Articles: 2009 Horse News
Six US Dressage Riders take World to Task at Inaugural
Exquis World Dressage Masters in Wellington, FL
Contact:
United States Equestrian Federation, Inc.
4047 Iron Works Parkway
Lexington, KY 40511-8483
Tel: (859) 258-2472
Fax (859) 231-6662
Web site: www.usef.org
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2009
Lexington, KY - Six of the most promising US dressage riders will take
on some of the world's best when the Exquis World Dressage Masters heads
to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Club January 28-31. This
brand new series will travel from Wellington, FL to Salzburg, Austria
and Munchen, Germany in May, then to Hickstead, UK in June. The series
of competitions is bringing riders from across the globe together for a
brand new initiative. Twenty starters will compete in the first Grand
Prix and then twelve of those horses will go on to compete in the Grand
Prix Special. The remaining eight horses will move on to compete in the
Grand Prix Freestyle under lights on Saturday evening in the newly
renovated International Arena.
Led by Steffen Peters, who with Aikiko Yamazaki's Ravel was undefeated
in the 2008 build up to the Olympic Games (where they were fourth
individually), the US squad is a mixture of seasoned veterans and rising
stars. Peters and Ravel will travel from San Diego, CA to take on some
of the world's best again. They swept the USEF Selection Trials for
Dressage in June.
One of the three riders who finished ahead of Peters in Hong Kong, has
become a dressage legend. Dutch rider Anky van Grunsven, who won her
third Individual Gold at the 2008 Olympic Games, will be performing for
the dressage fans on US soil for the first time since the 2007 World Cup
Final in Las Vegas. She will ride Painted Black in Wellington.
Another US Olympian will be having a crack at a share of more than
$144,000 in total prize money. Michael Barisone (from Califon, NJ), who
was an essential part of the US Olympic squad as the travelling reserve
with Jane Suwalsky's Neruda, will get his time in the ring in Florida.
Jan Ebeling and Rafalca are also making the cross country trek to
Florida from their Moorpark, CA base. Ebeling, another veteran rider,
was most recently third at the Del Mar CDI-W in November with the
12-year-old mare owned by his wife Amy and Anne Romney.
Jane Hannigan last represented the US at the World Cup Final last year
in 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands with her own Maksymillian.
Hannigan, from Harvard, MA, and 'Maks' were then fourth in the Freestyle
at Dressage at Devon in September.
The final two US riders are both representing the US for the very first
time at the Grand Prix level. Joe Sandven (on Rachmaninoff) and Tara
Stegen (with New Tango) are both rising stars in the US dressage
program. Sandven and Rachmaninoff had their most recent success at the
MSEDA Dressage at the Kentucky Horse Park where they won two Grand Prix
events. Stegen and New tango are based in Wellington, FL year round and
have had consistent success in the Sunshine State.
Tickets are still available for this battle of the nations, don't miss a
chance to see some of the world's best go head-to-head. For tickets and
more information please see: www.equestriansport.com
.
For media requests for US athletes, please contact Joanie Morris at
jmorris@usef.org.
The vision of the United States Equestrian Federation(r) is to provide
leadership
for equestrian sport in the United States of America by promoting the
pursuit
of excellence from the grassroots to the Olympic Games, based on a
foundation of fair, safe competition and the welfare
of its human and equine athletes.
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