Jumping The final Grand Prix of the HITS Ocala show season resulted in a resounding win by Kent Farrington, who ended up finishing first and second and with three horses in the top five. Farrington stormed to the win in the $100,000 DeLuca Toyota Tundra Grand Prix, presented by Great American Insurance Group on Top Gun to give himself a clear victory over his second-placed horse: Uceko. Both flashy grey horses jumped two clear rounds for Farrington, Top Gun was faster by more than a second....

Tracy Magness and Tarco Van Ter Moude. (ESI Photography© .) Ocala, FL - The gift of warm weather, bright blue skies and outstanding competition have been the theme of this year's HITS Ocala Winter Circuit. Last week's Ocala Masters marked the mid-way point of the six-week, AA-rated Circuit, and with just three more weeks of competition remaining, the Circuit is shaping up to be the one of the best yet. Each week the Grand Prix and Devoucoux Hunter Prix qualifiers for the 2011 Pfizer $1 Million...

Nick Skelton and Big Star. (Photo by Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - February 13, 2011 - The fifth week of competition at the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival concluded on Sunday with the $25,00 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Classic, and it was Nick Skelton (GBR) and Big Star, owned by Beverly and Gary Widdowson, who proved victorious over a field of 65 entries. Alan Wade of Co. Tipperary, Ireland, designed today's courses and set a first-round track that 11 combinations would clear....

Jumping Two familiar names jumped to the top of the $50,000 Strongid C 2X Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health which served as the first of four FEI World Cup Qualifiers at Thermal in California. Rolex/FEI World Cup veterans (they were second in 2008), Rich Fellers and Flexible got back to business and won narrowly over Richard Spooner and Cristallo. Amateur Rider Karl Cook and Uno de Laubry were third. These three combinations were the only short course clears out of the field of 27 -...

I have begun my crash course in combined driving and I must say I’m enjoying it more than I anticipated. So far we have had the carriage presentation and one session of dressage and I’m finding all the technicalities and attention to detail rather interesting. Fun fact: it takes an average of 10 hours to prepare a carriage and harness for presentation. 10 hours! No more complaining about the 10 minute take cleaning job you do once a week. It’s going to be a very intense competition with the...

Lexington, KY - The endurance competition at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games got underway this morning with the first horse inspection taking place under sunny Kentucky skies. More than 110 horses from 30 nations were presented to the veterinary panel for approval before heading out on a 100 mile (160 km) ride on Sunday. Fifteen horses were held for re-inspection after their initial jogs. Seven horses were spun, however two replacement horses were approved and allowed to compete in...

U.S. Team Wins Nations Cup at Spruce Meadows (Photo by Mike Sturk) Lexington, KY – The U.S. Show Jumping team has been picking up victories across Europe and ventured to the far reaches of Western Canada to keep the streak alive. Four of the nation’s best riders delivered on a huge stage when the U.S. squad romped to victory at the Spruce Meadows Masters to win the Nations Cup in legitimate company. Leopoldo Palacios, the Venezuelan course designer, created a challenging track that produced...

The North American Anglo-Arabian Horse Association (NAAAHA) will again be honoring Anglo-Arabian horses competing at Youth Nationals and Sport Horse Nationals in 2010. The top winning Anglos in all classes at each show will be awarded an embroidered cooler and neck ribbon, with a gold trophy also going to the Supreme Champions. NAAAHA is again conducting their High Point Award Program for Anglo-Arabians that compete in Working Hunter, Jumper, Eventing., Dressage, Sport Horse, Conformation,...

The FEI is to freeze the Rolex Rankings points for jumping riders on maternity leave, starting with the April Rankings issued on March 31 . Under the new system, female riders will now lose only 50% of their Rolex Rankings points during their absence from competition while on maternity leave. The new ruling means that former world number one Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum moves up from 31st on the March Rolex Rankings to 20th following the reinstatement of 50% of her points. The German rider, who...

Chester Weber Goes for Eight (Joanie Morris/USEF) Ocala, FL, – The Live Oak International sponsored by US Trust kicked off with the FEI dressage on Thursday, and two USEF National Driving Championships bookended the six FEI divisions at the premiere event. Held at Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation, it is one of the featured events on the US calendar and showcased 40 of the best drivers in the United States. The USEF National Single Horse Championship got the morning started and Leslie...