Meet the Beast.... The Beast is a very bad beastie as it has “done a leg” and gone on sit down strike a) right in front of our container and b) on the main horse walk in to the stables. To be more accurate, the Beast can easily be repaired if a) the AWOL driver could be found and b) the driver was given accreditation so he / she / it could access the venue and remove the Beast. I just hope that we are not contributing to the day rate for the Beast to be away from his / her Cave of...

Ellen Toon and Invincible. (ESI Photography© .) Saugerties, NY - For the first time in the history of the HITS Winter Circuits in Ocala, FL; Tucson, AZ; and Thermal, CA, three extraordinary Hunter events took place at nearly the same time on Saturday night and awarded $40,000 in prize money from coast to coast. The Devoucoux Hunter Prix, a two-round Hunter classic, was by far one of the most exciting classes on the schedule this winter and the ticket for riders looking to earn their way to the...

Hope Glynn and Sabrina Hellman's Woodstock. (Flying Horse Photography©.) Saugerties, NY - The Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final is the talk of the town this season and its key to qualifying, the Devoucoux Hunter Prix, continues to be one of the most popular offerings at the HITS Winter Circuits in Ocala, FL, Thermal, CA, and Tucson, AZ. Never before has a purse of this magnitude been offered for hunters, and never before have so many talented riders at all levels of their careers had the...

Silvio Mazzoni rides to victory aboard his own Remonta Habano in the $40,000 Purina Mills Grand Prix at HITS Culpeper (ESI Photography). . Culpeper, VA – Silvio Mazzoni of Leesburg, VA, and his own Remonta Habano captured their second Grand Prix victory at HITS this year by winning Sunday’s $40,000 Purina Mills Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at HITS Culpeper. The duo also won the blue in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal...

On Saturday, the best horses and riders from the hunter divisions competed for the top prize in the $15,000 WIHS Hunter Classic Derby at the Washington International Horse Show. After two rounds of competition it was Scott Stewart, of Ocala, FL, and Way Cool that led the victory gallop after they earned a total score of 170.9. Earlier in the day the Washington Pony Equitation Classic Finals were held, with Madeyln Keck and Tango receiving the top call and earning the blue ribbon. The champions...

Wayne, Ill. – The second day of competition at the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions brought back entries in the Neue Schule/USEF Intermediaire I National Championship and the Adequan ® /USEF Para Dressage National Championship for their second tests of the show. Christian Simonson and Son of a Lady. ©Leslie Potter/US Equestrian Neue Schule/USEF Intermediaire I Dressage National Championship The Intermediaire I entries completed the Intermediate I Test today, and Christian...

Tracy Fenney and MTM La Costa. (ESI Photography©.) Ocala, FL - In a weekend that saw a record number of entries in several divisions, including two record-setting highs for Grand Prix entries, Sunday’s $10,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix was the icing on the cake. An outstanding 70 pairs started on a course designed by Tim Hott of Tennessee, as a mix of Professionals, Amateurs and Juniors were awarded the top ribbons. Tracy Fenney of Flower Mound, TX, brought her Sunday best when she took home the...

Steffen Peters and Ravel. (Photo by Susan J. Stickle.) Wellington, FL - February 14, 2011 - Eight North American riders have been invited to the 2011 World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach, which will take place on March 9-11. The invitations include the world's leading American and Canadian dressage riders, Steffen Peters and Ashley Holzer. Peters, riding Akiko Yamazaki's gelding Ravel, won the individual Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Freestyle...

Kayce Redmond and Latino (SusanJStickle.com Photo) Gladstone, NJ – The final championship of the 2010 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival of Champions showcased some of the most exciting up-and-coming Grand Prix riders in the country. The ‘Brentina Cup’ for riders between the ages of 22-28 was designed to bridge the gap between the Young Rider ranks and the Grand Prix. Named for the legendary US Team horse, Brentina and donated by her owners Peggy and Parry Thomas, this division is designed to...

The Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix has been the talk of the town this winter as the excitement amongst the world's top riders is on the rise in anticipation of qualifying for this unprecedented event. Over the course of the HITS Winter Circuits, 159 top Grand Prix riders took advantage of 35 HITS Pfizer Million Qualifiers as they vied for $1.5 million in prize money and one of 40 coveted slots on the Pfizer Million Eligible Rider Rankings List. The Winter Circuits in Thermal and Ocala produced 45...