Thermal, Calif. - The pinto Oldenburg gelding, Symphony, has quickly gone from catch ride to dream horse for Katie Cook of Newport Beach, California. Cook had never sat on Symphony, owned by Amy Knox, before she arrived at HITS Thermal, but the two have become fast friends, jumping to three blue ribbons during Week I and winning the $1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix on Friday for the second week in a row. Knox has owned the gelding, who is now 10, for three years and rode him in...

Christian Heineking and NKH Selena (Flying Horse Photography) Thermal Calif. - With the 2014 HITS Desert Circuit set to open its gates to seven weeks of competition on Tuesday, Christian Heineking is riding high as he makes his debut in Thermal, California as the leading rider on the AIG $1 Million Grand Prix Rider Standings. With a barn of 15 horses making their winter home at HITS Thermal, Heineking is primed to leave his mark on the Desert Circuit and is hopeful that his early leverage will...

Kevin Babington and Shorapur (Kendall Bierer/Phelps Media Group) Wellington, Fla - Torrents of rain and claps of thunder welcomed riders to the fields of the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) early Wednesday morning. However menacing, the inclement weather did not deter the field of 30 riders from entering into a heated battle in the 1.30-1.35m Ridge at Wellington Turf Tour. Kevin Babington and Shorapur returned to the second week of competition with their sights set on victory, tackling...

Henrik Gundersen and Adlanteur. Photo (Mancini Photos) Wellington, Fla. - Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP) hosted its Year-End Awards Show on December 7-8, 2013, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. The week featured a $10,000 Open Stake on Saturday, December 7, as well as the $25,000 ESP Year End Grand Prix and $5,000 USHJA 3' Hunter Classic on Sunday, December 8. The ESP Year End Awards Banquet was also held on Saturday to celebrate some of the year's...

Katy Groesbeck and Oz the Tin Man at the winter training session (USEF Archives) Lexington, Ky. - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and its Eventing High Performance Department introduced a redesigned Developing Riders/Eventing 25 Program for 2013, and the participants had impressive performances throughout the season. Selected by application, 17 riders from across the country benefitted from regular access, coaching, and guidance from U.S. Team Coach, David O’Connor. The...

Katie Aoki comes from behind to win the Onondarka Medal Final (Flying Horse Photography) Los Angeles, Calif. - After three challenging rounds and a work off, Katie Aoki (Jan Hainze, trainer) led the victory gallop aboard her Truman in the prestigious Onondarka Medal Final at the LA National (Nov 6-10). “It was super exciting to win,” Katie shared. “I competed in the final last year and had kind of a tough time, so it was definitely something I have been working towards and...

Glory Days and Katie Dinan clear the Ace Bakery oxer (Ben Radvanyi) Toronto, On. – The phrase “We have a jump off!” is commonly heard around the horse show ring, but it’s rarely, if ever, heard following a speed class at a four-star international event. Friday night the ‘one-in-a-million’ happened. Veteran American rider Laura Kraut (Middleburg, VA) put in an incredible round in what, under normal circumstances would have been the first and only round of the...

Buck Davidson and Absolute Liberty (McCool) Temecula, Calif. – Competition for the CCI3* began Friday at the Galway Downs International Event and Horse Trials with the field of 17 performing their dressage tests. Buck Davidson holds the top two places on the leaderboard with The Apprentice and Absolute Liberty with scores of 48.9 and 50.6, respectively. Davidson (Ocala, Fla.) received a USEF Land Rover Competition Grant to bring Sharon Will’s Absolute Liberty to the West Coast for...

Kelley Farmer and Quotable (Phelps Media Group, Inc. International) Lexington, Ky. - The Kentucky Horse Park hosts numerous, top-of-the-line horse shows throughout the year, but only once a year is the Alltech Arena transformed into the beautiful home of the prestigious Alltech National Horse Show. The final destination on the indoor horse show circuit, the Alltech National Horse Show welcomes the nation's top hunter and jumper riders. Among them are Kelley Farmer and Scott Stewart. Both...

Kent Farrington and Blue Angel (Shawn McMillen Photography) Washington, D.C. - Kent Farrington (USA) and Robin Parsky's Blue Angel beat out Brianne Goutal (USA) and Remarkable Farms' Nice de Prissey in an exciting one-on-one jump-off for victory in Saturday night's $125,000 President's Cup Grand Prix CSI 3*-W presented by Events DC at the 55th annual Washington International Horse Show (WIHS). The FEI World Cup qualifying grand prix was a highlight event of the week at WIHS,...