Wellington, FL (April 17, 2015)— After twelve weeks of top-notch competition at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, the world’s richest dressage circuit ended with continued success from the Piaffe Performance Farm team. It’s no surprise to Dr. Cesar Parra, founder and owner of Piaffe Performance, that his team would continue to score in the ribbons until the very end. Parra dedicates himself to training both horses and riders at Piaffe Performance.

Parra himself brought in the wins throughout the season. During the circuit’s last week, he rode Van the Man, a 2002 Dutch Warmblood sired by Obelisk, in the extremely competitive FEI Grand Prix and FEI Grand Prix Freestyle in the CDI-W. They finished the weekend with a 72.275 percent. Parra also successfully competed Blickpunkt 4, a 10-year-old 16.2-hand dark chestnut Westphalian gelding, owned by Eduardo Fischer, in the show’s final CDI-W small tour.

Barbara (Bebe) Davis, who enjoyed a successful season as part of team Piaffe Performance, lived up to expectations through Week 12. She rode her family’s horse, Rotano (Rotspon x Bona Dea, by Brentano II) to win her FEI Freestyle Test for Juniors. Davis and the 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding also achieved two second places throughout the week.

Kathryn (Katt) Mills commuted to Florida from Pennsylvania during the winter season and rode Fabiano at Third Level. Successful throughout the circuit, she received two blues and a red in the final week. Mills’s German-bred Fabiano (Florencio I x Estocha, by Ehrentusch) is a bay Westphalian gelding bred by Sigrid Farwick.

When not earning top scores in the show ring, Parra was on the show grounds brightening the days of the Adult Amateur community. Parra is strongly dedicated to giving back to dressage, especially to the Adult Amateurs who he calls the “backbone of the sport.” He sponsored the Piaffe Performance Adult Amateur Awards throughout the season; choosing a deserving competitor to receive the recognition each week of the circuit. Award winners were thankful to Piaffe Performance for supporting amateurs and encouraging them to continue competing and improving.

As a sponsor of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, Piaffe Performance also sponsored two Hospitality Booths near a bit check station and warm-up ring during Week 12. Riders enjoyed the chance Piaffe Performance provided to grab some cold water bottles and rest in the shade during the heated competition in the Sunshine State.

When not in Florida, Parra operates Piaffe Performance out of Whitehouse Station, NJ. The Piaffe Performance team achieved a rainbow of ribbons the past 12 weeks— with emphasis on the blue— while also making the entire show a positive experience for all through the Piaffe Performance Adult Amateur Achievement Awards and Adequan Global Dressage Festival sponsorship.

Parra is always open to new dressage riders becoming a part of his winning team. To learn more about Piaffe Performance training, lessons, and sales services, visit www.piaffe-performance.com.

Photo: Dr. Cesar Parra of Piaffe Performance competes on Van the Man

• ARTHUR KOTTAS Classical Dressage and In-Hand Clinic
  July 10 – 12, 2015 @ 9:00 AM ~ 5:00 PM

  Arthur Kottas will be joining us for a 3 day clinic with In-hand training and under saddle work as well. His method is irrefutable. This is our 4th clinic and he is the most popular clinician GDCTA has ever offered.

  As former Director of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria for 30 years, he is the foremost authority on Classical Dressage. His methods are proven and his mastery is obvious in every way. Horses respond to him like no other. He is a joy to watch and learn from. Auditing is $50/day and $25/half day. Auditing includes continental breakfast and lunch on the full day. To apply to ride, please send an email to julie@shannondale.com with a short bio of you and your horse.

  $325/ride; $50/day audit (bfast-lunch incld), $25/half day. GDCTA members have first choice on rides. Non-members add $50/ride and $10/audit fee.

  We will have Arthur’s books for sale and he will sign them at the lunch break. $40 each payable to GDCTA.

  Training-Grand Prix represented each day.  In-Hand work varies with horse/rider combination during the 3 days.

• ANN GRIBBONS DRESSAGE CLINIC
  May 16 – 17, 2015 @ 8:30AM ~ 5:00 PM

  ANN GRIBBONS is a PAN-AM Silver Medalist, former Chef D’Equipe of the US Dressage Team,and the trainer of many of the USA’s most notable horses as well as riders at the highest levels of Dressage. “Plain spoken, down-to-earth, with a good sense of humor” is how I would describe Ann’s style of teaching. She has been around US Dressage since 1969 when the US was just learning to be competitive in international dressage. She has been influential in the development of dressage in the US and I am sure our team would not be where it is today without her years of influence and contribution.

  Any GDCTA member interested in riding,please send short bio of horse and rider to julie@shannondale.com All levels welcome.

  Rides $300 each;Auditing $50/day (meals incld) or $25/half day

• DAVID BLAKE YOUNG HORSE Dressage Clinic
  June 6 – 7, 2015 @ 8:30AM ~ 5:00 PM 

  David Blake, origianlly a youth jumper rider in France earned his USDF Dressage Bronze medal by age 16. He has focused on the development of young horses for his entire career and trains in the USDF Young Horse Program. He earned his Silver and Gold medals by 2003. David has training influence from greats such as Harry Boldt, Christine Traurig, Jan Ebling, Janet Brown, Michael Poulin, and Axel Steiner. In most recent years, he trains with and for Stefan Peters continuing to develop US dressage’s future 4-legged talent.

  GDCTA and Markel/Lisa Seger Insurance are pleased to host this young horse clinic at our farm for our local Young Horse dressage talent. Horses ages 4-8 may apply. The purpose of this clinic is to encourage properly structured development of young dressage prospects through the training scale. Each horse applying should be able to execute the movements in the Markel/USEF Young Horse Program. FEI 4yr olds= USDF 1st-3, FEI 5yr olds=2nd-3, FEI 6yr olds=3rd-3, FEI 7-8yr olds=PSG

  Rides $200 each, $30/day audit/ $20 half day audit for GDCTA members. (Non-members add $10 for audit $50 for rides)

Las Vegas (USA), 16 April 2015

Photo Caption: Defending champions, Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro, lived up to expectations when winning the Grand Prix on the opening day of the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage 2014/2015 Final at the Thomas & Mack Centre in Las Vegas, USA. (FEI/Dirk Caremans)

Great Britain’s Dujardin shines, and Peters springs a nice American surprise

by Louise Parkes

Defending champions, Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro, lived up to expectations when winning the Grand Prix on the opening day of the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage 2014/2015 Final at the Thomas & Mack Centre in Las Vegas, USA today. The reigning Olympic, World and European title-holders produced a brilliant test to finish over six marks ahead of The Netherlands’ Edward Gal and Glock’s Undercover, but the big hero of the day was America’s Steffen Peters who lined up third with Legolas just over two marks further adrift.

The home crowd were naturally hoping for strong performances from their two contenders, and, fourth to go, Laura Graves and Verdades were hotly-tipped to give the leaders a run for their money. But it was 50-year-old Peters, winner the last time the FEI World Cup™ Finals visited Las Vegas in 2009, who once again lifted American spirits with a master-class of superb horsemanship.

Tested concentration and nerve

The arena itself is a challenge at the Thomas & Mack Centre, providing only just enough space to fit the dressage boards inside, and the proximity to the crowd tested concentration and nerve. Graves‘ 13-year-old gelding, who has been on fire on the outdoor Florida circuit over the last few months, found it intimidating as her rider pointed out after posting a score of 74.314. “He was at 80% in the warm-up, but he was nervous going in (to the arena) and he was really hot down the first centreline. Luckily we have that extension to get out some of it, but then it just turned into some of our turns – he would get something in his eye, a flash or whatnot – and he just backed-up a little. But he was really obedient, he really tried to be brave, so I couldn’t ask for any more” she explained.

One contender whose nerves definitely didn’t show was the oldest horse in the competition, the 18-year-old Painted Black who was previously ridden by nine-time FEI World Cup™ Dressage champion Anky van Grunsven from The Netherlands, and who is continuing to thrive for new partner, Morgan Barbancon Mestre. The 23-year-old Spaniard produced an extraordinary test, with the stallion apparently on springs through lovely passage and piaffe and giving it his all through extended trot for a score of 73.786.

Whole new level

But once Dujardin and Valegro set sail the bar was raised to a whole new level. The British rider had been concerned about her multiple-record-breaking gelding who she said had been “a bit flat” over the last few days. But when the lights went on the curtain came up he turned into the showman the world has come to know and love. Pounding out his trademark passage and piaffe, strutting his stuff through extravagant extended trot, and producing the most exquisite of pirouettes he soared to the top of the leaderboard with a mark of 85.414, and none of the rest would come near that.

Germany’s Isabell Werth has competed in 14 FEI World Cup™ Dressage Finals and the double-champion can always be relied upon to be competitive, but with a mark of 72.843 with El Santo she had to settle for eighth place today. The main challenge came from the final three, Peters demonstrating his craft by coaxing some wonderful work from the 13-year-old Legolas whose trot-tour was copybook. Posting 76.843 the American was in runner-up spot before Edward Gal and Glock’s Undercover set off.

No-one knew what to expect of this edgy black gelding in this electrifying environment, and he broke into canter in the movement requiring walk to passage. But the quality of the rest of his test was good enough for a mark of 79.057, and once Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Unee BB made some mistakes including fluffing their two-tempis, then  they had to settle for fourth place ahead of Graves in fifth and Barbancon Mestre in sixth.

Bounced back

Dujardin was delighted that Valegro bounced back today. “He had a massive journey and it hit him as well as the temperature change, but I got on him today and he was all ready to go. I think he just knew what he had to do and that’s what I mean – he just never lets me down!” she said.

Peters was on a high, because he knew his third-place result was unexpected. “It’s a big surprise to a lot of people and myself too!” he said. He competed Legolas in Florida in January “and it didn’t go so well”. The horse had a break following last year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Normandy, and had only just come back to work. His poor result was a shock. “We got barely 70%, so I knew if we wanted to qualify for Las Vegas we needed to change things drastically” Peters explained, and it seems he left nothing to chance. “He’s had lots of outings and we even went to an event three hours north where there were about 100 people and a lot of noise and atmosphere. We recorded cheering and music, and put it on a five-minute sound-file and played it over the audio system. We prepared a lot, and I’m thrilled because it has worked out beautifully!” he said, and no-one could argue with that.

Strain

Gal said that the trip from Europe was difficult for horses, and not being able to ride for three days while they were in quarantine was also a strain. “But he felt actually quite ok” he said of Glock’s Undercover.. “He was good in training, but today in the walk to passage we made a mistake. Sometimes I find the tension flows away and then comes back up again when I’m riding him, but he did good. A year ago I couldn’t have done what we did today” he said, knowing that his horse is still improving, even at 14 years of age.

With everyone scoring well over the required 60%, all 18 now go through to the Freestyle which will decide the new champion, and with Dujardin and Valegro in sparkling form it seems a back-to-back double is very much on the cards for the wonder-horse and his super-talented rider. But Laura Graves hasn’t given up hope of making a big impression when the Freestyle gets underway at 12 noon on Saturday.

The American who rocketed to centre stage with a fifth-place individual finish in Normandy last summer said this afternoon, “that’s where we’re going to pull out the big guns hopefully! Now having this one (the Grand Prix) under out belt, we’ll have a little school tomorrow, and I know my horse will be more confident on Saturday and then we’ll push the envelope!”

For further information on the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage 2014/2015 Final in Las Vegas, USA from 15 to 19 April, visit www.worldcuplasvegas.com or contact Press Officer Marty Baumann, marty@classic-communications.com, +1 508 698 6810.

Result: 1, Valegro (Charlotte Dujardin) GBR 85.414; 2, Glock’s Undercover NOP (Edward Gal) NED 79.057; 3, Legolas (Steffen Peters) USA 76.843; 4, Unee BB (Jessica von Bredow-Werndl) GER 74.843; 5, Verdades (Laura Graves) USA 74.314; 6, Painted Black (Morgan Barbancon Mestres) ESP 73.786; 7, Glock’s Flirt (Hans Peter Minderhoud) NED 73.657; 8, El Santo NRW (Isabell Werth) GER 72.843; 9, Di Lapponia T (Paulinda Friberg) SWE 72.686; 10, Mister X (Inessa Merkulova) RUS 71.343.

Full result here

Facts and Figures:

Olympic, World, European and reigning Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage champions, Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin and the gelding Valegro, won the Grand Prix at the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage 2014/2015 Final at the Thomas & Mack Arena in Las Vegas, USA today.

There were four former FEI World Cup™ Dressage winning riders amongst the start-list of 18, and three of them claimed the podium placings, 2010 champion, The Netherlands’ Edward Gal, finishing second with Glock’s Undercover and the USA’s Steffen Peters, who topped the podium in Las Vegas in 2009, standing third.

The Grand Prix decides the starting order for Saturday’s Freestyle which will decide the fate of the 2015 Reem Acra title.

Interviews:

Charlotte Dujardin

Edward Gal

Steffen Peters

Laura Graves

FEI YouTube: https://youtu.be/bz3qwSNiJ-4

USEF Communications Department

Las Vegas, Nev. – Returning to the U.S. for the first time in six years, the FEI World Cup Finals will take over Las Vegas, Nev., this week, hosting many of the finest jumping and dressage athletes from around the world. The U.S. will be represented by an impressive line-up of athlete-and-horse combinations, including three former champions and four athletes currently ranked within the top ten in the world. Taking place April 16-19 at the Thomas and Mack Center, competition will include the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final and Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final.

U.S. Media Guide

Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final
Forty-one of the world’s top jumping athletes will contest three legs of competition over four days to determine the ultimate victor. The field will include world number one and defending champion Daniel Deusser of Germany and his 2014 winning partner Cornet D’Amour. Set to vie for the title is a talented U.S. contingent which includes multiple combinations capable of landing on the podium. Along with seasoned veterans, the competition will also feature U.S. combinations fresh to the world stage, providing them with valuable preparation for upcoming international events as the U.S. look towards the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“There is a great tradition here in Las Vegas, it’s the sixth time the World Cup Finals have been held here and we have a very talented home squad representing the U.S.,” said Robert Ridland, U.S. Jumping Chef d’Equipe. “We have the winners from two of the last three years [Rich Fellers and Beezie Madden], and McLain Ward who had a memorable run here in 2009 in what was one of the most exciting World Cup Finals ever. There’s a lot of excitement not only with the athletes, but also with the fans. We know there are going to be tremendous crowds and it’s our opportunity to do something great in a marquee event.”

U.S. Jumping Athletes
Qualifying out of the North American East Coast League, the seven U.S. athletes are a mix of a former Final champion, steely veterans and newcomers to the international scene. Topping the North American East Coast League standings is Todd Minikus, who will bring Two Swans Farm’s Babalou 41. Though still young, the mare has made quite a name for herself, going double-clear in the FEI Nations Cup presented by Kingsland Equestrian at CSIO4* Wellington to help the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team to a Gold medal in February. That same week the pair won the CSIO4* Grand Prix presented by Lugano Diamonds.

Laura Kraut returns to FEI World Cup Final competition after a nine year hiatus. In that time Kraut has earned a Team Silver at the 2006 Aachen FEI World Equestrian Games and a Team Gold at the 2008 Olympic Games. Kraut will ride the Evita Group’s Nouvelle.

The 2013 Final champions, Beezie Madden and Abigail Wexner’s Simon, look to repeat their winning performance this year. Currently ranked seventh in the world, Madden has spent the winter competing in Florida. In February, Madden and Simon aided the United States to a Silver medal finish at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup presented by Edge Brewing Barcelona at CSIO4* Ocala.

Jack Hardin Towell will make his first FEI World Cup Final appearance aboard Jennifer Gates, LLC’s Lucifer V. Kristen Coe, who punched her ticket to the Final with a third-place finish in the Live Oak International CSI2*-W Grand Prix, will ride Ilan Ferder, Lovsta Stuteri, and Tal Milstein’s Baronez  and Lovsta Stuteri’s Czardas 30.

A veteran of 15 FEI World Cup Finals, McLain Ward, currently ranked fourth in the world, brings two experienced mounts to the Finals this year with Double H Farm’s HH Carlos Z and Sagamore Farm’s Rothchild. Ward and HH Carlos Z took home multiple wins on the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival circuit, including most recently in the Rolex Grand Prix CSI5*. Coming off a Team Bronze medal win at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, Ward and Rothchild went on to win the Hickstead FEI World Cup Grand Prix at the Royal Winter Fair Horse Show in Toronto, Canada.

Rounding out the East Coast athletes is Katie Dinan, competing in her third consecutive Final. Dinan brings her newest partner, Grant Road Partners, LLC’s Stakorado.

Leading off the North American West Coast League is Rich Fellers and Harry and Mollie Chapman’s Flexible, who return for their seventh Final competition. In addition to their remarkable win at the Final in 2012, they are the only U.S. athlete-and-horse combination to have competed when the Final last landed on home soil in 2009.

Additionally from the West Coast will be Karl Cook and Signe Otsby’s Jonkheer Z, making his second Finals appearance, and first time competitor Vinton Karrasch aboard Coral Reef Ranch’s Coral Reef Baloufino and Coral Reef Follow Me II.

Qualifying out of the Western European League, Lucy Davis and Old Oak Farm’s Barron have had a wealth of success on both sides of the Atlantic over the last year. In September of 2014 the pair were members of the Bronze medal winning Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, and in November they were second in the World Cup Qualifier at CSI5* Stuttgart. Back home in early 2015 Davis and Barron won the World Cup Qualifier at the CSI2* Thermal and the following week topped the Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 7.

Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final
The two leading U.S. combinations will be joined this week by 16 of the best athlete-and-horse combinations from ten nations as they go head-to-head in two tests taking place over three days, with the winner of Saturday’s Grand Prix Freestyle crowned as the 2015 champion. The Dressage Final is set to be an intriguing contest as reigning world number one, Olympic and World Championship Gold medalists and defending Final champions, Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro will start as clear favorites. With both talent and poise on their sides, the U.S. duo of Steffen Peters and Laura Graves will be in contention for a coveted podium finish.

“We are thrilled that the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Finals are back in U.S. and in this exciting town once again,” said Robert Dover, U.S. Dressage Chef d’Equipe/Technical Advisor. “I am very excited to see our athletes compete this week in what will be super competition. Both Laura Graves and Verdades and Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 have been great in the qualifiers leading up to Finals and both can achieve strong and excellent results for America.”

U.S. Dressage athletes
The last time Peters went down centerline at a FEI World Cup Final it was at this very venue in 2009 where he was the ultimate victor. The U.S. has not stood atop the World Cup Dressage Final podium since then and Peters will be in the hunt for a second title with Four Wind Farm’s Legolas 92. An Olympic and World Championship medalist, Peters enters this week as one of the most decorated dressage athletes in U.S. history. With Legolas 92, Peters swept all tests in the 2014/2015 FEI World Cup Qualifying competitions on the West Coast.

Laura Graves has quickly established herself as a dominate international competitor, having only made her Big Tour debut in 2014 with her own Verdades. The pair, who have been together since the gelding was a yearling, have continued to develop their performance over the last year. In their first Grand Prix National Championship in June, Graves and Verdades rose to the occasion, taking Reserve Champion honors (second only to Peters and Legolas 92). They went on to represent the U.S. at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in September where they surprised the world in their first international championship for the United States. The pair helped the U.S. to an impressive fourth place finish and placed eighth in the Grand Prix Special and fifth in the Grand Prix Freestyle. Since then the pair has finished no less than second in CDI competition, winning both classes at the World Cup Qualifier during week 10 of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival and anchoring the U.S. Team at the CDIO3* Wellington where they also won Individual Gold.

For complete coverage of the FEI World Cup Finals including news and exclusive behind the scenes photos and videos, follow USEF Dressage and Jumping on the USEF Network.

The Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final and the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final can be seen live at any of the following websites: feitv.org, fei.org, worldcuplasvegas.com. There is a fee for these webcasts.