Karl Cook and Farrari, owned by Signe Ostby, jump in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix on Friday, March 5, 2015, at HITS Desert Circuit VII (ESI Photography) Thermal, Calif. - Karl Cook took home the blue ribbon in the $25,500 SmartPak Grand Prix Friday on Signe Ostby’s Farrari for his first Grand Prix victory of this year’s HITS Desert Circuit. Cook claimed the title over the rider who has prevailed most often this circuit, eight-time 2015 Grand Prix winner and U.S. Olympian Will...

Shelburne, Vt. - Lots of Morgan fun and excitement took place at the 2015 American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) Awards Gala and Convention. This annual gathering of Morgan members and enthusiasts took place February 27-28 in Minneapolis. Some of the highlights of the two-day event included a farm visits to local Morgan farms, Hardwood Creek and Arcola Farm. Popular seminars included guest speaker, Patti Colbert, who spoke on generational marketing, a panel discussion on connecting with the...

Christina Firestone and Wilhelmus S Win 1.30-1.35m Class (Shannon Bower/Phelps Media Group) Wellington, Fla. - The Ridge at Wellington's Turf Tour visited Tonkawa Farms to kick off the ninth week of competition. The sun shined all day over the gorgeous polo fields on the private estate. Manicured hedges bordered the property and created a tranquil setting for the horses and riders to enjoy beautiful courses designed by Nick Granat in the main ring and Michel Ismalum in the second ring. Many...

Andy Kocher and his own Heliante clear the Budweiser oxer on their way to the win in Sunday's $35,000 Budweiser Grand Prix (Alison Hartwell) Gulfport, Miss. - Twenty seven horse and rider teams tackled Sunday's $35,000 Budweiser Grand Prix course, designed by Manuel Esparza of Mexico City, Mexico in front of delighted crowds. Esparza is a top international course designer whose resume includes his position as an Assistant Designer for the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, Sydney 2000,...

Andres Rodriguez and Fifty Fifty 111 (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - Andres Rodriguez (VEN) and Arao Enterprises LLC's Fifty Fifty 111 (Action-Breaker x Major de La Cour) have had a tremendous week at the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), taking home two major career wins. The duo took home Thursday's $34,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 8 and continued their hot streak with a first in Saturday's $34,000 Nutrena CSIO 1.45m Classic. Victoria Colvin also had a win on...

Perfect blue skies made way for blue ribbons for Kocher and Carolina Suarez' Ufarno in the $15,000 Horseflight Open Welcome at the Gulf Coast Winter Classic Week IV (Allison Hartwell) Gulfport, Miss. - Friday's feature jumper competition, the $15,000 Horseflight Open Welcome saw thirty-three horse and rider teams compete on the world class grass turf grand prix field at the Gulf Coast Winter Classic Circuit in Gulfport, Mississippi. Manual Esparza of Mexico City, Mexico designed the 1.40...

Kris Killam and Mandy Killam's Black Diamond win Thursday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix at HITS Ocala (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - Kris Killam, of Naples, Florida, won Thursday night’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix riding his wife Mandy Killam’s 13-year-old Selle Français gelding, Black Diamond. Killam topped a field of 32 with several riders showing on multiple horses. Ten moved on to the jump-off. Andre Thieme, of Germany, was the first to attempt the short course and set...

Andres Rodriguez and Fifty Fifty 111 (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - The 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) hosted show jumping for all ages and nationalities in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) on Thursday. Venezuela's Andres Rodriguez and Fifty Fifty 111 won the $34,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 8 in a speed round over Kent Farrington (USA) and Blue Angel. Laura Kraut (USA) earned an incredible one-two-three finish in the...

Harold Chopping and Caramo win the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix Saturday, February 21, 2015, at HITS Ocala (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - Hunters took over the Ocala Horse Properties Stadium on Saturday for the $5,000 Devoucoux Prix and the $1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix. In the Devoucoux Hunter Prix, with is open to Juniors, Amateurs and Professionals, Harold Chopping of Southern Pines, North Carolina, riding Caroline Russell Howe’s Caramo had the high score of 87 in round one...

Ben Maher and Contigo (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - The 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) got underway with its eighth week of competition on Wednesday with a win for Great Britain's Ben Maher and Contigo in the $25,000 Nutrena Jumper Classic. Anthony D'Ambrosio (USA) is the course designer in the International Arena for week eight. D'Ambrosio began the week with 48 entries in the $25,000 Nutrena Jumper Classic with a 15-horse jump-off and six double clear rounds. Olympic team...