Kelley Farmer and Baltimore on their way to a $100,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby win. (ESI Photography) Thermal, Calif. - As the sun set over the mountain ridge at HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, California, an eager crowd gathered to witness thirty-nine riders and their elegant mounts compete for one of the most prestigious hunter victories, the $100,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby. Kelley Farmer, returned to HITS Thermal with several horses to compete in the Derby in Week VIII...

Haley Gassel and Quite Dark 2 on their way to a $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix win. (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - Elite competition commenced during Week VIII of the Ocala Winter Circuit with the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix in Ocala Horse Properties Stadium. Twenty-three-year-old Hayley Gassel of Lenoir City, Tennessee, riding her own Quite Dark 2, with the expert guidance of trainer David Jennings, executed her plan perfectly to win against a jump-off field of 18 riders, capturing her first...

Kelley Farmer and Mindful on their way to a $100,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby win. (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - The second $100,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby of the HITS Hunter Derby Tour paid a visit to HITS Post Time Farm in Ocala, Florida, on Saturday during Week VI of the Ocala Winter Circuit. As the sun set, and the lights of Ocala Horse Properties Stadium flickered to life, the crowd watched in anticipation to witness who could master the course with finesse and the...

McLain Ward and HH Carlos Z (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - Week seven of the 2016 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), sponsored by Suncast®, began Wednesday morning at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL, with a win for McLain Ward (USA) and HH Carlos Z in the $35,000 Douglas Elliman 1.45m Jumper Classic. WEF 7, sponsored by Suncast®, runs February 24-28, 2016. The week's highlight classes include the $130,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup...

Lexington, Ky. - Adult amateur riders showing off their Third Level freestyles were first in the Alltech Arena early Sunday morning, but it was the final competitor down centerline who impressed the judges the most on the last day of national championship action at the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan®, held November 5-8, 2015 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. Julie McCrady won the Third Level Freestyle Adult Amateur Championship with her home-bred Hanoverian mare...

Andres Rodriguez and S.F. Ariantha (Sportfot) Mill Spring, N.C. - Andres Rodriguez (VEN) and the talented grey mare S.F. Ariantha proved too quick to beat in the $127,000 Tryon Estates Grand Prix CSI 3*, the final Grand Prix of the 2015 season at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC). Rodriguez and S.F. Ariantha flew through the timers, securing the fastest double clear effort of the night, finishing with a time of 43.26 seconds. Andrew Kocher (USA), winner of the $34,000 Suncast®...

North Salem, NY - Abigail McArdle is making the most of her first trip to the American Gold Cup with her veteran partner Cosma 20, taking home two blue ribbons in two days. Winning Wednesday's $8,000 Douglas Elliman FEI Open Jumper class was just the start for the pair, who raced to victory in the $35,000 Don Little Memorial Welcome Stake. McArdle and Cosma 20 beat out Ireland's Conor Swail and Martha Louise by just 1/10th of a second. Abigail McArdle and Cosma 20 (The Book)...

Douglas Boyd and Berkley III win the $1,500 1.30m Modified Jumpers at the Showplace Fall Classic Championship. (Kendall Bierer/Phelps Media Group) Wayne, Ill. - The Showplace Fall Classic Championship welcomed an array of equestrians to the Lamplight Equestrian Center for the second day of showing on Wednesday. Douglas Boyd was one of the exhibitors to arrive for the subsequent day of classes, dominating the event with wins across the hunter and jumper divisions and concluding his winning...

Conor Swail and Fortis Fortuna had the luck of the Irish on their side as they won the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix at HITS Saugerties. (ESI Photography) - Saturday morning’s Grand Prix Stadium competition commenced with the eighth and final $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix of the 2015 HITS Saugerties Show season. A first time visitor to HITS-on-the-Hudson, Conor Swail of County Down, Ireland, rode Fortis Fortuna, owned by Susan and Ariel Grange, to a memorable finish and a blue ribbon souvenir...

Heather Caristo-Williams and Evening Star on their way to a $34,000 FEI HITS Jumper Classic win at HITS Saugerties. (ESI Photography) SAUGERTIES, N.Y . - Internationally ranked competition continued at HITS Saugerties Friday with the $34,000 FEI HITS Jumper Classic, the only qualifying class of the week for Sunday’s Canadian Pacific $1 Million Grand Prix FEI CSI-5*. Spectators were on the edge of their seats down to the end when Pablo Barrios of Wellington, Florida, and his own Antares,...