January 2012

Dressage News Notes for the week of January 23-27, 2012. The World Dressage Masters CDI5* this weekend at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center is a sell out for general admission tickets as the American dressage fans are eager to see our North American stars go at it with some of Europes finest including two favorites for the team Gold in London! Speaking of the Olympics, the U.S. riders are gearing up for the selection trials to be held in Gladstone in June and the Para-equestrians are also looking ahead to their own selection trials for the Paralympics to be held after the London Olympic Games. Sweden's Patrik Kittel has a new ride and wait to you see who it is! The Bechtolsheimers have lost their former Olympic horse Giorgione at the ripe old age of 30!

Photo: Rebecca Arnold

A couple of years ago a European dressage judge who was judging for the first time in the US, looked out to the warm up arenas and commented to the scribe: “there are a lot of fat dressage horses in America.” The number of fat horses in the US is increasing; whether they be dressage, pleasure, or show hunters, according to the Maryland Cooperative Extension at the University of Maryland. Horses with a high body fat percentage are at greater risk for laminitis, hyperlipidemia, heat stress, oxidative stress, increased stress on joints and connective tissue, and decreased athletic performance.

One of the auditors selected to attend the first annual Emerging Dressage Athlete’s Program was 16-year–old Ayden Uhir from Texas.Uhir was invited to attend by Lendon Gray after she participated in a clinic in Region 9, Texas. Here is Ayden account and some photos of her week, December 26-January 1, in Wellington, Florida
My first days at the Emerging Dressage Athletes Robert Dover Mastership Clinic were like a roller coaster ride; full of extreme highs and big curves. I remember arriving in sunny Wellington on Christmas Day. My mom and I had spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day driving in from Texas. I was a little sad about missing the holidays but we tried to make the journey festive by hanging dozens of paper snowflakes to make it look like it was snowing inside our car! After 23 hours in the car together we were happy to arrive at Jennifer Baumert’s home. She had agreed to let us stay with her family and even included us in their family holiday festivities. When she told me I would be sleeping in Courtney King-Dyes’ old room I was elated.

John Flanagan, organizer of the World Dressage Masters Palm Beach, greets Anja Plönzke and Le Mont d'Or who just arrived on the grounds for the World Dressage Masters Palm Beach.

Be sure to watch Live Coverage of the World Dressage Masters Palm Beach CDI5* on the USEFNetwork.com! Coverage on Saturday includes the Grand Prix Special at 2pm (EST) and the Grand Prix Freestyle at 7:30pm (EST)! January 23, 2012 - Wellington, FL- Four European horses arrived at the venue for the 2012 World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach on Sunday afternoon, following their release from quarantine in Miami. Charlotte Dujardin's Valegro (GBR), Carl Hester's Wie Atlantico (GBR), Anja Plönzke's Le Mont D'Or (GER) and Minna Telde's Deinhardt (SWE) all came off the transport truck looking eager and well rested. Transport of the WDM horses from Europe and California was provided by The Dutta Corp. International Horse Transport. For Valegro, the flight to Miami was his first time on an airplane.