Scene from the $75,000 HITS Grand Prix, May 30, 2004. (Courtesy HITS and Fionn Reilly/Ulster Publishing) Lexington, KY – Following a hotly contested open to the 2005 competition season in the warmer climates, and a highly-anticipated fight for the prize at the World Cup Finals in April, claiming the title of U.S. National Champion will be yet another challenge facing some of equestrian sport’s best athletes in June. Truly a headliner competition for the United States Equestrian...

As equestrians, we’re no strangers to travel. Our horses aren’t either. We travel for competitions, for business, and on chance occasions when sunshine lures us out of the barn, we sometimes travel just for fun. Regardless of our reasons, we know what we want on these trips. We want value. We want no-hassle solutions. We want peace of mind. And whenever possible, we want simple one-stop answers that offer all of the above! Try renting a car from Hertz. Trips become a little more...

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has announced the riders who will represent the United States at the CSIO Wellington, March 9-13 during the Winter Equestrian Festival at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, FL. The USEF has also announced that Frank Chapot will serve as chef d’equipe. Under the direction of Chapot, 2004 Olympic Show Jumping Team Silver medalists McLain Ward and Beezie Madden will join Kimberly Frey and Lauren Hough...

Indio, CA – With only two World Cup qualifiers left for the West Coast League, Nicole Simpson stakes a new claim in the top spot, positioning herself 15 points ahead of second ranked rider Joie Gatlin. Simpson now boasts an impressive 81 points to Gatlin’s 66. Last week’s first-ranked Richard Spooner is in third place following this latest qualifier, with 65 points. These top contenders are among nearly 30 West Coast riders vying for the three World Cup spots the League is...

View of the show jumping course at the 2003 World Cup Finals. (Jan Gyllensten) Some of the world’s best riders and horses are placing their bets on Las Vegas this year, eager to see if their scores from earlier qualifying competitions will be enough to earn a ticket to the entertainment capital of the world in April. If they make the final cut, they’ll join the ranks of dozens of world-class athletes, each hoping their skill, combined with Lady Luck, will earn the coveted title of...

Wellington Dressage, the first of the three major dressage shows at the Winter Equestrian Festival, drew to a close on February 6 with the musical freestyle competitions and a special awards ceremony hosted in the Internationale Arena. Leading the musical freestyle winners, was show superstar, Ashley Holzer. Holzer won the $2,000 FEI Grand Prix Freestyle aboard her dynamic Dutch stallion, Imperioso, with a score of 71.583%. Holzer also won the $1,500 FEI Intermediaire-I Freestyle riding Pop Art...

Joe and Sally Jackson and the Kentucky Horse Park announced arrangements for the reburial of the world champion Saddlebred Wild Eyed And Wicked near the Hall of Champions at the Kentucky Horse Park. “Wicked” was one of five Saddlebred horses injected with an unknown substance in June 2003. He and two other horses were destroyed, and two horses recovered. Wicked’s remains were exhumed last week from Double D Ranch near Versailles, where he had been trained, boarded and buried. Jackson and her...

Brazilian Sergio Campos riding Shakira Do Jacare opened fast and kept it in top gear to win Sunday's $25,000 Grand Prix during week two of the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit. Twelve horses mastered Jerry Dougherty's first-round course. Campos and Shakira Do Jacare clocked in with the fastest time by almost three seconds, making them the pair to watch in the jump-off. "She's fast, very fast," says Campos of the eight-year-old chestnut mare he brought over from Brazil last winter. Canadian Olympian...

Indio, CA – Richard Spooner, Joie Gatlin, and Nicole Simpson are one step closer to securing their spots as U.S. representatives from the West Coast League for the 2005 World Cup Finals in Las Vegas, April 20-24. Each separated by a mere point, Spooner stands at 63 qualifying points, Gatlin at 62, and Simpson at 61. While Spooner placed first on Hilton Flight at the $75,000 HITS Grand Prix February 6, the sixth qualifier for the West Coast League, it was actually his fourth place finish...

The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) will host its 50 and 100 mile 2005 National Championship Endurance Rides in conjunction with the Biltmore Challenge. The rides will take place on May 7 at the historic Biltmore Estate Equestrian Center in Asheville, NC. AERC 100-mile and 50-mile divisions are offered, with the 100-mile ride also sanctioned as an international ride by CEI***. All AHA riders must be cross-entered in the Biltmore Challenge. Space is limited, and entries will be accepted on a...