Brianne Goutal and Ballade van het Indihof (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - Week five of the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival, sponsored by Ariat® International, concluded on Sunday with a win for Brianne Goutal (USA) and Ballade van het Indihof in the $127,000 Ariat® Grand Prix CSI 3*. After topping Friday's $34,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 5, Goutal and the 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Thunder van de Zuuthoeve x Heartbreaker) continued their winning form into...

Lucy Davis and Old Oak Farm's Barron (ESI Photography) Thermal, Calif. - Twenty-three-year-old Stanford University student Lucy Davis, riding Old Oak Farm’s Barron, took top prize in the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix CSI-W2*, presented by OSPHOS®, an FEI World Cup Jumping qualifier under the lights in the Grand Prix Ring at HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, California, Saturday night. Davis and Barron were the only horse-and-rider team to go double-clear, and did so in 46.52 seconds, in...

Will Simpson and Monarch International's Katie Riddle (ESI Photography) Thermal, Calif. - Will Simpson took one more HITS Desert Circuit Grand Prix win Sunday afternoon, on Monarch International’s Katie Riddle in the $30,000 SmartPak Grand Prix. This is Simpson’s sixth Grand Prix win so far at HITS Thermal. Simpson topped a field of 41 riders – including eight others who made it to the jump-off – going double-clear and completing the second round in 43.203 seconds to...

Brooke Kemper and her own Classified (Allison Hartwell) Gulfport, Miss. - Brooke Kemper of Culpeper, Virginia and her own Classified won Friday's $5,000 Horseflight Open Welcome under beautiful sunny skies at the Harrison County Equestrian Center and Fairgrounds in Gulfport, Mississippi. "The footing was perfect," said Kemper, "The turf is so nice, we just want to have a picnic out here," she laughed. Kemper and her mount Classified turned in double clear rounds in times of 79.430 seconds...

Kelley Farmer and Mindset (Kendall Bierer/Phelps Media Group) Wellington, Fla. - An underdog rose to the top of the ranks Friday at The Ridge at Wellington's second annual Hunter Derby Days. Mindset is the rising superstar of Rose Hill Farm, bought for Lilli Hymowitz to show in the Small Junior Hunter division, but professional hunter rider Kelley Farmer captured the $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby victory with consistent rounds and finesse on the turf derby field. Farmer and...

Mark Bluman and VDL Vinzell (Shannon Bower/Phelps Media Group) Wellington, Fla. - The Ridge at Wellington's Turf Tour saw some of its biggest classes today travelling to the inaugural event at The Wanderers Club. Mark Bluman was the second ride in the first 1.30m-1.35m class on VDL Vinzell and posted the first double clean of the day, with at time of 29.412. His time held up for the entirety of the day, despite many close attempts to catch him. Alex Granato continued his winning streak...

Ronan McGuigan and Capall Zidane (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - The 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) kicked off its fifth week of competition at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) on Wednesday with a win for Ireland's Ronan McGuigan and Capall Zidane in the $34,000 1.45m FEI speed class. McGuigan topped his trainer and fellow Irishman, Conor Swail, who finished second aboard Ariana. Meagan Nusz (USA) and Vesuvius finished third. The course designer in the...

Boyd Martin and Trading Aces Win Inaugural Wellington Eventing Showcase

Callan Solem and Horseshoe Trail Farm LLC’s VDL Wizard in the presentation photo after winning the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - Course designer Danny Foster of Milton, Ontario, gave the entries in Sundays $50,000 Hits Grand Prix a daunting course of 17 efforts and a time allowed that took no mercy. Only two riders jumped clear within the allotted time to advance to the jump-off: winner Callan Solem on Horseshoe Trail Farm LLC’s VDL Wizard and Tracy Fenney on MTM...

Will Simpson jumped clear and fast to take first place on S.F. Arlantha (ESI Photography) Thermal, Calif. - Olympic Gold Medalist Will Simpson has virtually shut out the field of Grand Prix riders so far at HITS Desert Horse Park. Simpson, riding S.F. Ariantha, claimed his fifth consecutive victory with a first place finish in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix on Friday. S.F. Ariantha, a new mount for Simpson, is owned Olivia Cox-Fill. Thirty-five riders competed in the class and 11 returned for...