Equestrian Season Preview Adequan Global Dressage Festival A Proving Ground For Olympians And Up-And-Coming Athletes The Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) has grown steadily since its inception in 2012, developing into a world-class competition. Seventeen riders participating at the 2016 festival went on to represent their respective countries at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. With many success stories surrounding AGDF, the festival is sure to be a proving ground for upcoming championships, including the 2017 FEI World
Cup Dressage Finals in Omaha, Neb., in late March. The 2017 AGDF will take place once again at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center Stadium in Wellington, from Jan. 11 through March 26, 2017. The circuit will be imperative for riders who want to gain scores for the World Cup finals, since the AGDF hosts four World Cup qualifying events. Starting in January, riders can also re-
Laura Graves and Verdades, shown here riding in Wellington, helped the United States win the team bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. PHOTO BY SUSAN J. STICKLE
cord qualifying scores for the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games. “We are proud to host such an important event for dressage riders from around the world,” said Thomas Baur, AGDF’s director of sport. “We see the performances increasing every year, but more than that, we see more and more great horses and riders entering the sport at the lower levels and enjoying dressage.” For local spectators who want to en-
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wellington the magazine | november 2016 10th Anniversary |wellington the magazine| November 2014