Rodrigo Pessoa and Champ 163 Win Highlife Farms Grand Prix Conformation Jumper Award At Winter Equestrian Festival

Wellington, FL (March 9, 2010) - Rodrigo Pessoa and Champ 163 proved to be a winning combination during the seventh week of the Winter Equestrian Festival as the pair rode away the winner of the Highlife Farms Grand Prix Conformation Jumper Award. Pessoa and Champ 163 also captured first place in the $75,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix, CSI 2*. It was the first grand prix together for Pessoa and Champ 163, a 1999 Holsteiner stallion owned by Legacy Stables.

Pessoa and Champ 163 delivered a clear round in the jump-off to win with a time of 39.41 seconds. The class, which was also the USEF World Equestrian Games Trial #2, featured 49 entries with eight clean in the first round.

Pessoa was pleased to win the conformation award sponsored by Highlife Farms, a world-class sport horse breeding and training facility owned by Kenny and Joan Sims. The Highlife Farms Jumper Conformation Style Award is given to a horse competing in the grand prix based on conformation, willing attitude, ride-ability and overall style while competing. The winner receives a special award ribbon from Highlife Farms and a gift certificate, generously donated by EquiFit, Inc.

Highlife Farms is home to world-class dressage and show jumpers, and Olympic dressage rider Lisa Wilcox serves as the head trainer. Highlife believes in supporting the equestrian community, and in addition to sponsoring the Conformation Jumper Award also sponsors the Highlife Cup during the winter dressage circuit, which is awarded to the show's highest scoring warmblood.

Highlife has contributed many talented horses to the sport horse industry, including their Oldenburg approved jumper stallion Prezioso OLD (Pilox), currently ridden and competed by Olympian Lauren Hough. Prezioso qualified for the World Championships, 2002 Bundeschampionate and earned countless wins while competing in Europe at the Mayden Nations Cup. Prezioso competed with Lauren in Wellington in the WEG trials.

"Kenny and I are pleased to be sponsoring the Conformation Award at WEF. The show features the best of the best competing each week, and it is an honor to be part of it," Joan said.

Highlife Farms offers equestrians the opportunity to buy European quality sport horses born and bred in the United States. Highlife will also host a Diamond Select Sale on March 28 at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in West Palm Beach. The sale will offer an exclusive collection of the finest sport and young horses by sires such as Highlife, Pilox, Highlife's Diamond Stud, Der Dollar, Connecticut and more.

For more information on Highlife Farms, visit their website at www.highlifefarms.com.