Darragh Kenny and Picolo (SportFot) Wellington, Fla. - In the International Arena at the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) on Friday, Darragh Kenny (IRL) took the top two spots in the $34,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.45m speed class aboard Oakland Ventures LLC's Picolo and Toffolon Partners LLC's Gatsby. Guilherme Jorge (BRA) set the track for Friday's 1.45m with 51 competitors and 23 clear rounds. Tiffany Foster (CAN) and Artisan Farms LLC's Melody des Hayettes Z set the leading...

Aaron Vale and Quidam's Good Luck jump clear in Sunday's $50,000 Equine Couture/Tuff Rider Grand Prix at HITS Ocala (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - HITS regular Aaron Vale of Williston, Florida, turned on the afterburners in the $50,000 Equine Couture/TuffRider Grand Prix jump-off Sunday to knock out the competition and win the class on Troy Glaus’ Quidam’s Good Luck. Forty-five horses competed in the first round over a course designed by Manuel Esparza of Mexico City, Mexico....

Conor Swail and Martha Louise (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - The 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) concluded its second week of competition, sponsored by Wellington Equestrian Realty, on Sunday with a win for Ireland's Conor Swail and Martha Louise in the $34,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic. Course designer Luc Musette finished the week with 34 rounds in the 1.50m competition with six to jump-off. Swail and Ariel and Susan Grange's Martha Louise cleared the short...

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...

Eric Lamaze and Rosana du Park (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - The 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) hosted it second day of competition on Thursday at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL, with the second win of the circuit for Canadian Olympic gold medalist Eric Lamaze. After winning the first class of the circuit in Wednesday’s 1.45m speed class with Check Picobello Z, Lamaze topped Thursday’s $25,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round...

Eric Lamaze and Check Picobello Z (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - The 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) kicked off with its first day of competition at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL, on Wednesday and a win for Olympic gold medalist Eric Lamaze in the first class of the day. Lamaze and the nine-year-old Zangersheide gelding Check Picobello Z (Cardento x Orlando) jumped to victory in the morning’s $8,000 1.45m speed class over Adrienne Sternlicht...

Las Vegas, Nevada - Las Vegas Events, Inc., producer of the 2015 FEI World Cup Finals, has announced the list of officials for the 2015 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final, which takes place at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, next April 15-19 alongside the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final. Heading the list of officials for jumping is Kim Morrison of Canada who will be President of the Ground Jury. She will be joined by Ground Jury Members David Distler,...

Las Vegas, N.V. - The Las Vegas National kicked off the show jumping highlights at the South Point Hotel & Casino's Equestrian Arena with Thursday's Markel Insurance Grand Prix Series Final. After competing in qualifying grand prix events throughout the year, the top twenty-five point earners were invited to compete in the inaugural finals. With add back from each horse's entry during the qualifying season, the purse for tonight's class had grown to $53,400. Kristin Hardin...

Lexington, Ky. - Patti Blackmore (Louisiana, Mo., Region 4) placed third at last year's Finals in the First Level Adult Amateur division, and this year she improved upon that performance to claim the Second Level Adult Amateur Championship aboard her own Hanoverian gelding Rubico (by Rotspon). As the only combination to break seventy percent, they earned a decisive win with a total score of 71.905%. "I breathed a sigh of relief after our counter canter portion of the test," laughed...

Del Mar, Calif. - With 43 competitors in the World Cup Qualifier, a thick competition of world-class athletes faced off on a course designed by Bernardo Cabral, from Portugal. Harrie Smolders (McCool Photography) The course for the Rancho Valencia World Cup Grand Prix was a lovely mixture of lines and combinations with many tight roll back turns. "The course looked challenging, but fun," commented a spectator of Cabral's creation. The course allowed 10 into a tough jump-off, which included...