John Bragg on Laura Strasburg's Social Hour jump in the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix (ESI Photography) Thermal, Calif. - John Bragg captured the top spot again in the HITS Desert Circuit II $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix riding Social Hour for Laura Strasburg of Los Altos Hills, California. Bragg, who earned a score of 88 in the first round and 87 in the second for a total of 175 for the first place win Friday, also finished third on Deanna Sage’s Trousdale with scores of 86 and 87 to total...

Derek Petersen and Cassevel win the $2,500 Brook Ledge Open Welcome ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - Derek Petersen of Archer, Florida, riding his and Maddie Skimming’s Cassevel, came out on top in the $2,500 Brook Ledge Open Welcome on Wednesday at HITS Post Time Farm, after placing second in the same class during the first week. The Brook Ledge Welcome included two combinations set in the course designed by Foster, and proved to be a challenge for the competitors. Only two, Petersen with...

Will Simpson and The Dude take first in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix Friday, January 22, 2015 (ESI) Thermal, Calif. - Competition in the Grand Prix ring is heating up at HITS Desert Horse Park, as Will Simpson stretched his streak to three with a win in Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix with Monarch International’s The Dude. Forty-one starters took to the SmartPak track but only thirteen left all the jumps up and qualified for the jump off. Simpson and The Dude, who won $7,500...

Lars Petersen and Mariett (SusanJStickle.com) Wellington, Fla. - For the second time early in the 2015 season, Lars Petersen (DEN) and Mariett, a 1998 Danish Warmblood mare, rose to the top of the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) "Friday Night Stars" FEI Grand Prix Freestyle class presented this week by US P.R.E. Association. The duo scored a 75.325% to take the class, with Shelly Francis (USA) placing second on a 74.500% aboard Doktor, and fellow Danish rider Mikala Gundersen (DEN)...

Lisa Goldman and Centurion B take the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix at the HITS Ocala January Festival (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - The $25,000 Smart Pak Grand Prix, held in the Ocala Horse Properties Stadium, boasted 33 competitors vying for their share of the prize money. Goldman came out on top again, this time aboard Centurion B whom she has had since he was a 2-year-old. Eight riders advanced to the jump off over Esparza’s first round course of 15 jumping efforts. Goldman said,...

Lars Petersen and Mariett (SusanJStickle.com) Wellington, Fla. - Lars Petersen (DEN) and Mariett, a 1998 Danish Warmblood mare, topped the FEI Grand Prix CDI W class sponsored by the U.S. P.R.E. Association on the first day of competition during Week 3 of the 2015 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF). The duo scored a 73.220% to take the win, followed closely by Jose Daniel Martin Dockx (ESP) aboard the beautiful P.R.E. stallion Grandioso, scoring a 72.360%, and Shelly Francis (USA) and...

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...

Hunter Holloway and I Love Lucy jump to win the Brook Ledge Open (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - The $2,500 Brook Ledge Open Welcome kicked off the 2015 HITS Ocala Winter Circuit Wednesday with 15 eager to start their season with a win in the Ocala Horse Properties Stadium. Six riders were able to shake off the winter blues by jumping fault-free in the first round over Ocala course designer Doug Russell’s inviting 1.40 meter course of 14 jumping efforts and two combinations. First to...

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...

Allison Brock and Rosevelt (SusanJStickle.com) Wellington, Fla. - Allison Brock (USA) and Rosevelt topped the competition Thursday afternoon in the FEI Grand Prix presented by MTICA Farm, the first of the 2015 season at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) during AGDF 1 CDI-W. The duo won the class on a 71.00%, followed closely by Tinne Vilhemson-Silfven (SWE) and Mikala Munter Gundersen (DEN) respectively. The first week of AGDF continues through Sunday, January 11, with the first...