Lexington, Ky. - The USEF Hackney Committee has selected the six competitions at which heel measurements will be required of Roadster Pony and Hackney Roadster Pony Championship classes as defined by USEF Hackney and Roadster Division rules. The mandatory heel measurements will be taken from the first-place and fourth-place ponies in the following competitions in 2015: *Asheville Lions Charity—Fletcher, NC (May 13-16) *Midwest Charity—Springfield, IL (June 16-20) *Lexington Junior...

Harrie Smolders and Exquis Walnut de Muze (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - The 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) began its sixth week of competition, sponsored by Salamander Hotels & Resorts, on Wednesday with a win for Harrie Smolders (NED) and Exquis Walnut de Muze in the first international jumper class of the week. Smolders and his veteran partner of eight years blazed to victory in the $34,000 1.45m speed class to kick off the week. Richard Jeffery of Great Britain is the course...

Ocala, Fla. - A star studded 41 entries competed in the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix held in the picturesque Ocala Horse Properties Stadium. Kirk Webby from White House Station, New Jersey, came out on top of the line up on Brando Du Rouet owned by the Tolleshunt Investment Group. Kirk Webby and Brando Du Rouet Win the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix in HITS Ocala (ESI Photography) Competing over Bernardo Cabral’s course of 16 jumping efforts within the 83 second time allowed narrowed the field to a...

Brianne Goutal and Ballade van het Indihof (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - Week five of the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival, sponsored by Ariat® International, concluded on Sunday with a win for Brianne Goutal (USA) and Ballade van het Indihof in the $127,000 Ariat® Grand Prix CSI 3*. After topping Friday's $34,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 5, Goutal and the 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Thunder van de Zuuthoeve x Heartbreaker) continued their winning form into...

Will Simpson and Monarch International's Katie Riddle (ESI Photography) Thermal, Calif. - Will Simpson took one more HITS Desert Circuit Grand Prix win Sunday afternoon, on Monarch International’s Katie Riddle in the $30,000 SmartPak Grand Prix. This is Simpson’s sixth Grand Prix win so far at HITS Thermal. Simpson topped a field of 41 riders – including eight others who made it to the jump-off – going double-clear and completing the second round in 43.203 seconds to...

Vinton Karrasch on Coral Reef Follow Me II (ESI Photography) Thermal, Calif. - Vinton Karrasch, of Rancho Santa Fe, California, flew 2,500 miles to compete at HITS Desert Circuit IV, the first of two Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) World Cup qualifying weeks at the HITS Desert Circuit. His effort paid off as Karrasch won the first FEI class of the week, the $34,000 HITS Desert Classic, presented by OSPHOS®, on Thursday, riding Coral Reef Follow Me II, a 10-year-old...

Jaclyn Duff and her Pater Noster jump to win the $50,000 Go Rentals Grand Prix Sunday, February 1, at HITS Thermal (ESI Photography) Thermal, Calif. - Jaclyn Duff and her Pater Noster took the HITS Thermal $50,000 Go Rentals Grand Prix last Sunday, on the heels of Olympic Gold Medalist Will Simpson's previous five Grand Prix winning streak. Duff and Pater Noster completed the jump-off with no faults and in 44.311 seconds – less than a second faster than the second-place rider Tiffany...

Callan Solem and Horseshoe Trail Farm LLC’s VDL Wizard in the presentation photo after winning the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - Course designer Danny Foster of Milton, Ontario, gave the entries in Sundays $50,000 Hits Grand Prix a daunting course of 17 efforts and a time allowed that took no mercy. Only two riders jumped clear within the allotted time to advance to the jump-off: winner Callan Solem on Horseshoe Trail Farm LLC’s VDL Wizard and Tracy Fenney on MTM...

Will Simpson jumped clear and fast to take first place on S.F. Arlantha (ESI Photography) Thermal, Calif. - Olympic Gold Medalist Will Simpson has virtually shut out the field of Grand Prix riders so far at HITS Desert Horse Park. Simpson, riding S.F. Ariantha, claimed his fifth consecutive victory with a first place finish in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix on Friday. S.F. Ariantha, a new mount for Simpson, is owned Olivia Cox-Fill. Thirty-five riders competed in the class and 11 returned for...

Marie Hecart and Myself de Breve (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - France's Marie Hecart and Myself de Breve were the winners in Saturday night's $372,000 FEI World Cup™ Grand Prix CSI-W 5*, presented by Fidelity Investments®, at the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival. Earning her first five-star victory as well as her first major Saturday night win in Wellington, Hecart topped a roster of major competition, including Olympic gold medalists Ben Maher (GBR) and Eric Lamaze (CAN)....