Dressage: Dressage riders on the West Coast battled it out this weekend at the Mid-Winter CDI3* held at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. Jan Ebeling and Rafalca were impressive in both the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle, easily taking home top honors. The pair was the only one to top 70% with a freestyle score of 71.800%. Canadian Sharon Merkel-Beattie and Essence of Glory were first in the Grand Prix Special with a score of 64.042; Adrienne Lyle and Wizard were second. Complete results...

In a repeat performance, DFG Stables’ owner/head trainer Daniel Geitner partnered with Kyle Register’s Trading Places to win Sunday’s $30,000 finale grand prix at the Aiken Spring Classics. The duo was also victorious in last week’s $25,000 event. “It’s been a good two weeks,” an exuberate Geitner said by phone after besting 22 tough competitors in Sunday afternoon’s featured event the $30,000 Carolina Real Estate Grand Prix. In sharing that Trading Places had a good portion of the winter...

The tradition of elite show jumping competition with a European look and feel keeps some of the finest international equestrian athletes returning to the Jumper Classic, now in its 20th year. The 2009 Jumper Classic, with its premiere event, the $75,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix, will be held September 2-6 over Labor Day weekend at New England's finest equestrian show grounds, Silver Oak Equestrian Center, in Hampton Falls, NH. The five-day show, held for the past 19 years in early...

If horses could talk, humans would certainly hear some amazing tales. The stories told by Jamaica, the 17-year-old combined driving horse that helped his owner Chester Weber win a Silver medal at the FEI World Championships in The Netherlands, would be some of the most inspiring. At first glance, the high-spirited champion combined driving horse bears little resemblance to the carriage horse in the childhood story Black Beauty . That’s until you learn that the gelding was rescued from a...

Texas' Tracy Fenney continued her unprecedented run at HITS shows in 2008 with an impressive win in the $40,000 Strongid® C 2X™ Grand Prix to conclude a record-breaking week of show jumping during the Showday National at Commonwealth Park in Culpeper, VA. Fenney and her mount S&L Willie outlasted a field of 20 riders in the first round and seven pairs in the jump-off to capture the blue ribbon and $12,000 in first-place prize money for MTM Farm. Fenney, who competed at the HITS Ocala Winter...

Stadium Jumping, Inc., the nation's oldest and most respected producer of quality equestrian competitions, announced that they will host one of only two United States qualifying events for the 2008 FEI Children's International Jumping Final. This important event for riders 12 to 14 years of age will be held September 17-21, 2008, during the Wachovia Securities American Gold Cup at the Metro Parks Polo Field in Moreland Hills, OH. A similar event for West Coast riders will be held at the Oaks...

After winning the Hunter Derby at Pin Oak, Peter Pletcher and Argentum took home the Gold for the second time in two weeks, winning the $10,000 United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) International Hunter Challenge Derby Classic at the Spring Gathering Horse Show in the Houston suburb of Katy, TX. The class was held under the lights in the main arena at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center. An enthusiastic crowd cheered their favorites as 23 entries competed over the first round-track...

HITS is pleased to report that last week it received unanimous support from attendees of the 2008 USEF World Cup Riders Meeting held at The Oaks in San Juan Capistrano, CA, to once again host four FEI World Cup™ Qualifiers at the 2009 HITS Desert Circuit in Thermal. HITS has successfully run the World Cup classes at its West Coast circuit since 1991, giving riders on the West Coast an opportunity to qualify for the prestigious World Cups year after year right in their own backyard....

The Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series has been enjoying great success at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. The series finished its third month of competition, and is already shaping up to be one of the most competitive years ever. The series will see classes at more than 100 horse shows across the country before culminating in year-end championships at the National Horse Show. The series hosts separate divisions for junior and amateur-owner riders...

Lexington, KY – Plans are under way for the 2008 United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Youth Convention and registration is open, but space is limited for the convention. Already, over half of the available spots have been filled for the first annual Youth Convention, which will be held January 12 in Louisville, KY. Along with the schedule, the break-out sessions have been finalized. The Youth Convention will feature many notable speakers, including experts in the equine industry as well...