Driving At the Southern Pines CDE in North Carolina, six advanced divisions gave the U.S. drivers plenty of opportunity to hone their skills for some o f the 2011 FEI World Driving Championships. In the Advanced Single Pony Divisions, Australia's Janelle Marshall won but USA's Maggie Sullivan was second and Doris Leacy was third. In the Advanced Pair Pony division, Wendy O'Brien scored a victory over Jennifer Matheson which came down to a close competition in the cones. O'Brien...

Wellington, FL - The Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP) Spring Circuit continued last week with week 5 on April 13-17. ESP was very pleased to see that exhibitor numbers at the show increased 25% from 2010. The horse show offered a full schedule of hunter/jumper competition, with three classes featured: the $10,000 Pennfield Feeds Open Jumper Welcome Stake, the $7,500 Reist Industries High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Stake at The Stadium, and the $30,000 ESP Spring 5 Grand Prix. The winner of...

Lucy Davis and Nemo. (Flying Horse Photography.) Thermal, CA - The 20th Anniversary of the HITS Desert Circuit was a success from start to finish, with beautiful weather, great competition and record entries for the first time since 2007. The fifth season at the HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, CA, was a world-class show jumping experience for trainers, owners, riders and spectators, alike. All four of the FEI World Cup Qualifying Grand Prix took place before sold-out VIP and general...

Todd Minikus and Pavarotti. (Photo by Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - After missing the beginning of the 2011 show circuit due to a shattered collarbone, Todd Minikus (USA) made his return to the winner's circle at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) today riding Pavarotti to a victory in the $31,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round 10. This was the pair's second time back in the ring this season and they made it look easy with two fast and faultless rounds. The FTI WEF's tenth week of competition,...

Tinne Vilhelmsson Silfven, Steffen Peters and Tina Konyot. (Photo by Susan J. Stickle.) Wellington, FL - The 2011 World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach finished in spectacular style on the evening of Friday March 11th, as eight of the world's top dressage pairs performed Grand Prix Freestyles for a sold out audience of 1200 at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in West Palm Beach, FL. The performances got progressively more exciting as the evening...

Rodrigo Pessoa and Let's Fly. (Photo by Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - Saturday Night Lights at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival brought a crowd of more than 4,200 spectators out to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center this weekend to watch Brazil's Rodrigo Pessoa and Let's Fly jump to victory in the $231,000 FEI World Cup™ Grand Prix CSI 4*-W Presented by Bainbridge Companies. Pessoa earned the winning cut of prize money after an exciting jump-off of many of the top horses and riders...

Gulfport, MS A very positive-minded 23-year-old Sarah Mechlin of Cincinnati, OH, partnered with Yes Indeed took the top spot over 50 competitors in the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby during the fourth week of the Gulf Coast Winter Classics. Fifty equine athletes were being braided before dawn and began lunging at 5:30 Friday morning in preparation for their first big test, the official presentation and jog before the panel of judges- Mike Rosser, Ray Francis, Betsy Perry, Tucker...

Louise Serio and Castle Rock won the WCHR Palm Beach Hunter Classic Spectacular (© Sportfot) Wellington, FL - February 18, 2011 - Louise Serio and Castle Rock earned a victory in the WCHR Palm Beach Hunter Classic Spectacular on Friday evening at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival following two beautiful rounds of competition. After two weeks of qualifying competition, only the top horses and riders had the opportunity to compete in a fantastic class held under the bright lights of the...

Lexington, KY – February 9, 2011 – Equestrian Events, Inc. (EEI), producer of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Bridgestone, and the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) have announced that the Kentucky Reining Cup, which includes international Reining and the first-ever World Championship Freestyle, will be held in addition to this year’s event at the Kentucky Horse Park, April 28-May 1. One of the world’s most prestigious equestrian competitions and the only CCI**** in...

Nick Haness and Catwalk (Flying Horse Photography© ) Thermal, CA - Canadian Olympian John Pearce seems determined to return to the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix after a tremendous first week in the Grand Prix ring at the HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, CA. Pearce swept both Grand Prix classes at HITS Thermal last week, winning the blue in Friday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, aboard Forest View Farm's Chianto, the horse he placed third on in the 2010 Pfizer...