July 20, 2015
Carrie Wirth

David Beisel and Ameretto

Traverse City, MI – July 19, 2015 – David Beisel and Ammeretto, owned by Equine Holdings LLC, wasted no time in the jump-off round to edge out Ryan Genn and Cookie Monster, owned by Wilhelm and Patty Genn, the only other double clear round of the $50,000 Flintfields Grand Prix presented by North Face Farm. The Genns kept it in the family, with Ryan’s father, Wilhelm Genn, claiming third place aboard Bugatti, owned by Eduardo Leon, who were clear in the first round but incurred one time fault.

Twenty-five horse and rider combinations tried their hand at Leopoldo Palacios challenging and technical course. Palacios placed several new fences, unseen throughout the week, into the mix including a stone wall as the first on the course and a beautiful replica of the Mackinaw Bridge. A liverpool/oxer to the skinny Mackinaw Bridge jump, a very short four strides or a long three strides, cost many a rail. The triple bar to a one-stride vertical was another line that required perfect execution and caught some competitors with a knockdown. Time was another major factor with the course, and the time allowed was adjusted after the first round to 85 seconds. Palacios tested the horses and riders to do be accurate, tidy and fast.

“At the end of the week I am more difficult,” said Palacios about his courses. “The most important is developing horses and riders-not to over face them. Many people say I am too strong. But I am strong when I need to be strong. I try to bring to them the best they can be.”

Both Beisel and Genn said that they were excited about the course when they walked it. Palacios achieved his goal which them.
“I thought after walking the course that it looked like a whole lot of fun,” Beisel said. “It had a different look and feel to it. The last time I jumped one of Leopoldo’s courses was at Live Oak in Ocala, and I felt like my horse really learned from it. I was fortunate to have two other horses go first, because I learned a little bit about the course.”

And Genn agreed. “I thought Leopoldo’s course was awesome,” he said. “As I was walking it, I kept thinking about how excited I was to jump it. I told my dad that I hadn’t been this excited to jump a course for as long as I can remember.”

Genn was 11 in the order of go and was the very first to have a fault-free first round aboard Cookie Monster, who he describes as a little slow but a huge jumper who loved the larger, harder course. It wasn’t determined until Beisel and Ammeretto’s round, 18 in the order, that there would be a jump-off round when the duo executed the only other clear round within the time allowed.

The two horses who progressed to the jump-off couldn’t be more different, yet both are extremely effective in their own style. Ammeretto is an 8-year-old, 16-hand Dutch Warmblood stallion. A quick and catty athlete, he is lightening fast and jumps effortlessly. Cookie Monster is a huge 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding with an enormous stride and a big jump who makes the courses look easy.

Genn piloted Cookie Monster smoothly and flawlessly around the short course in a time of 41.090 seconds, then Beisel sped Ammeretto around the course and broke the beam 38.013 seconds to claim the first place prize.

“Luckily I know my little stallion well enough and he understood what was asked,” Beisel said. “I certainly enjoyed the course a lot. I know Ryan has been clear in almost every class so far in the jump-off, so I expected him to go clear. It was my assumption that if I could just stay clear and let my horse do his normal speed I’d be a little quicker. Typically I just let Ammeretto do his thing, and hoped the time would take care of itself.”
when he topped the leaderboard of the Young Jumper Championship Qualifier for the 7-year olds. Beisel and Donnaludine, owned by Equine Holdings LLC were the only two to go double clear in this morning’s class, trailed by Liz Atkins and Rodeo VDL, owned by Benchmark Stables LLC, in second place with a time of 81.652; a whole 3.75 seconds faster than the third place pair, Theo Genn and Dirocco Blue, owned by Eduardo Leon.

The championship title of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic was also awarded today, with Erin Haas of North Face Farms, sponsors of the afternoon’s $50,000 Grand Prix, clinching the win. Haas and Coachella, owned by North Face Farm, were the only pair to go double clear in the class. The pair also navigated to a first place in Friday’s class and landed fifth place on Thursday, enough to name them the champions of the division. Ryan Genn and Zenith B. came in second.

“This is really Coachella’s first year getting more consistent in the high amateurs, so she’s a little bit more green with miles, but she’s getting to be much more consistent,” Haas said.  “I feel like she jumped really well today. I got a little rushed midway through, but we were able to settle back down and finish off with a clean round. She tries so hard.”

Haas and Coachella plan to finish out next week at Great Lakes Equestrian Festival to gain some mileage in the High Amateurs. In early August the pair will make the trek to Traders Point Hunt Charity Horse Show in Zionsville, Indiana, followed by the American Gold Cup in North Salem, New York in Sept., two horse shows also managed by Stadium Jumping, Inc. The Haas family generously supports the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival. circuit through their sponsorship.

“I really love Stadium Jumping, and love going to the shows they organize,” she said. “It’s been a great show so far. Everything has been running very smoothly. We’ve sponsored this show since it started here, and it’s great to see it continue.”

Today’s competition concluded the third week of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival. Week IV will kick off Wednesday, July 22 the final week of the series. The $25,000 Welcome Stake takes place Friday and the $50,000 Great Lakes Grand Prix, presented by The Peninsula Group at Morgan Stanley will be held on Sunday, July 26. In addition, a $25,000 International Hunter Derby presented by the Gochman Family will be held Saturday, July 25.

For more information or to view schedules, please visit www.stadiumjumping.com orwww.greatlakesequestrianfestival.com.

July 20, 2015

This Fund was seeded with donations received in special remembrance of Carol’s great dressage horse, Gifted.   Many other friends of The Dressage Foundation have added donations and the Scholarship Fund has grown steadily over the years.  This Scholarship enables Adult Amateurs to set aside quality-time, in concentrated training away from the daily pressures of job and family, with a horse the recipient owns or formally leases (as documented by USDF or USEF paperwork).

Up to nine $1,000 grants are available each year (one in each USDF Region), plus two additional $1,000 wild card grants (which can be awarded in any Region).

The objective of the Gifted Fund is to enable the adult amateur rider to set aside time to work with their horse(s) and a trainer of choice.  The recipients will be able to spend a week or more just to bond with their horse; to have the time to feed them, graze them, give them a spa bath, or just stand around in the stall with them, and to give the rider and horse concentrated time with a trainer.

Gifted Scholarship Guidelines:
This scholarship is meant for the adult amateur to have the opportunity to be in an extended training situation that is not readily available during the course of your daily pattern. We do not intend this concentrated time to include clinics, camps, or symposiums.  The model we look for is a training program of 5-7 consecutive days, with the same trainer, with your teammate horse!

- Applicant must be a member of a United States Dressage Federation Group Member Organization (GMO).

- We are looking for thinking riders, with strong volunteer background.  Volunteer work is to be dressage related, first for your GMO, secondly for your region.

- We look for riders who want to work on their riding in a situation that is normally unavailable to them because of their other obligations. We encourage the rider to work with a trainer with which they have a working history.

- The recipient must own or lease the horse he/she would use for training. The lease must be documented with USDF or USEF.

Applications are due on or before September 15th of each year. Grant announcements will be made by December 31st.

Each year The Dressage Foundation receives a larger number of applications for this Scholarship. In order to give this opportunity to as many new Adult Amateurs as possible, we award the scholarship only once to a recipient.

Would you like to share this information with adult amateur dressage riders that you know? Click here for a one-page information sheet!

To view Gifted Memorial Fund recipient reports, visit the Adult Amateur Archives!

By: Lindsay Y. McCall

Lexington, Kentucky – July 19, 2015 - The United States Para-Equestrian Dressage Young Rider Team made history at the inaugural 2015 Adequan/FEI North American Junior Young Rider Para-Dressage Championships (NAJYRC). The U.S. team topped three days of competition at the beautiful Kentucky Horse Park, earning the win over Canada on July 18. The team included Sydney Collier (Ann Arbor, Mich.) and her own Wentworth in Grade Ib; Cambry Kaylor (Lehi, Utah) with her own Markgaards Donnewind also in Grade Ib; and Kate Shoemaker (Glendale, Ariz.) and her own Pacifec M in Grade III. The team was led by Chef d’Equipe Kai Handt and Team Coach Wes Dunham. Equestrians competed on July 16, in the Team Test followed by the Individual Test on July 18. The USA topped the Canadian Para-Dressage Team with a lead of 393.02 over 380.191. Following the medal ceremony and some celebration, the USA Team regrouped for their Freestyle Tests on Sunday, July 19. In addition to topping the first-ever NAJYR Para-Dressage Championships, U.S. athlete Sydney Collier was awarded the The Captain Andrew B. de Szinay Memorial Sportsmanship Award while her teammate Cambry Kaylor was recognized with the “The Style Award”. U.S. teammate Kate Shoemaker also had a great weekend earning the highest overall score of the weekend including a 71.7% in the Freestyle Test. The ground jury included Anne Prain FRA 5*, Ulrike Nivelle GER 3*, Kristi Wysocki USA 4*, Mercedes Campdera Alatorre MEX 3*, and Lorraine Stubbs CAN 4*. Each rider attributed to the success of the USA team in this unprecedented event held in Lexington, Kentucky.

U.S. Para-Dressage Team at the NAJYRC. Photo (c) SusanJStickle.com

“The U.S. Para-Dressage Junior Young Rider team had a fantastic showing at their first NAJYRC competition beginning with a comfortable lead in the Team competition,” said U.S. Chef d’Equipe Kai Handt. ”These young athletes showed exceptional team spirit and showmanship placing way ahead of their competitors. This is the first time an intercontinental game has a junior young rider para-equestrian division. These groundbreaking athletes did a great job for their country, USEF ,USET Foundation, and USPEA, showing the world how it is done.”

Chef d’Equipe Kai Handt has coached multiple Young Rider Teams to championships at the NAJYRC but this weekend was his first U.S. Para-Dressage Young Rider Team. Sydney Collier rode under Handt prior on the U.S Team at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games but at this event she rode her own horse Wentworth.

Sydney Collier and Wentworth at the NAJYRC 2015. Photo (c)SusanJStickle.com

Sydney Collier commented, “Overall I was extremely happy how NAJYRC went for our entire team and for myself and Wentworth as an individual. It was such an exciting event for us because without Jonathan Wentz none of this would have been possible. He will forever be my hero for his determination to get Paras into NAJYRC. I am so honored to be a part of history as we know it. I am looking forward to many more years of participating int the NAJYRC.”

Collier was awarded the The Captain Andrew B. de Szinay Memorial Sportsmanship Award on July 18. The Captain Andrew B. de Szinay Memorial Sportsman Trophy is given to the Young Rider who best personifies the high standards and virtues of integrity, sportsmanship, honor, courage, team spirit, good temper and unselfishness. This award is presented annually by the United States Equestrian Federation in honor of Captain Andrew B. de Szinay who was a teacher, dressage judge, technical delegate and long-time supporter of the Young Rider’s program. His dedication and support has helped the championships become what it is today. In 1989 former U.S. Para-Dressage Chef d’Equipe Missy Ransehousen earned this award.

“Winning the sportsmanship award this year at the debut of Para-Dressage at NAJRYC feels really amazing,” said Collier. “It really was a highlight of my week. There were so many disciplines with so many great sportsmen that I really am so incredibly honored to receive this award, it was extremely cool to see how supportive every single discipline was of adding Para-Dressage to North Americans. I would love to thank USEF and the FEI for including Para-Dressage this year.  I also want to thank all of my sponsors and my trainer Wes Dunham for traveling to Kentucky with me and helping myself and my USA teammates have such a successful competition.”

Also presented with a unique accolade was Cambry Kaylor. Kaylor earned the “The Style Award” annually celebrates one rider from each discipline recognizing their “style” throughout the week. Not only while mounted, but also in the form of manners and overall demeanor around the competition grounds and at the organized functions. The panel of judges who voted on the winners included the Ground Juries of each discipline, the veterinarians, technical delegates, FEI stewards, appeals committee and the NAJYRC OC.

Kaylor was esteemed to be given this award. She noted, “This week has been an incredible experience. I’m so grateful to represent the U.S. in Para-Dressage at the NAJYRC. This is a huge milestone for Para-Dressage. Donnewind and I could not be more honored to be a part of it.”

Cambry Kaylor and Marksgaard Donnewind at the NAJYRC 2015. Photo (c)SusanJStickle.com

Although the NAJYRC is a team competition individual Kate Shoemaker from the United States obtained the highest overall score from the three days of dressage tests. Shoemaker commented, “I’m honored to be taking part in the first Para-Equestrian competition at NAJYRC. I hope this event opens the door to many junior and young para-equestrian riders across North America.”

Hope Hand, President of the USPEA and a former Paralympian, was there every step of the

Kate Shoemaker and Pacifec M at the NAJYRC 2015. Photo (c)SusanJStickle.com

way not only during the competition but before this event was even named. “I am so proud of our Team,” smiled Hand. “It has been 10 years in the making. Jonathan Wentz and Sydney Collier stepped up the process with their freestyle demonstration four years ago at the Kentucky Horse Park. We have so many people to thank that believed in the Para-Dressage Discipline and we were so honored to represent our country at this prestigious event. Show manager Lloyd Landkammer and Howard Simpson blazed the trail for us years back and opened the doors of opportunity for Para-Dressage. We were welcomed by competitors and drew a large fan club in our short stay. The Para-Dressage riders look forward towards the future and many more competitions.”

Hand continued, “Our thanks to show management, our Chef Kai Handt, our Team Coach Wes Dunham, the Canadian Team for giving us a good challenge, and the trainers, stewards, the ground jury, classifiers and the hundreds of volunteers including our own, Ellie Brimmer for making the inaugural Para Dressage NAJYRC a great success. I also want to thank Adequan, Mark Coley, USEF, USET Foundation, Hugh Kincannon, and our Discipline Director Laureen Johnson.”

The U.S. Para-Equestrian Dressage riders’ next competition is the 2015 Katy CPEDI3* October 27-29, followed by the 2015 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championship held October 29 – November 1, 2015, in Katy, Texas.

Results:

NAJYRC July 16, 2015 Team Test, July 18, 2015 Individual Test,  July 19, 2015 Freestyle Test competition at the Kentucky Horse Park

USA

Name (Grade), horse, Team Test,s Individual Test, Freestyle

Kate Shoemaker (Grade III) and Pacifec M, 66.02,68.079, 71.7
Cambry Kaylor (Grade Ib) and  Markgaards Donnewind 62.65, 61.509, 70.75
Sydney Collier (Grade Ib) and Wentworth 67.65,67.112, 66.1

CAN

Name (Grade), horse, Team Test, Individual Test

Sara Cummings (Grade II) and West Bay 61.397,61.464, 63.35
Nel Godin-Keating (Grade Ia) and Mr. Itchy 63.315, 61.902, 62.400
Madison Lawson (Grade IV) and Lawrence 66.815, 65.298, 71.4

Team Overall Competition Scores

USA Total Score= 393.02
CAN Total Score= 380.191

Yann Candele of Caledon, ON, and Showgirl, owned by the Watermark Group. Photo © Cealy Tetley - www.tetleyphoto.com Tiffany Foster of North Vancouver, BC, and Tripple X III, owned by Artisan Farms LLC. Photo © Cealy Tetley – www.tetleyphoto.com Eric Lamaze’s mount, Coco Bongo, owned by Artisan Farms LLC, presented by groom Bo Vaanholt. Photo © Cealy Tetley – www.tetleyphoto.com Ian Millar of Perth, ON, and Dixson, owned by Susan and Ariel Grange. Photo © Cealy Tetley – www.tetleyphoto.com Team alternate Elizabeth Gingras of Edmonton, AB, and Zilversprings, owned by B Gingras Equestrian Limited. Photo © Cealy Tetley – www.tetleyphoto.com

Caledon, Ontario – Yann Candele of Caledon, ON, Tiffany Foster of North Vancouver, BC, Ian Millar of Perth, ON, and Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, ON, form the Canadian Show Jumping Team that will compete at the TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games. Show jumping competition will be held July 21, 23 and 25 at the OLG Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park in Caledon, ON.

At the horse inspection held Sunday morning, July 19, all four Canadian Show Jumping Team horses were accepted. Team alternate, Elizabeth Gingras, 33, of Edmonton, AB, also presented her mount, Zilversprings, an 11-year-old grey Dutch Warmblood gelding (Silverstone x Emilion) owned by B Gingras Equestrian Limited, in the event she is needed.

Local athlete Candele, 44, will ride Showgirl, a 15-year-old chestnut selle francais mare (Gold de Becourt x Elf III) owned by the Watermark Group. Candele is making his Pan American Games debut.

In her Pan American Games debut, Foster, 30, will compete with Tripple X III, a 13-year-old dark bay Anglo European stallion (Namelus R x Cantango) owned by Andy and Carlene Ziegler’s Artisan Farms LLC.

With three nominated horses to choose from, 2008 Olympic Champion Lamaze selected Coco Bongo, a 10-year-old bay Rheinlander stallion (Caretino x Calido) also owned by Artisan Farms LLC, as his mount for these Games. With team silver and bronze and individual bronze medals already to his credit, Lamaze, 47, will be making his fifth consecutive Pan Am Games appearance.

It is Millar, however, who comes into the TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games as the most decorated member of the Canadian Show Jumping Team in Pan Am competition. Millar was the individual gold medalist in 1987 (Indiana, USA) riding the legendary Big Ben, and again in 1999 (Winnipeg, Canada) with Ivar. He was also the individual bronze medalist in 1979 (San Juan, PUR) riding Brother Sam, and has earned a total of six team medals in nine Pan American Games appearances.

In his record tenth Pan American Games appearance, Millar, 68, will ride Dixson, a 12-year-old bay Belgian Warmblood gelding (Vigo d’Arsouilles x Olisco) owned by Susan and Ariel Grange.

“We have come to Toronto with two goals in mind; to win some medals and to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games,” said Canadian Show Jumping Team chef d’equipe Mark Laskin of Langley, BC. “With the riders and horses we brought, I am confident that we can achieve both goals. It’s exciting for us to compete for a major championship in front of our home crowd. I hope we can make them proud.”

Show jumping events open with the first individual qualifier on Tuesday, July 21, followed by the two-round team competition to determine team medals on Thursday, July 23. The two-round final to decide individual medals takes place on Saturday, July 25.

The top two countries in the final team standings, excluding those already qualified, will earn a berth for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, BRA. As the host nation, Brazil is pre-qualified, as is the United States, based on its bronze medal performance at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

For more information on equestrian events at the Pan American Games, please visitwww.toronto2015.org.

Hickstead (GBR), 19 July 2015

Photo caption: Team Denmark won the sixth and last leg of the FEI Nations Cup™ Dressage 2015 pilot series staged at Hickstead, Great Britain. (L to R) Sune Hansen, Sidsel Johansen and Anders Dahl. (FEI/Jon Stroud)

Danes make it a back-to-back double at Hickstead

By Louise Parkes

Team Denmark came out on top by a narrow margin at the sixth and last leg of the FEI Nations Cup™ Dressage 2015 pilot series staged at Hickstead, Great Britain today. It was their second successive victory at the British venue, and once again they pinned the host nation into runner-up spot, while Sweden filled third place ahead of South Africa in fourth.

The competition included results from Friday’s Grand Prix, Saturday’s Grand Prix Special and today’s Grand Prix Freestyle. And there was plenty of pressure on the eventual winners as, similarly to last year, the Danes fielded a team of just three horse-and-rider combinations.

With all six legs of the FEI Nations Cup™ Dressage 2015 pilot series now concluded, the provisional results show Germany as the new champions followed by both Sweden and The Netherlands in joint-runner-up spot.

Plenty of interest

The presence of British Dressage superstar, Carl Hester, in Friday’s Grand Prix ensured plenty of extra home interest. And the 48-year-old rider didn’t disappoint when topping the line-up with a score of 73.160 with Wanadoo on the horse’s Grand Prix debut. However they were not part of the British team, so when Anders Dahl and Wie-Atlantico de Ymas slotted into second with 70.700, ahead of fellow-Dane Sidsel Johansen and Alibi D in third with 69.540, then Danish chances were looking very good indeed.

Best of the British team was Alice Ruth Oppenheimer who filled fourth with Headmore Delegate while team-mates Henriette Andersen (Warlocks Charm) and Hayley Watson-Greaves (Rubins Nite) slotted into sixth and eighth, and although Denmark’s Sune Hansen finished down the order in 12th-place with Charmeur, it was clear after the first day that it would be another tough battle between these two strong sides.

Final result

Johansen was the sole Danish representative in Saturday’s Grand Prix Special so, despite her victory, Denmark lay last of the four nations going into today’s Freestyle which would decide the final result.

Last into the arena this afternoon, Hester once again scooped the individual honours but Dhal’s 74.850 was only two marks in arrears for runner-up spot and that was enough to swing the pendulum dramatically in Denmark’s favour when Sune Hansen’s 70.650 was added as she slotted into eighth place.

Sweden’s Malin Halmilton (Fleetwood) and Ebba von Essen (Yantuge) finished third and fifth while Britain’ Watson-Greaves and Andersen claimed fourth and sixth places, and the final scoreline showed just a marginal advantage for the winning side. Denmark topped the leaderboard with 140.683 ahead of Great Britain with 139.563 while Sweden’s finishing score was 138.932 and South Africa racked up 131.968. The South African side consisted of Katherine Berning (Brisbane), Chere Burger (Adel Prag Anders), Denise Hallion (Wer Vel Wind) and Tanya Seymour (Ramoneur 6).

Winning side

Anders Dahl was the only member of today’s Danish team who was also on the 2014 winning side, and once again his contribution was critical. “Last year was the first time we had a team in the Nations Cup here at Hickstead and we won – it’s great to win it two years running!” said the 39-year-old who is married to British Dressage rider Fiona Bigwood and lives just a short distance from the Hickstead showgrounds.

“I thought from the start we had a chance, we had good horses and riders and Sidsel (Johansen) went really well all week, winning the Special and third in the Grand Prix. I was also super-happy with Atlantico who was second in the Grand Prix behind Carl, and again today in the Freestyle. This is one of the biggest achievements of his career but we’ve enjoyed a great year in 2015 – he was great in Doha where we finished third behind Patrik Kittel and Carl”, he pointed out.

Talking about the concept of Nations Cup Dressage he continued, “competing as part of a team is special because it brings people a lot closer together and presents another dimension to the sport. When I was in the arena today I knew if I did well and could come as close as possible to first place that our team was in with a big chance. When you’re actually riding it’s just you and your horse, but before you go in you know what needs to be done and this weekend we had all the pressure because there were only three of us on the team again – and we did it!”, he said.

For further information on the FEI Nations Cup™ Dressage 2015 leg at Hickstead, Great Britain check out website www.dressageathickstead.com or contact Press Officer Miles Patience, Email miles.patience@palmersport.com, Tel +44 7967 008950.

Result:

1.    Denmark 140.583: Wie-Atlantico de Ymas (Anders Dahl) 145.500, Charmeur (Sune Hansen) 136.430, Alibi D (Sidsel Johansen) 140.069.

2.    Great Britain 139.563: Warlocks Charm (Henriette Andersen) 139.855, Headmore Delegate (Alice Ruth Oppenheimer) 138.895, Rubins Nite (Hayley Watson-Greaves) 139.940, Numberto (Spencer Wilton) 126.106.

3.    Sweden 131.968: Don Corleone (Johanne Due Boje) 128.238, Fleetwood (Malin Hamilton) 141.275, Yantuge (Ebba van Essen) 140.065, Ferdi (Maria von Essen) 135.456.

4.    South Africa 131.968: Brisbane (Katherine Berning) 129.858, Adel Prag Anders (Cherie Burger) 129.709, Wer Vel Wind (Denise Hallion) 130.705, Ramoneur (Tanya Seymour) 135.340.

Full results here

Facts and Figures:

Hickstead in Great Britain presented the sixth and final leg of the FEI Nations Cup™ Dressage 2015 pilot series.

The competition included results from the Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special and Freestyle.

4 nations competed in this final leg – Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden and South Africa – and Team Denmark came out on top ahead of the host nation, with Sweden finishing third and South Africa in fourth place.

The highest score in today’s deciding Freestyle was 76.975 produced by Great Britain’s Carl Hester and Wanadoo who were not members of the British team.

Denmark’s Anders Dahl finished second on 74.850 with Fleetwood to help secure his country’s victory.

Today’s Ground Jury consisted of At E: Marietta Almasy FRA: At H: Alain Franqueville FRA; At C: Eddy de Wolff van Westerrode NED: At M, Juan Campos Escriban ESP: At B, Jo Graham GBR.

The provisional results for the FEI Nations Cup™ Dressage 2015 pilot series show Germany taking the title ahead of The Netherlands and Denmark in joint-second place.

July 13, 2015 – The Dressage Foundation has announced that Adult Amateur Jacquelin McIntyre (CO) and Young Rider Saxon Marvin (KY) are recipients of TDF’s 2015 Heldenberg Training Center Fund grants.  Jacquelin and Saxon will each receive $2,000 to attend the Spanish Riding School’s Training Center in Heldenberg, Austria.

Ralph and Freddie Dreitzler established the Heldenberg Training Center Fund in memory of E.L. Dreitzler, in conjunction with Andreas Hausberger, Chief Rider at the Spanish Riding School and Director of the Training Center in Heldenberg.  The purpose of the fund is to provide financial assistance to North American, non-professional riders to participate in educational sessions and training in Heldenberg.

Jacquelin and Saxon plan to attend a 5-day Theoretical Course at Heldenberg, which will include instruction about the proper seat, correct aids, lunge work, training stages of the horse and rider, and the history of the Spanish Riding School.

“Thank you to the Dressage Foundation for selecting me for the Heldenberg Training Center Fund grant,” said Jacquelin.  “The Spanish Riding School is such an impressive place of classical dressage, I only thought I’d get there in my dreams.  When I come back from the HeIdenberg Training Center, I hope to inspire others in the art of classical dressage with what I have learned.  I am very excited to be able to make the trip with the aid of the grant.”

Saxon said, “Dressage is my passion, and therefore the opportunity to catch even a glimpse of true classical dressage means the world to me.  Attending educational sessions at the Spanish Riding School will give me the opportunity to gain priceless knowledge about classical dressage that I can use in my own riding career and share with the dressage community. I cannot express how overwhelmed with gratitude I am.”

“It is our hope that many people will benefit from this scholarship opportunity and the wonderful training opportunity that is being presented by the SRS with opening its doors to outside students to study with the Riders of the SRS,” said Ralph Dreitzler.  “We also welcome any donations that are made to further advance this scholarship program from other dressage enthusiasts.”

For application and donation information for the Heldenberg Training Center Fund in Memory of E.L. Dreitzler, visit The Dressage Foundation’s website, www.dressagefoundation.org, or call Jenny Johnson at (402) 434-8585.

The Dressage Foundation

The Dressage Foundation is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, tax-exempt, donor-driven organization that is dedicated to supporting and advancing the sport of dressage.  The organization solicits contributions, appropriately allocates the donations, and awards grants and scholarships to dressage riders of all ages and levels.  For more information, please visit www.dressagefoundation.org.