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Wednesday, January 9, 2007

Wellington, Florida – John Flanagan, Sponsorship Coordinator for the Wellington Classic Dressage and the Gold Coast Dressage Association, announced today that Collecting Gaits Farms has become the title sponsor for both the Wellington Classic Dressage Shows and the Gold Coast Dressage CDI-W/Y for the 2008 season.

"This is a tremendous boost to our confidence that they would support our show series as their name is associated with other top competitions," said Flanagan. His wife, Noreen O'Sullivan Flanagan, is the show manager and current president of GCDA. In only two years of managing the Wellington Classic Dressage Shows, this organization has successfully expanded its show series by adding more dates and more prize money. Among its additions are the Wellington Classic Dressage Challenge of Champions Winter Series 2008 and the Markel/Wellington Classic Amateur Championship, and the Markel/Wellington Classic Trainers' Award sponsored by Thin Line. The upcoming Gold Coast Dressage CDI-W/Y, scheduled for January 25-27, will be the first Florida CDI of the 2008 season and will play host to many Olympic hopefuls who have come to train and compete this winter in their bid to make the dressage team for the Beijing Olympics.

The local dressage community enthusiastically supports the shows held at the user-friendly Palm Beach County Jim Brandon Equestrian Center. Manager Noreen O’Sullivan Flanagan reports a record number of entries in the FEI divisions, with competitors from across the United States. The high-gloss color show program developed by the show managers is already a collector’s item and the trade fair is filled to capacity.

With Collecting Gaits Farm now on board, Flanagan said competitors can expect even more good things during this year’s show season. “With the added support of Jeff and Shereen Fuqua and Collecting Gaits Farm we can continue to grow our shows as a premier competition for years to come," he said.

Adding their support as title sponsor for the Wellington Classic Dressage shows, and the Gold Coast Opener CDI-WY is part of Jeff and Shereen Fuqua’s continuing mission to provide well thought-out and well-placed support to the development of American Dressage. The Fuquas, owners of Collecting Gaits Farm, already sponsor a number of important dressage events, and sponsored shipping costs for Idocus and Courtney King's recent trip to Europe.

Collecting Gaits Farm continues as the title sponsor of the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage National Championships and as presenting sponsor for the Markel/USEF National Young Dressage Horse Championships. Collecting Gaits Farm was also sponsor of the 2007 Challenge of Americas Dressage, held in Wellington to benefit breast cancer research, and the USEF Junior Dressage Team Championships. The Fuquas are now extremely pleased to be providing support to Florida events. 
"For the last couple of years, we wanted to support dressage for the Florida show season, but didn't know quite how to break into the established community," Shereen Fuqua told DressageDaily. "When John Flanagan presented us with his proposal as title sponsor, we became excited to participate at the ground level for this second season of the Wellington Classic Dressage Shows." 

Successful management of the shows in previous years played a role in the Fuquas’ decision. Said Shereen Fuqua, "John Flanagan and Noreen O'Sullivan did an outstanding job debuting the first dressage shows at Jim Brandon Equestrian Center last season. And we are honored to support as title sponsor the Gold Coast Dressage Association's CDI in January along with their Florida show events. We are just thrilled to support the sport in this very important year for the Olympics. There are great riders and horses that continue to develop and help make our country strong and competitive this year and in the future. However, we need people like John and Noreen who work hard to put together top organized shows for our dressage athletes to compete."

January 12-13
2008 Wellington Classic Dressage Challenge I
January 25-27
Gold Coast Dressage CDI-W/Y
February 16-17
2008 Wellington Classic Spring Challenge
March 8-9
2008 Wellington Classic Dressage Challenge II

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