Nick Dello Joio and Boomerang (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - The 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) hosted classics for the young jumpers on Friday during its twelfth and final week of competition at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. In the $20,000 Adequan® 8-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic, Nick Dello Joio (USA) and Boomerang were the winners. Sloane Coles (USA) and WEC l'Ami Noir topped the the $20,000 Adequan® 7-Year-Old Young...

Darragh Kenny and Dakota VDL (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - The $15,000 Adequan® Six-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic was the first class in the International Arena at PBIEC on Friday with a win for Darragh Kenny (IRL) and Hyperion Stud LLC's Dakota VDL. The six-year-old Holsteiner stallion (Casall x Contender) was purchased from VDL Stud two years ago for the highest bid of $210,000 at the 2012 WEF Sport Horse Auction in Wellington. Kenny started riding the horse this year in the middle of...

Lexington, Ky. - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce the officials selected to judge the 2014 Saddle Seat World Cup competition. Medal-winning countries from the 2012 Saddle Seat World Cup competition each put forward a judge to officiate this prestigious competition in 2014. The judges are David Brent from Canada, Hugo Visser from South Africa, and Michael Craghead from the United States. David Brent has been an Equine Canada (EC) judge since 1977. He holds...

Waco, Texas. - The seeding has been determined for the upcoming Independent Championship, featuring four NCEA teams that compete as independents in the sport of equestrian and taking place this Friday and Saturday at Brookings, S.D., the NCEA Selection Committee announced Monday. Fresno State, the nation’s eighth-ranked team, will be the top seed for this weekend’s event. UT-Martin, which has been a part of the NCEA top-10 rankings this season, is the second-seeded team. Delaware...

Marilyn Little and RF Demeter made a steady, if unexpected, climb to the top of the leaderboard at the Carolina International CIC3* and Adequan USEA Gold Cup/PRO Tour Series. Little and “Demi” (Rubin-Royal/Patricia) weren’t the pair to beat until they clocked one of only two double-clear rounds on Hugh Lochore’s cross-country course, where time was of the essence. “I planned to start the course on both horses [including RF Smoke on the Water] as if I was going for...

Parker & Texas Checkmate (Tricia Booker Photography) Katy, Texas. - Paige Parker, of Baylor University, rose to the top of the Collegiate Invitational today with three consistent performances on three different horses. The Invitational was one of the featured events of the concluding day of the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show I. The event, presented by Max Bowl and the Boatright, Dougherty and Roberts families, brought eight student athletes together for head-to-head competition on catch rides....

Capitano and Trapp O'Neal on their way to victory (Shawn McMillen Photography) Katy, Texas. - Saturday night's festivities at the 69th PIn Oak Charity Horse Show featured the $30,000 Hildebrand Fund Grand Prix and Gala. With hospitality the hallmark of the show, it was a enjoyable night for riders and spectators alike. And especially so for Texas professional Trapp O'Neal. The grand prix attracted a field of 18 competitors, who performed before a packed and appreciative audience at the...

Ainsley Vince and Frieda (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - The sun rose over Deeridge Farms as trailers and cars rolled through the opened gateway and down the winding path lined with beautifully manicured banyan and royal palm trees. The fog lifted from the grand prix field to reveal the course that would challenge over 50 horses for the $24,950 Wellington Turf Tour Invitational Grand Prix Finale. Saturday, it was Ainsley Vince of Canada who dominated the field, riding to the top of the leader...

Ocala, FL - Ocala, Florida horseman Chester Weber makes it look so easy. The 10-time USEF Four-in-Hand National Champion and his KWPN team made one of the most challenging combined driving marathon courses in America look like a walk in the park, rounding the second of the championship’s three phases with an astonishing 81.31-point score overall and establishing a lead after Saturday morning’s competition that will be very tough to catch. Chester Weber and his team on course in...

Katy, Texas - At age 16, when many show jumpers are slowing down, Happy Z is as speedy as ever. And, once again, she left the field in her dust while clinching the blue ribbon in the $25,000 Moet Hennessy Grand Prix, her 59th grand prix victory with owner/rider Wilhelm Genn. When announcer Brian Lookabill was on his way to Texas, Happy snuck in two more wins, so Genn made a point to correct Happy’s grand prix record, which was announced as 56 wins. “I don’t think he knew about...