Mark Watring and Green Sleeps Vioco. (Flying Horse Photography©.) Thermal, CA - Puerto Rico’s Mark Watring and Horseworks Etc. Inc’s Green Sleeps Vioco secured their first Grand Prix triumph of the circuit when they scored the top prize in Saturday’s $50,000 Purina Mills CSI-W Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, in the indoor arena at the HITS Desert Horse Park, in Thermal, CA. Last night’s triumph by Watring continued an impressive streak by the men competing at HITS Thermal as each...

Cherri Reiber and the Lusitanos Zerbino Interagro and Vistor Interagro. (Photo courtesy JRPR.) Wellington, FL – Spectators at the February 19th Grand Prix and Great Charity Challenge at the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival are in for a treat when Samba dancers and an exhibition by Lusitanos bring a flair of Brazil to the International Arena. The Brazilian-themed exhibition is in anticipation of the 2011 Lusitano CollectionTM International Horse Auction, considered the social event of the...

Michael Tokaruk and Roger Rabbit. (Photo by Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - February 16, 2011 - In an unusual class on the opening morning of week 6 at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, there was a tie for the win in the $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Jumpers. Laura Kraut, on The Freedom Group's Dona Evita, and Michael Tokaruk with Roger Rabbit, owned by Castle Point Farm LLC, both finished the speed class with no faults and in the same time of 63.121 seconds. The FTI Winter Equestrian Festival's sixth...

Taylor McMurtry and Just An Illusion. (ESI Photography©.) Ocala, FL - February 16, 2011 - The sun continues to shine in Ocala after a successful first AA-rated week of show jumping at HITS Post Time Farm. High-Performance and talented hunter riders once again pleased the crowd with awe-inspiring performances in the $50,000 EMO Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health and $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix. Young star Taylor McMurtry won her first Grand Prix ever aboard her own Just An Illusion...

Dressage The Palm Beach County Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in West Palm Beach, FL, hosted The Wellington Classic Spring Challenge CDI-W. On Friday, Tina Konyot and her partner from the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, Calecto V, topped the field in the Grand Prix for Freestyle scoring a 70.043%. Elizabeth Austin riding Olivier and Shawna Harding riding Come On III collected second and third place honors. Konyot took another commanding win in the Freestyle, scoring a 75.300%. Harding...

Ocala, FL - February 15, 2011 - It wasn't just an illusion when Taylor McMurtry and her own Just An Illusion won Sunday's $50,000 EMO Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health. The horse-and-rider combination celebrated their first Grand Prix win ever to conclude the Ocala Winter Classic. "I'm so happy!" exclaimed McMurtry, 18, who found her way to the top on a beautiful sunny day at HITS Post Time Farm. "I'm overwhelmed. Especially since it was my goal to win a Grand Prix this year, I am...

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...

Burbank, CA - Riders who dream of competing at the Pan American Games will begin their quest at the Mid-Winter Dressage Fair CDI 1*/Y/J in Burbank, CA, February 24-27, 2011. As the first official qualifying competition on the West Coast, horses and riders will compete in front of FEI judges Jayne Ayers ("I" USA), Natalie Lamping ("I" USA), and Lorraine MacDonald ("I" CAN). In addition, this competition will serve as an early-season qualifier for the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival of...

Wellington, FL - February 14, 2011 - The fifth week of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) has concluded at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, and another week of fantastic competition was held. The FTI WEF hosts the best that the sports of show jumping, hunters and equitation have to offer in 12 rings of competition. $150,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix presented by Spy Coast Farm An exciting jump-off topped off a fantastic class on Saturday evening in the $150,000 FEI World...

Nick Skelton and Big Star. (Photo by Sportfot©.) Wellington, FL - February 13, 2011 - The fifth week of competition at the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival concluded on Sunday with the $25,00 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Classic, and it was Nick Skelton (GBR) and Big Star, owned by Beverly and Gary Widdowson, who proved victorious over a field of 65 entries. Alan Wade of Co. Tipperary, Ireland, designed today's courses and set a first-round track that 11 combinations would clear....