Karl Cook and Farrari, owned by Signe Ostby, jump in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix on Friday, March 5, 2015, at HITS Desert Circuit VII (ESI Photography) Thermal, Calif. - Karl Cook took home the blue ribbon in the $25,500 SmartPak Grand Prix Friday on Signe Ostby’s Farrari for his first Grand Prix victory of this year’s HITS Desert Circuit. Cook claimed the title over the rider who has prevailed most often this circuit, eight-time 2015 Grand Prix winner and U.S. Olympian Will...

Amanda Steege and Dutch Warmblood Zidane (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - Amanda Steege of Bedminster, New Jersey, topped the HITS Ocala January Festival $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix on Dutch Warmblood Zidane, owned by Susan Darragh of Orefield, Pennsylvania. The consistent jumping by Zidane put him at the top of the leader board with matching first and second round scores of 85, after the previous Saturday, when Zidane and Steege had the highest first round score of 89, but a little playfulness...

Peter Pletcher and Thanks for the Gold (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - Peter Pletcher and Thanks For The Gold kicked off hunter action for WEF 3 in the Shapley's Grooming Products Green Conformation Hunters. Thanks For The Gold, owned by Rancho De Los Arboles of Oak Point, TX, topped two of the over fences classes, along with the model and under saddle, to finish the day as champions. Also turning in consistent performances over the two days were Having Said That ridden by Kelley Farmer. The...

1. Do ALL the Paperwork. We are going to get this over with first a) because it’s required and b) because it’s the least exciting step. International level reining in the U.S. is supported by three organizations: USA Reining, United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), and International Equestrian Federation (FEI), all of which foster participation, support competition, and establish the rules that ultimately lead to the pinnacles of reining sport – the FEI Reining World Cup...

Harrisburg, Pa. - Speed was the name of the game in the $33,000 Keystone Classic at the Pennsylvania Horse Show. Some of the biggest names in riding competed in the class and the spectators cheered and urged on their favorite rider as they galloped around the course. Keystone Classic winners Beezie Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo (Al Cook - alcook.com) Beezie Madden, of Cazenovia, N.Y., and her 2012 Olympic team partner CORAL REEF VIA VOLO, 24th into the ring, sailed around the course...

Harrisburg, Pa. - A competitive field of 38 top international riders, including many Olympic and World Champions, headlined the $40,000 Pennsylvania National "Big Jump", sponsored by Wilmington Trust, an M & T Company, at the Pennsylvania Horse Show. "Big Jump" Winners Kent Farrington and Willow (Al Cook - alcookphoto.com) Designed by Michel Vaillancourt, the course was set at 1.50m and included 12 fences and 15 jumping efforts in the first round, which weeded out quite a few competitors as...

Barcelona, Spain - The Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team entered Friday’s Challenge Cup competition at the 2014 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final looking for redemption after a ninth-place finish in the First Competition. Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland led the determined team of McLain Ward, Margie Engle, Lauren Hough, and Beezie Madden, who delivered throughout the afternoon that saw them beat out the Australian team in a jump-off to claim their second consecutive Challenge...

Devon, Pa. - Ashley Holzer and her bay mare, Tiva Nana, winner of Friday’s Grand Prix Qualifier, thrilled the crowd with their freestyle dressage performance that earned a score of 76.125. Their movements were challenging. For instance, they moved from canter to piaffe to passage without missing a beat of the epic, orchestral music. Apparently Ashley had made a last minute decision to enter the freestyle competition. She says that the electric atmosphere at Devon worried her mare a bit...

Becky Holder and Can't Fire Me (Shannon Brinkman Photo) Tyler, Texas – The 2014 USEF National Open Horse Trial Championship got underway Thursday afternoon at the Texas Rose Horse Park with 12 horse-and-rider combinations performing their dressage tests. Becky Holder and her veteran, Can’t Fire Me, seized the early lead with a near flawless performance in the championship being held in conjunction with the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series Final at the Nutrena USEA American Eventing...

Leslie Berndl and Uminco (Janos and Zoltan Varaljai) Izsak, Hungary – The U.S. sent two drivers down centerline on Thursday to kick off the FEI World Driving Championships for Singles in Izsak, Hungary, with both competitors standing within the top 25 after the first day of competition. Before the Ground Jury of Pierre Cazas, József Borka, Reiner Wannenwetsch, Diana Brownlee, and Sarah Mullins, Leslie Berndl drove Uminco through nervousness to stand sixth, while Donna Crookston...