Lexington, KY -The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will continue the process of filling the role of Technical Advis …

(FEI) – A group of nine Dressage and Para-Dressage judges from Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the USA have been promoted to 5* status, the highest rank, by the respective FEI Technical Committees. The promotions, which will come into effect on 1 July, will allow the judges to officiate at major FEI Dressage and Para-Dressage events, such as FEI World Cup™ Dressage Finals, FEI Championships at Grand Prix level, FEI World Equestrian Games™, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The list of the new 5* judges is:

Dressage:
Susanne Baarup (DEN)
Liselotte Fore (USA)
Annette Fransen Iacobaeus (SWE)
Thomas Lang (AUT)
Eddy de Wolff van Westerrode (NED)

Para-Dressage:
Eva Bachinger (AUT)
Alison King (HKG)
Sarah Leitch (GBR)
Marco Orsini (GER)

These promotions will bring the number of 5* Dressage judges to 34, and 17 for Para-Dressage.

Also from 1 July, 5* Dressage judge Mary Seefried (AUS) will become a member of the FEI Dressage Judges Supervisory Panel (JSP). The role of the Panel, which was created in 2011, is to ensure consistency and accuracy of judging as well as to provide an additional level of monitoring at major FEI Dressage events. Although the JSP does not judge the competition, it is authorised to change marks when a technical mistake in judging has been made. It also monitors the performances of all FEI Dressage judges. The JSP consists of six members.

“I would like to congratulate all the judges on their promotion and wish the best of luck to Mary in her new role on the Judges Supervisory Panel,” FEI Dressage and Para-Dressage Director Trond Asmyr commented. “Our sport is growing and these appointments reflect its global development and appeal.”

(USEF) – The United States Equestrian Federation does not certify, endorse, nor approve specific equine nutritional supplements as safe for use during recognized competitions. As a service to USEF Members, and upon request, the USEF Drug and Medication Program office will review product labels to determine if forbidden substances are amongst the specific ingredients listed. However, all competitors are advised that the manufacture of equine nutritional supplements is not currently subject to formal regulation by any government agency; therefore the proportions, source, and quality of their ingredients may not be consistently controlled during the production process and may be highly variable from manufacturer to manufacturer. In the unfortunate event that a forbidden substance is present in a sample collected by the USEF Drug & Medications testing program, the owner and trainer will be subject to the provisions outlined in GR404 and GR406 and will be held accountable as defined in Chapter 4 of the USEF Rule Book.

Equine Canada has sent a strong message to the Pan American Equestrian Confederation stating the federation is firmly against a proposal to change the number of countries able to qualify for the Olympics through the Pan American Games from two countries to one county in the disciplines of Eventing and Dressage.

“We were horrified to learn of this proposal,” states Mike Gallagher, President of Equine Canada. “It is nothing short of punitive to countries from the Americas.

“To suggest that we reduce the number of available qualification positions for this region will remove motivation and investment in equestrian sport, especially in developing nations within the region.”

In its letter to the Confederation, Equine Canada pointed out the Americas represent over 30 per cent of all of the FEI-member countries in the world, and that it has the highest growth in FEI-level competitions among the regions. Further, considerable work has gone into raising the standard of competition in the Pan American Games, including a test competition that will take place next month in Florida for a new format for dressage.

“It is tremendously difficult and expensive for riders in the region to travel to competitions in other countries or to Europe,” states the President. “In spite of these challenges, results from the region have been steadily increasing. Regrettably these qualification proposals could virtually eliminate the possibility of more than one country from the Americas region qualifying for the Olympic Games.”

Equine Canada contends that the proposed change does not meet the universality requirement, or the geographic diversification requirement of the Olympic Games. Further it does not meet the performance requirements of having the best nations in the world represented.

“We do not understand the motivation for these changes. At the FEI, we have come so far in the past decade in demonstrating that world class equestrian sport exists outside of Europe and that it is truly a worldwide growing sport,” states Gallagher. “This change sends the exact opposite message”.

“We do support the proposal that both Dressage and Eventing compete with four team members and that the top three will count. However, we feel it’s important that the reserve horse for Eventing be allowed to compete as an individual. A conditioned 4* Eventing horse only has the opportunity to peak and compete once or twice a year at this level, and to prepare and transport a horse to the Games with the possibility of staying in the stall, will discourage owners and riders from providing reserve horses for the team.”

Equine Canada will continue to press its position towards more equitable and inclusive qualifying criteria coming out of the Pan American Games, and commits to keeping Canadian equestrian athletes and sport enthusiasts informed of its progress.

(Adequan Global Dressage Festival) – The Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) held two national level shows at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center on March 19-20 and March 26-27. The shows welcomed competitors of all levels to gain experience and scores. Both shows were filled to capacity, with a full schedule of judging for the officials and a large number of entries competing at the FEI levels. The AGDF will host it’s next show on April 4-7 with a strong contingent of top international-level horses and riders at the Wellington CDI 5* presented by Diamante Farms.

One of the big winners at the AGDF National 4 Show was Christilot Boylen, a six-time Canadian Olympian now based in Rottingen, Germany, when she is not in Wellington in the winter. Boylen swept the USEF Third Level Tests with Soccer City, a six-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Sir Donnerhall x Weltmeyer owned by Windhaven Farm and Jill Irving, and with Donnetella 79.

Soccer City won the USEF Third Level Test 1 with a score of 75.658% on Tuesday and the Test 2 class on Wednesday with a 77.073%.

Boylen and Irving found Soccer City as a three-year-old at the Performance Sales in Germany. He stayed and trained in Germany for three years, showing lightly but successfully. They competed at White Fences this winter and won both of their classes there, and moved up to the Test 2 at the AGDF.

“He handled it very, very well,” Boylen remarked. “The reason we picked him – we were looking for beautiful gaits, three good gaits and above all, a presence and balance – that’s exactly the package that we have with him. That pays off, as you can see.”

Donnetella 79, a horse that Boylen has only been riding for seven months, won the USEF Third Level Test 2 on Wednesday with a 71.220% and Test 3 on Wednesday with a 75.385%.

Boylen noted, “She again is what I look for in a young horse. She’s very balanced, she has presence and she has a cadenced way of going by nature. Those are the things she has naturally, so it’s the trainer’s and rider’s job to develop that and show it. She has great nerves in the ring. Again, she’s fulfilling the promise that we saw.”

Boylen enjoys the National shows at the AGDF and has found them to be a great fit for bringing along her young horses. “It’s an excellent idea and fits perfectly in the program. We made up our minds [to show] the international horses at one show and pick the National [shows for the young horses]. The format for Tuesday and Wednesday is excellent. It breaks the week up and doesn’t bother your routine if you are showing on the weekend,” she explained.

Two top scores from the AGDF National 4 Show included a 76.383% from Canadian Olympian Ashley Holzer and her Olympic mount Breaking Dawn, who won the FEI Grand Prix Open. Winning the FEI Prix St. Georges 2009 Adult Amateur class with a score of 71.053% was Jeanne Van Nuys-Hitt and Sirtaki.

At the AGDF National 3 Show, one of the top finishers was Caroline Roffman, who scored a 78.605% in the FEI Test of Choice – HF FEI Young Rider Grand Prix 16-25 2009 Open – with Sagacious, a 14-year-old KWPN gelding by Welt Hit II x Cocktail owned by Hyperion Farm.

Roffman started riding Sagacious, a top grand prix horse, in June last year. They have been competing in the Young Rider Grand Prix classes to practice the movements of that level and have been working on their partnership.

“It takes some time to transition and get to know a horse. The first six months I spent trying to get to know him. It’s a privilege to ride a horse like him. He’s having a lot of fun; I think he’s quite happy and I think we make a good team,” Roffman said.

Their score at the AGDF National 3 Show was their highest yet and the highest that Roffman has received in a grand prix test. She said of his performance, “This horse has all the talent in the world, it’s just getting him to want to give that to you. He was good that day. His level of rideability was great, [and he] wanted to do what was asked with him. He was really reliable. When that is there, then he can be brilliant.”

Roffman also took the opportunity at the National 3 Show to gain experience with another horse, a four-year-old stallion. With the great layout and feel of The Stadium facility, she felt it was a perfect way to school her young horse. “This was perfect to give the baby 100% of my focus and give him a great experience,” she acknowledged. “I chose that show specifically to take him out and get him experience on good footing and in a secure place. The layout of the facility is wonderful, and the horses are really calm there.”

Two great scores were marked during the AGDF National 3 Show as well. Canadian Paralympian Lauren Barwick and Off To Paris received an 80.143% in the FEI Test of Choice – Para Grade II Individual – 2013 Adult Amateur. Riding Donna Felice, Kelly Layne scored 80.900% in the Young Horse Test of Choice – FEI Young Horse 5 Year Old Preliminary Open.

Timothy Mellott and Final Approach were given a 75.811% in the USEF First Level Test 2 – Open, while Bernd Schopf on De Value won the FEI Grand Prix 2009 Adult Amateur with a score of 75.957%. Ilse Schwarz and Don Joseph received a 75.526% in the USEF Third Level, Test 1 2011 Open, and Chris Von Martels rode Sandroletto in the USEF Third Level, Test 3 2011 Open for a score of 78.333%.

Competition at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival continues next week with the Wellington CDI 5* presented by Diamante Farms on April 4-7, 2013. For full results and more information, please visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

Photo Courtesy of Adequan Global Dressage Festival by Sue Stickle – Christilot Boylen and Soccer City

(USDF) – The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) is pleased to announce the launch of the USDF Sport Horse Prospect Development Program, presented by Dressage at Devon, a USDF Education Partner, and supported by Hassler Dressage. Created by the USDF Sport Horse Committee, this new program is designed to bridge the educational gap in the development of dressage horses, as they progress from showing in-hand to work under saddle and eventual competition. It will feature a live forum approach, focused on a correct, fundamental system for starting sport horse prospects. This new educational event is intended for trainers, owners, and breeders nationwide, with the goal of developing a consistent training foundation for all sport horse prospects.
The inaugural forum will be held September 14-15, 2013, hosted by the New England Dressage Association, at Apple Knoll Farm, in Millis, MA. The forum will be led by internationally renowned sport horse development experts, and educators, Scott Hassler, USEF National Young Dressage Horse Coach, and Ingo Pape, one of Germany’s most respected breeders and horsemen.
The instructors will work with selected participants and engage auditors in an interactive setting. The focus will be to provide education on the critical phase in sport horse training, as the three-year-old prospect transitions from in-hand to the first year under saddle. Methods for developing a solid foundation for each horse will be presented. Participants and auditors will also develop the necessary tools to select and evaluate sport horse prospects, as well as the key elements needed in a trainer for this stage of a horse’s education.
“USDF is excited to bring this much needed educational opportunity to the USDF membership and the dressage community, as well as other sport horse disciplines,” added Katherine Robertson, USDF Senior Education Programs Coordinator.
For more information about the new USDF Sport Horse Prospect Development Program, contact the USDF office at shprospect@usdf.org, or call (859) 971-2277.