Thermal, Calif. - Topping a field of 62 riders, Will Simpson once again took home a blue ribbon from the HITS Grand Prix Ring, winning Sunday’s $30,000 SmartPak Grand Prix – his eighth Grand Prix victory this circuit – aboard The Dude, owned by Monarch International. Will Simpson and The Dude, owned by Monarch International, win the $30,000 SmartPak Grand Prix Sunday, February 22, at HITS Thermal (ESI Photography) Topping nine other horses that made it to the jump-off, and...

Ocala, Fla. - Five days of FEI jumping classes boasting over $400,000 in prize money came to a close today at HITS Ocala CSIO4*, but not without a nail-biting finish in the $150,000 FEI Ocala Grand Prix. Laura Kraut of Wellington, Florida, aboard Cedric, owned by Cherry Knoll Farm, cruised through the jump-off besting six to take home the blue ribbon and this week’s largest individual purse. Featuring 15 efforts set at an impressive 1.60m, a field of 40 took on the course designed by...

Jennifer Brennan, riding Shannondell Farm, Incplace first in the Saturday, January 31, 2015 $7,500 M&S/TuffRider-Equine Couture Child Jumper High (ESI Photography) Ocala, Fla. - Riders competed under the lights in the Ocala Horse Properties Stadium last week in the $7,500 Marshall & Sterling/TuffRider-Equine Couture Children’s and Adult Jumper Classics Saturday night at HITS Post Time Farm in Ocala. Danny Foster of Milton, Ontario, designed the 15 effort course set at 1.10 meters....

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...

Ocala, Fla. - Kaitlin Campbell and her Rocky W jumped to victory in 38.220 seconds in a nine horse jump-off in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix in the Ocala Horse Properties Stadium on Thursday. Kaitlin Campbell and her Rocky W (ESI Photography) Campbell, of Georgetown, Kentucky, went second-to-last in the jump-off. Only two riders had jumped clear to that point. Campbell and her Holsteiner/Dutch Warmblood cross, fondly known as Rocky, finished clean to collect the winning check for $7,500....

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,...