Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Bella Donna were the ones to beat in the at HITS Thermal in the AIG Thermal $1 Million Grand Prix, presented by Lamborghini Newport Beach (©Flying Horse Photography) Thermal, CA - With a first-place prize of $350,000 on the line, Germany’s Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum rose to the occasion, piloting Bella Donna to a paycheck she will not soon forget as winner of the first-ever AIG Thermal $1 Million Grand Prix, presented by Lamborghini Newport Beach. The best...

Kate Conover of Ocala, Florida and Trendy on their way to a victory in the $50,000 East Meets West Hunter Challenge, which was presented Saturday at both HITS Ocala and Thermal (©ESI Photography) Ocala, FL - East Coast hunter riders went to bats with their West Coast rivals Saturday in the highly-anticipated $50,000 East Meets West Hunter Challenge, where Kate Conover rode to first and second-place honors. Conover, of Ocala, Florida, piloted Caroline Kellogg’s Trendy to the win and James...

The sixth in a series of guest blog posts from Michelle Binder When on a horse, I wear a riding helmet. My students wear riding helmets. I ride and show western and dressage. The helmet/hat quandary, style vs. safety, the tradition or common sense conversation is therefore a subject near and dear to my heart. On March 22, 2012, I went into the hay barn to get a bale of hay to feed lunch in the barn. To make a long story short, despite my usual care in tipping bales, as I turned to leave the...

Thermal, CA – As the final days of the 2012 HITS Desert Circuit approach, Chris Pratt of Lake View Terrace, California shifted things into high gear when he and Indigo Farms, LLC’s Cruise beat out 54 other starters to take the top prize in Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health. Pratt’s victory is his first of the season after he and Cruise finished fourth in the $53,000 Chartis Grand Prix CSI2*-W, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, last...

Wellington, FL - Equestrian Sport Productions is pleased to welcome Horseware Ireland as the title sponsor of week three at the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). Held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL, the FTI WEF has 12 weeks of competition that conclude on April 1, 2012. Week three of the FTI WEF runs Wednesday, January 25th through Sunday, January 29th and will feature many exciting events. Highlights include the $25,000 Suncast 1....

Boston, MA - On Saturday, January 21, from 4:30 until 6:00, author Jeff Papows, PhD will sign copies of his critically acclaimed book Unbridled Passion: Show Jumping's Greatest Horses and Riders (Acanthus Publishing, 2011) in the Tiki Hut on the grounds of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida. A portion of the book sale proceeds will be donated to the Children's Wish Foundation International, Inc. The book signing, jointly sponsored by Equestrian Sports...

Wellington, FL - Equestrian Sport Productions is pleased to announce that they will host the Young Horse Show Series and Year-End Championship in partnership with North American Studbook and Spy Coast Farm. The 2011 Young Horse Show Series Year-End Championship will award $10,000 in total prize money and will be held on December 8-9, 2011, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL. The final round of the competition will be held in the evening on December 9 at...

SAUGERTIES, NY – On a beautiful and sunny Friday morning, 30 qualified riders took to the Strongid® C 2X Grand Prix Stadium at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, NY to compete for the Marshall & Sterling Adult Working Hunter Championship. In the end, Lindsay Lynch and Bethany Greskovich’s Brother Bear stood in the winner’s circle to accept the honors. Lynch, of Medford, New Jersey, was one of 30 competitors who competed in the Adult Hunter Division over courses designed...

Saugerties, NY - Hunter riders at HITS-on-the-Hudson can now breathe easy with the first two rounds of the first ever Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final complete. The buzz, however, will pick back up tomorrow for the final two rounds when the first ever winner of the historic class will be crowned. “We saw a great group of riders today,” said HITS President and CEO Tom Struzzieri. “And the best obviously rose to the top." Jenny Karazissis of Calabasas, California stole...

Ellen Toon and Invincible on course in the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York. The victory marks their third of the season and propelled them to first place in the Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Rider Rankings (ESI Photography). Saugerties, NY — During a sold-out week at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York, 79 starters got down to business on Saturday afternoon in the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix where the...