Bjorn Ikast and Colorado. (Horseinsport© ) Tucson, AZ — The midway point of the six week HITS Arizona Winter Circuit was highlighted by big victories for Bjorn Ikast in the $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, and Gretchen Lof in the $2,500 Devoucoux Hunter Prix. Ikast, originally from Kolding, Denmark and now a Colorado resident, is a regular at the HITS Arizona Winter Circuit and has been knocking on the door for a Grand Prix win all season. He finished third two weeks...

San Antonio, TX - A record number of attendees gathered in San Antonio, TX, for the sixth annual United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Annual Meeting, presented by the Texas Hunter Jumper Association. There they discussed a number of issues, including standardizing zone children’s and adult specifications, a revamped amateur definition and whether or not money won in derbies and classics should be counted toward Horse of the Year Awards. The 346 attendees traveled to the Westin La...

Karen O'Connor and Mandiba (Photo by Shannon Brinkman for USEF) Lexington, KY - Sunday's third and final phase of the Eventing World Championship by Reem Acra will be a hotly contested face-off between three nations: Great Britain, the United States and Canada, each separated from the other by only a handful of points on the leader board. The showdown for the Gold Medal is scheduled to air LIVE on NBC Sports at 1:00 PM [ET], as part of a five-hour equestrian sports marathon from the 2010...

Randi Muster (Meredith "Maddy" Darst and Highlands Make Believe were named Medium Pony Grand Champions.) Lexington, KY - August 13, 2010 - It was another hot day at the Kentucky Horse Park, but that did not slow down the exciting competition at the 2010 United States Equestrian Federation Pony Finals National Championships. The top ponies and riders gathered at the Walnut Ring to showcase their talent. The pony action began with the Large Pony Hunter model and under saddle phases, and was...

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) joins the global Olympic Movement in celebrating the two-year countdown to the London 2012 Olympic Games on Tuesday, July 27. In conjunction with the London Organizing Committee's celebration activities, the USOC is sharing thoughts from some of its top 2012 Olympic hopefuls, organizing athlete appearances, distributing Olympic sport storylines and Games fun facts, launching an online feature series and commemorative video on a www.TeamUSA.org , and...

Beginning in 1995 as part of the Volvo World Cup Finals, the Festival of the Horse (March 30–April 2) has become one of the largest dressage shows in Southern California. Cornerstone Event Management strives to combine top competition with special activities surrounding the show. “The sponsors play a large part on the success of the Festival,” said Glenda McElroy, Festival manager. “We try to find a niche for all our sponsors; Markel Insurance, a longtime partner, sponsors the high-point...

THERMAL, CA —The Maple Leaf was flying high at the HITS Desert Horse Park during Desert Circuit IV when a pair of Olympians from Canada had Grand Prix triumphs during an action-packed week of show jumping at HITS Thermal. On Saturday night, Pearce aboard Forest View Farm's Chianto, beat out the 22 other starters to challenge international course designer Bernardo Cabral's first-round track, as well as the eight riders who advanced to the jump-off in the $50,000 Purina Mills CSI-W Grand Prix,...

Photo by Robbi Meisel (Wilhelm Genn and Chantal) Lebanon, OH-based Wilhelm Genn had a stellar second week at the 2010 Gulf Coast Winter Classics with victories in both Thursday’s $5,000 Welcome Open Jumper Stake aboard Happy Z and Sunday’s $25,000 Gulf Coast Grand Prix with Laura Ryan-Barnaclo’s Chantal. Deciding the path this week’s jumpers would take was one of the sport’s most revered course designers, Michel Vaillancourt, who began testing their limits on Thursday with a curvy 15-effort...

Photo by Flying Horse Photography (McLain Ward and Phillipa) Two-time Olympic Gold medal winner McLain Ward raised the roof during the $50,000 Strongid® C 2X CSI-W Grand Prix when he rode Sagamore Farm's Phillipa to the triumph before an enthusiastic crowd that filled the indoor arena at the HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, CA. Ward traveled from Brewster, NY, to get a jump start on qualifying for the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix that will take place at HITS-on-the-Hudson, in Saugerties, NY,...

The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) honored top individuals, horses and organizations at the annual awards banquet held at the International Conference in Fort Collins, CO, at Colorado State University on October 10. Clinic Instructor of the Year Clinic instructors are the CHA Master Level Instructors that are clinic staff and certify instructors for CHA throughout North America. At the end of each clinic, participants write evaluations of the clinic staff. It is from these evaluations...