Ocala, FL – HITS is pleased to announce that the quarantine that has been in effect at the HITS Ocala show grounds for the past three weeks will be lifted Wednesday morning, March 13, in time for the season finale. On Wednesday at 8am, restrictions on horses entering or leaving the show grounds will be lifted, and the Ocala Celebration (HITS IX) will kick off with a bang. “We are pleased to be in a position to highlight all the great classes and events that are on the schedule for...

After riding to second in last week’s Sunday grand prix, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Malou found their way to the top spot in yesterday’s $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, at HITS Thermal (Flying Horse Photography) Thermal, CA - The $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, won’t be easily forgotten. Fifty-five top horse-and-rider combinations took to Brazilian course designer Marina Azevedo’s course Sunday afternoon and 10 of the most competitive made it to one...

Four NCEA matchups over President’s Day weekend yielded two razor thin victories and two blow outs. Thursday’s matchup between No.2 Auburn and No.4 South Carolina was arguably the most exciting of the spring season thus far. My recap of that and the other NCEA matches from the weekend is below. No.2 Auburn University def. No.4 South Carolina University 10-9 Indy Roper, shown here riding Glenda, set an SEC season high score in reining to help lead the Tigers over the Gamecocks 10-9...

Rusty Stewart and Bristol used experience and speed to top Lucy Davis in the jump-off of the $54,500 Strongid® C 2X Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, and take home the victory. Stewart currently sits atop the rider standings for the AIG Thermal $1 Million Grand Prix and doesn’t appear to be going anywhere (Flying Horse Photography) Thermal, CA - Speed, scope, strategy and nerve were pushed to the extreme in the $54,500 Strongid® C 2X Grand Prix CSI-W 2*, presented by Zoetis, Saturday night...

Lexington, KY - Despite frigid temperatures in eastern Germany, Gabe Aniello , the United States’ sole representative at the second round of World Cup competitions, managed a successful showing. Together with the horse Pino del Rio and longeur Elke Shelp-Lensing, Aniello took to the ring with a new routine complete with new music. In a departure from his tenderly elegant “Hallelujah” freestyle from 2012, Aniello chose the markedly more powerful, tempestuous...

Lexington, KY - Voting is now open for the coveted 2012 USEF Equestrian of the Year award. Following decades of tradition, the winner will again be announced when the horse world meets at the United States Equestrian Federation's annual Pegasus Awards gala. This year's gala will be held on Saturday, January 19, 2013 at The Henry Clay in Louisville, Kentucky and broadcast live on the USEFNetwork presented by Smartpak . Known as the USEF Equestrians of Honor, eight stars of equestrian...

The U.S. team following the Opening Ceremonies (R. Millin) Parys, South Africa – On Thursday, December 6, competition got underway at the Saddle Seat World Cup. Riders in the Three- and Five-Gaited sections of the U.S. team competed in the initial stages of the rail and pattern work. Both sections of U.S. riders had strong performances on the first day of competition. The Five-Gaited section riders Hunter Chancellor (Evansville, IN), Angela Darrow (Hartland, WI), Drew Taylor Hewitt...

Kent Farrington and Uceko speed to victory in Saturday's $75,000 Ricoh Big Ben Challenge to close out the 90th Royal Horse Show. Farrington earned the prestigious Leading International Rider title for 2012. (©BenRadvanyi.com) Toronto, ON – America’s Kent Farrington (Wellington, FL) took top honours for the second night in a row at the 90th Royal Horse Show, closing out the International jumper division with a win in the $75,000 Ricoh Big Ben Challenge. Farrington was awarded the...

Nina Montross and Caprifol. (Al Cook.) Despite a two-month layoff from riding, Nina Montross of Bedford, NY, and Caprifol impressively captured the $10,000 North American League Children's Jumper Finals at the 67th Annual Pennsylvania National Horse Show on Tuesday. The talented 14-year-old high school freshman was on an equestrian hiatus in order to attend Westminster School in Simsbury, CT. "I was nervous because I had not ridden in two months," said Montross. "But I was really excited...

Meg O'Mara and Vancouver Jacksonville, FL - The highly-anticipated third and final day of the first Southeast Medal Finals featured the ASPCA Mclay Region Three Finals. A group of 37 skilled riders determined to master Alan Rheinheimer's course competed for today's top prize. Traveling away from the in gate, the course opened with a bold oxer to oxer line. The track turned to the left and over a vertical on the far short end of the arena. From here the riders were asked to rollback to...