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Friday, November 16, 2007

Dressage Dreams Fulfilled at Del Mar Classic CDI
By Kathy Beal

First Impressions are Important

First impressions are important. KP Events, Del Mar Classic Attention set the tone for the business by providing world-class dressage CDI in lovely San Diego. As competitors and sponsors arrived, attention to detail was evident in every area of the show, from the stable signs to the awards presentation, from the vendor booths to the spectator boxes, from the outside arenas to the beautifully appointed CDI arena. One example of that special planning was that during Saturday’s CDI Awards presentation, KP Event’s vice president Nikki Peccorelli beautifully sang the U.S. National Anthem herself!

The footing in competition and warm-up was superb. Warm-up arena steward Nici Boon, was funny and cheerful. The office, managed by Centerline Events, ran efficiently and personnel extended polite responses to every little question. The scores were posted and announced quickly and the international panel of judges each individually deemed the show, “Very well run, my favorite show ever!”

KP Events made every detail special for all involved. When the judges arrived at the airport, twin brothers, Noah and Evan Rattner, who had come from Oregon’s DevonWood Equestrian Center to help with the CDI, were dressed identically when they met them. They drove matching H3 Hummers with KP Event signage to transport the judges for the weekend. These same Hummers flanked the competitors during the awards ceremonies creating a true international feel! “This time the Hummers were rented, but our KP Events, goal is to some day have vehicles such as these as prizes at a KP Events show,” Keenan said.

The Rattner brothers, who came to San Diego for the Del Mar Classic CDI to place a bid to run their DevonWood Instant Scoring system, will return in March to give the Dressage Affaire CDI a technologically enhanced real-time scoring system, similar to those seen in CHIO Aachen and the Olympics in Atlanta, Sydney, and Athens.

Photo: Anthony and CDI Judge Jenny Loriston Clarke