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In Ocala, Florida, Augusta Iwasaki and her 12-year-old Hanoverian mare, Small Love, known as "Honey," triumphed in the $37,500 USHJA National 3’ Amateur Hunter Derby, competing against 27 other participants. Iwasaki, who is a student at Southern Methodist University, utilized her spring break effectively, delivering two commendable rounds that led to her victory.

Riding on a wave of success in the Junior Hunter ranks, Lilly Geitner and Banks Mill clinched yet another victory at the 2025 Winter Spectacular Show Series, taking the blue in the $37,500 USHJA National 3’ Junior Hunter Derby. This marks the pair’s sixth hunter derby triumph together, underscoring their consistent dominance throughout the winter circuit.

 Precision, poise, and polished rounds propelled Elizabeth Rinehart to the top of the leaderboard in the Arion Equitation Championship at HITS Ocala Championship X. Aboard the talented Jinter van Het Hagehof, Rinehart navigated her way to victory against a strong field of competitive horse-and-rider combinations.

Sophie Hinners of Germany and her horse Viva Las Vegas W secured victory in the $85,000 The Dutta Corp. Grand Prix CSI2*, competing against a field of 40 entries. The event concluded the Longines League of Nations™ Ocala CSIO5*-LLN at the World Equestrian Center, featuring a diverse mix of experienced and emerging riders tackling a challenging 1.45m course designed by Alan Wade from Ireland.

In a pulse-pounding finish, Alex Matz of the United States and his trusty 17-year-old Holsteiner Cashew CR earned top honors in the $150,000 Hermès CSI4* 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Final on Saturday night, during Week 11 of the Winter Equestrian Festival at Wellington International. Outpacing a formidable 15-horse jump-off by fewer than four-tenths of a second, Matz stopped the clock at 35.

Richard Rinehart added another impressive win to his winter circuit resume, capturing the top spot in the $30,000 OSU Galbreath Equine Center Grand Prix during World Equestrian Center – Wilmington’s Winter Classic 15. Piloting his seasoned partner, The Diamant Rose Z, Rinehart once again showcased his precision and speed in the Grand Arena.

William Dow and Legend of Diva delivered a commanding performance in the $10,000 Futures Prix at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington, securing a wire-to-wire victory over a competitive field on Saturday afternoon. Course designer Michael Pegg built a track that tested precision and pace, leading to seven horse-and-rider combinations advancing to the immediate jump-off.

Vera Kessels, a Grand Prix rider originally from the Netherlands, passed away on March 22, 2025, at the age of 62 following her battle with cancer.Born on February 11, 1963, she grew up in a family that loved horses and began her equestrian journey in show jumping before transitioning fully to dressage. Kessels moved to the United States in 1995, bringing her horse, Dotato, with her.