dressage
Florida Winter Circuit
Green Mountain Dressage Championship
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is Back for 2012
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horse me n’ s Y a nkee Ped l ar
MAY 2012
reflections photogrAphY
he Green Mountain Horse Association and Vermont Dressage Days are teaming up once again to provide an exciting program for New England dressage riders. The Green Mountain Dressage Championship (GMDC) is a year-end awards program for riders competing in Vermont’s USEF/USDF recognized dressage shows. The goal of the program is to promote dressage competition at all levels in the state of Vermont, and to provide riders with a season-long goal, attainable within the local area. GMDC shows for 2012 will include GMHA’s June 15-17 Dressage Show; GMHA Dressage Days, to be held July 20-22; Vermont Dressage Days, which is set to take place August 11-12; and GMHA’s Fall Dressage Show, scheduled for September 29-30. This program will be open to any horse and rider combination participating in Bill Warren and Gerente II at last year’s GMHA GMDC shows. Competitors must declare Dressage Days. a horse and rider combination and level of competition, and pay a nominating fee in order four eligible shows, in which case the lowest to be eligible for the GMDC. Horse and rider of the four scores will be dropped. Ribbons combinations are only eligible at one level per and awards will be presented for first through season. Once declarations are filed, the rider is sixth place at Training, First, Second, Third, under no obligation to submit scores or tests, Fourth, and the FEI levels. To become a part of and there are no membership numbers or cards this exciting new awards program, please visit to keep track of! The program will be adminis- www.gmhainc.org or www.vermontdrestered by the Green Mountain Horse Association sagedays.com for further details and a declaration form. in cooperation with Vermont Dressage Days. A limited number of sponsorship opportuniOnce a horse and rider combination has been declared, the high score from each ties are available for this program! Sponsorship competition will count towards the GMDC. is a great way to support dressage in Vermont The best three out of four scores at the while gaining exposure for your business. For declared level of competition will be averaged details, please contact the Green Mountain to determine the winner of the championship. Horse Association’s Karey Waters at 802-457Riders are encouraged to participate in all 1509, ext. 203 or karey@gmhainc.org.
a long list of nations—Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Canada, Colombia, Spain, Mexico, and Argentina. Classes were so full at the Derby that wait lists were started well before competition began. Both the Derby and the International Horse Sport Champions Cup CDI3* were held at the newly upgraded Dressage at Equestrian Estates, also known as the IHS Champions Park. The 50-acre facility now has 10 rings, 15 acres of parking, 150 horse stalls for international horses and 200 temporary stalls. “The IHS Champions Park offers a wonderfully unique country atmosphere in Florida, an atmosphere that horses really like,” says Managing Partner Lars Petersen. “It’s laid back and very natural. Horses like to work here in a natural setting, away from the hustle and bustle.” The arena layout and footing in the main competition rings and warm-ups were upgraded this year to include one of the premier arena footings available in the world, GGT Footing. “This footing is used all over Europe at many top competitions,” Petersen said. Petersen is not only one of the managing partners, but was also one of the top competitors during the shows at the park. He is one of Denmark’s leading riders and during the Derby, he cleaned up in CDI Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire competition, winning both with Willano with scores of 72.982% in the CDI Prix St. Georges and 70.921% in the Intermediaire I. The Intermediaire I Freestyle was won by Colombian rider Marco Bernal riding Farewell IV to a score of 71.525%. Petersen also had much success during the International Horse Sport Champions Cup with the Danish Warmblood Mariett. The pair placed third in the Grand Prix and won the Olympic Grand Prix Special with a score of 70.667% ahead of second place finishers Eliana Cordia van Reesema and Jewel’s Adelante with a score of 67.356%. The top American pair in the IHS Champions Cup was Katherine Bateson Chandler, who rode the Dutch Warmblood Nartan to victory in the CDI Grand Prix with a score of 70.234%. Second place, however, went to another European rider who had come to enjoy the Florida warmth—Germany’s Anja Plönzke. She and the Oldenburg Le Mont d’Or placed second with a 68.745%. That German pair went on to take the blue in the CDI Grand Prix Freestyle with a score of 72.200% later in the show, beating out second place finisher Mikala Gundersen, who rides for Denmark. Gunderson and My Lady scored a 71.175%. For more information on Wellington Classic Dressage, visit www.wellingtonclassicdressage. com. And for more on International Horse Sport Palm Beach, visit www.ihspb.com.