a tremendous spirit and often, unwavering courage. In 2012, six horses have shown the world those qualities and more. On January 18, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will bestow two of them with the prestigious title of Horse of the Year, the highest honor the USEF awards a horse. Again this year both a national and international horse will win. The six champions have earned...

The U.S. Five-Gaited Section Gold medalists (R. Millin) Parys, South Africa - On Saturday, December 8, the Saddle Seat World Cup sponsored by Impondo Mining and Live 2 Learn concluded with second round performances from the Three-Gaited sections of the Saddle Seat World Cup teams. After a stellar presentation of rail work, the U.S. Three-Gaited team set the stage for leading pattern work scores in both groups. With strong performances all week, hopes were high that both the U.S. Three- and...

Isabelle Terry receives her awards from Show Jumping Hall of Fame Executive Director Marty Bauman. (McCool Photgraphy) Lexington, KY - Isabelle Terry of Dallas, TX and Chakira won the inaugural Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series West Coast Championship, held at the Las Vegas National Horse Show on November 17. Prior to the Championship Final in Las Vegas, the 2012 West Conference regular season came to a close following the L.A. National Horse Show. Lauren Kay and Siendifie topped...

Shelburne, VT - We're now just slightly over three months before the 2013 AMHA Annual Convention and we're still planning the fun and excitement that will take place February 21-23 in Portland, Oregon, at The Benson Hotel. Two new seminars have just been added to the already stellar lineup of speakers. Dr. Marvin Hausman will give a presentation on a new therapeutic strategy to control and prevent colic, laminitis, and tying-up. Physiologic problems in the horse are the result of...