Alexa Bayko and Blue Shamrock top the $5,000 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix at HITS Ocala (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - Alexa Bayko from Haverhill, Massachusetts, added another Hunter Prix win to the books after topping the leaderboard in the last $5,000 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix of the HITS Ocala Winter Show Circuit. This time, with trainer Monica Hunt’s Blue Shamrock, she gracefully sailed through the course besting the runner up by a full six points, with strong scores of 86...

Thermal, Calif. - Jamie Azcarraga, of Mexico City, Mexico, and his Anton Radio Formula, claimed Sunday's AIG $1 Million Grand Prix, presented by MortgageCall, which is the first jewel of the HITS Triple Crown of Show Jumping. Azcarraga was one of only three riders out of a total field of 44 in the first round and only five in the jump-off who rode double-clear at HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, California. Olympic Gold Medalist McLain Ward, who went first in the fast-paced jump-off on...

Laura Graves and Verdades (SusanJStickle.com) Wellington, Fla. - Laura Graves (USA) and Verdades will clearly be a force to be reckoned with this season, as the duo continues to improve and impress. In just their second show back since the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) this past August, the pair scored a remarkable 76.680% in the FEI Grand Prix CDI-W 3*, presented by Today's Equestrian and Diane and George Fellows, to start competition in the Large Tour off with a bang at Week 10...

Matthew Metell and Cyon Z Won 1.30-1.35m Jumper Class at The Ridge at Wellington Turf Tour (Shannon Bower/Phelps Media Group) Wellington, Fla. - The Ridge at Wellington's Turf Tour returned to International Polo Club (IPC) Palm Beach to kick off the tenth week of competition. While the morning saw some unexpected showers, the afternoon brightened up and competitors flocked to the expansive polo fields to try their hand against some of Wellington's most competitive jumpers. It was a...

Laura Graves and Verdades (SusanJStickle.com) Wellington, Fla. - Three American women were victorious at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival's (AGDF) Week 9 "Friday Night Stars" FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W, presented by Everglades Dressage. Laura Graves (USA) and Verdades scored an incredible 78.875% to take the win, followed by Lisa Wilcox (USA) and Pikko del Cerro HU in second with a 76.325%, and Shelly Francis (USA) and Doktor in third receiving a 75.950%. Laura Graves and...

Andy Kocher and his own Heliante clear the Budweiser oxer on their way to the win in Sunday's $35,000 Budweiser Grand Prix (Alison Hartwell) Gulfport, Miss. - Twenty seven horse and rider teams tackled Sunday's $35,000 Budweiser Grand Prix course, designed by Manuel Esparza of Mexico City, Mexico in front of delighted crowds. Esparza is a top international course designer whose resume includes his position as an Assistant Designer for the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, Sydney 2000,...

Lexington, Ky. - On a night dedicated to the horse, two special athletes were recognized for their excellence in 2014 during the USEF's Year End Awards Gala. In a year that witnessed equestrian athletes excel, Cortes 'C' and Ellis GV reached the pinnacle of their sports and for their achievements were named International and National Horse of the Year, respectively. Voting was open to the public through January and both horses, already fan favorites, were rewarded for their...

Lexington, Ky. - To close out a year of milestones, Beezie Madden (Cazenovia, N.Y.) was awarded the Robert P. Strub Trophy as the 2014 USEF Equestrian of the Year at the USEF Pegasus Awards Dinner. In the process the jumping superstar again made history as the first athlete to ever earn the coveted title four times. The 2005, 2006, and 2013 Equestrian of the Year extended her legacy in 2014 with a remarkable campaign that saw her collect victories throughout North America and Europe. Her season...

Todd Minikus and Cordonos (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - Week one of the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) concluded on Sunday with the $30,000 WEF 1 Grand Prix held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. In a 22-horse jump-off with some of the fastest riders in the world, USA's Todd Minikus came out on top aboard Carl Brem's Cordonos. Ireland's Conor Swail and Grafton finished second and USA's Mclain Ward and HH Ashley were third. Course...

The women and men shared victory in this year's $75,000 Battle of the Sexes (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - Nearly 4,000 spectators packed the house at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) on Saturday night to watch the men and women duel for bragging rights as the winners of this year's edition of the $75,000 Battle of the Sexes at the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival. The women had won the competition for six consecutive years up to this point, but settled for a tie in the...