Photo by Robbi Meisel (Catherine Rinehart and Primera) While Hollywood may be buzzing about Oscar nominees’ skills on the big screen, the fourth week of the 2010 Gulf Coast Winter was dedicated to honoring the talent and elegance of show hunters with two big events held at the Harrison County Equestrian grounds. Friday morning began with the $10,000 Chronicle of Horse /United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) International Hunter Derby presented by Dietrich Insurance. It all started with...

Mario Desluariers and Urico (Randi Muster/Mustphoto.com ) Dressage The prestigious Palm Beach Dressage Derby got underway on Thursday, March 4th with some of the nation’s top riders competing in Loxahatchee, FL. Tina Konyot and her Danish Warmblood Calecto V triumphed over the field of elite horse and rider combinations in both the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special. In the Grand Prix Freestyle Mikala Gundersen and Leonberg put in a winning performance with a score of 72.250%; Canadian...

Wellington, FL – The pace at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center continued to be rapid as the $75,000 FEI Nations Cup presented by CN got underway before sell-out crowds. The jumping was international with 11 countries fielding teams – the atmosphere was infectious and anyone that wasn’t feeling patriotic must have been watching something else. Of the 11 teams, seven came back for the second round of the eight that qualified and it appeared that it was going to be a fierce battle...

Tampa, FL —Competition in the 2010 Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series continued to grow more intense during the month of February. With classes still in full swing at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, riders continue to earn points on the series' overall standings. One such rider is Chloe Wormser of Northbrook, IL. Wormser, who competes in the Series' East Conference Amateur-Owner division with her mount Udiana, finished in second place in two of the...

American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) members, youth, and guests poured into the ballroom at the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort and Spa in Lexington, KY, on the evening of Saturday, February 20, to enjoy the culminating event of the 2010 ASHA Convention and Youth Conference, the Saddlebred Ball. Included in the night’s festivities were acceptance speeches by the recipients of ASHA’s Annual Awards, several of which were greeted with rousing ovations. Award recipients included Lifetime...

OCALA, FL —HITS Post Time Farm in Ocala, FL, wrapped up its third week of AA-rated show jumping on Sunday after an exciting series of classes and special events highlighted another fantastic week on the road to the Pfizer Million. The week saw HITS Ocala’s 2009 Leading Grand Prix Rider Tracy Magness make her anticipated return to the winners’ circle when she captured Thursday’s $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, aboard Mr. and Mrs. John Bartko’s Tarco Van Ter Moude. "I...

Although the weather threatened to put a damper on the weekend, it held off just enough to allow the first Gold Coast show of the season (February 19-21), held at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, to be the fun event exhibitors knew it would be. There was a great mix of familiar faces and new ones to make the show a big success with a record number of entries. One group of new faces came from Hayden Show Jumping and Riding School of Laguna Hills, riding under the tutelage of Mickey Hayden and...

Photo by Randi Muster (Katherine Schmidt was victorious in the USEF Show Jumping Talent Search.) The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) had a busy week of competition on February 24-28. The week featured the start of the USEF Selection Trials for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games along with a full schedule of hunter, jumper, and equitation classes. The week seven title sponsor was Fidelity Investments. It was a full night of show jumping and...

Photo by Sue Stickle (Arlene "Tuny" Page and Wild One won the Grand Prix Musical Freestyle during the 2009 Palm Beach Dressage Derby.) The best dressage riders in the world will soon descend on Loxahatchee, FL, all with the goal of becoming a winner at one of the country’s most prestigious dressage competitions—the 27th Annual Palm Beach Dressage Derby. This year’s Palm Beach Dressage Derby, March 4-7, has an added bonus for attracting top riders as it is a qualifier for the Selection...

The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) had a fantastic sixth week of competition on February 17-21. The week featured the AHJF Hunter Classic Spectacular of Palm Beach and the $50,000 CN Palm Beach Jumping Derby along with a full schedule of hunter, jumper, and equitation classes. The week six title sponsor was Bainbridge. Charles Jacobs of Boston, MA, captured the top prize in the $50,000 CN Palm Beach Jumping Derby on Quidditch II, owned by Deeridge Farm of Wellington, FL. They sped to...