Will Simpson and The Dude take first place in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix Friday, January 16 (ESI Photography) Thermal, Calif. - With no faults and a time of 42.815 seconds, Will Simpson and The Dude, owned by Monarch International, won the first Grand Prix of the season at the HITS Desert Circuit. One of only three riders to go clear, Simpson prevailed in the jump-off with a time almost three seconds faster than his nearest competitor, Susan Artes and Zamiro, owned by Alix Fargo. With the...

Eric Lamaze and Fine Lady 5 (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - The 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) continued on Friday with the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m Speed Challenge featured in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL. Continuing his top form throughout the first two weeks of the circuit, Canada's Eric Lamaze raced to victory aboard Artisan Farms LLC's Fine Lady 5 over teammate Tiffany Foster and Artisan Farms'...

Charlie Jayne and Playboy jump to victory in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - The first Grand Prix of the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit took place Thursday in the Ocala Horse Properties Stadium. The $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix is a qualifier for the Hits Triple Crown of Show Jumping, which includes three $1 million classes later this year. Riders vied for the prize money, sponsored by SmartPak, and a chance to qualify for the Triple Crown over Doug Russell’s...

Scott Stewart and A Million Reasons (SportFot) Wellington, Fla. - For the second week in a row Dr. Betsee Parker's A Million Reasons, ridden by Scott Stewart, has taken home championship honors in the Wrenwood Farms High Performance Working Hunters. This was A Million Reasons second show in the High Performance Working Hunters, having done the Second Year Green Hunters last year. "She [A Million Reasons] is a really good jumper, a great mover, beautiful, big stride. She's like the...

Lexington, Ky. – One of the mostly widely viewed equestrian performances of the 2014 competition year, clinician and entertainer Dan James of Double Dan Horsemanship stole the attention of the horse community with his powerful and imaginative program at the 2014 World Championship Freestyle Reining, taking home a World Champion title, and the People’s Choice Award. Since then, more than 300,000 people have watched the video of his incredible performance online at USEFNetwork.com and...

Todd Minikus and Cordonos (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - Week one of the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) concluded on Sunday with the $30,000 WEF 1 Grand Prix held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. In a 22-horse jump-off with some of the fastest riders in the world, USA's Todd Minikus came out on top aboard Carl Brem's Cordonos. Ireland's Conor Swail and Grafton finished second and USA's Mclain Ward and HH Ashley were third. Course...

Adele Norton and Pitch Perfect (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - On the final day of week one hunter competition Adele Norton, of Falls Church, VA, and her horse Pitch Perfect took home championship honors in the Bainbridge Companies Amateur-Owner 18-35. Norton and Pitch Perfect won the handy hunter round yesterday and finished first and second over fences today. Chablis, owned by Libertas Farm and ridden by Kelly Tropin, finished the day as reserve champion. Tropin guided Chablis to a first and...

Gabriella Stumpf and Finally Love (SusanJStickle.com) Wellington, Fla. - Gabriela Stumpf (AUT) and Finally Love performed a lovely test to take the win with a score of 69.927% in the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) FEI Intermediaire 1 Freestyle presented by MTICA Farm. Mary Bahniuk-Lauritsen (USA) and Wench De Jeu followed in second scoring a 68.675% and Jill Irving and Dio Mio finished in third with a total score of 68.625%. Stumpf, who has been partnered with the eight-year-old...

Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven and Divertimento (SusanJStickle.com) Wellington, Fla. - Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven (SWE) and Divertimento, a 13-year-old Westphalian gelding owned by Lövsta Stuteri, received a 72.980% to take home the top prize in the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival's (AGDF) FEI Grand Prix Special, presented by MTICA Farms. Allison Brock (USA) and Rosevelt followed in second with a 71.706% and Lisa Wilcox (USA) riding Pikko del Cerro HU finished third scoring a 71.275%....

The women and men shared victory in this year's $75,000 Battle of the Sexes (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - Nearly 4,000 spectators packed the house at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) on Saturday night to watch the men and women duel for bragging rights as the winners of this year's edition of the $75,000 Battle of the Sexes at the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival. The women had won the competition for six consecutive years up to this point, but settled for a tie in the...