Wellington, FL (February 17, 2015)– Meticulous in the ring, Germany’s Michael Klimke and his steed Djamba Djokiba turned heads with their exceptional rides during week five of the Adaquan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida. Klimke especially stood out to EquiSafe, the premier fencing company of Europe. The company rewarded Klimke’s talents with the EquiSafe International Dressage Achievement Award.

EquiSafe developed its International Dressage Achievement Award to recognize riders from countries outside the U.S. who demonstrate exceptional horsemanship and have successful, high-scoring rides. The award is part of EquiSafe’s sponsorship of the 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival and is presented to a different international rider every week of the festival.

Klimke is in Wellington, Florida for the winter show season, and seems to be flourishing in the CDI circuit. “I won my first CDI of the season, and had good placings in the other ones,” said Klimke. His ride with Djamba Djokiba in the FEI Intermediate I during week five of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival earned Klimke an impressive score of 72.316 percent. Although the German native has been competing in the Small Tour, he plans to bring one of his horses out in the Large Tour in March.

During the show series’ week five, Klimke rode his Westphalian geldings Djamba Djokiba and Frascati 72 in both the FEI Intermediate I and the FEI Prix St. Georges. Klimke purchased both of the horses at a young age, and is excited to watch them grow throughout their careers. “It’s fun to bring up very young horses up to the FEI level,” said Klimke, “I have a lot of fun with these two.” Klimke is optimistic about his horses’ abilities, and with their past record, it’s with good reason. “We’ll see how it goes today. Every day’s different,” said Klimke before entering the ring. “Some things you can’t train at home, so I’m very excited to show them and hope they do well— which most of the time they do.”

As “The Official Fence of the Global Dressage Festival”, EquiSafe is hoping to expand awareness of its fencing from an already strong following in Europe to American riders and horse owners. The sleek, polished fencing can be seen encompassing the Van Kampen covered arena on the Adequan Global Dressage Festival show grounds. “The United States is the absolute best horse market in the world, and we are very proud to introduce our product here,” said EquiSafe’s United States representative Tommy Hallander.

EquiSafe is dedicated to providing safety to horses, while also incorporating an elegant, attractive look into the fencing design. Recently recognized with the MTP Gold Medal at the Poznań International Fair in Poland for their three rail electric fencing system, EquiSafe continues to hold the position of the top fencing choice for paddocks and racetracks.

EquiSafe fences are made from high-density polyethylene, a durable material that has shape memory to limit deformities. The fencing also features a revolutionary LED lighting system that is powered by a conductor system patented by EquiSafe. The conductor system is hidden in the cross bar of the fence to maintain an attractive fencing unit without any added bulk. For additional information call EquiSafe at 561-225-4998 or email at info@EquiSafeUS.com.

Photo: Michael Klimke of Germany wins the EquiSafe International Dressage Achievement Award at the 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival

C. Mike Tomlinson Joins International Foundation Board

Chagrin Falls, OH, February 17, 2015 – Horses and Human Research Foundation (HHRF) welcomes C. Mike Tomlinson to the Board of Directors. Dr. Tomlinson, an avid horseperson, holds degrees as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and a Masters of Business Administration. He is CEO, COO and/or Board Member of several multinational corporations. He has been extremely involved in para equestrian sports since 2000, including helping found the US Para Equestrian Association in 2010. Dr. Tomlinson is very active with the American Association of Equine Practitioners and in sport governance. He has served on the United States Equestrian Federation board for 12 years and has been Team Vet for both U.S. Equestrian teams and Fédération Equestre Internationale teams.

Dr Tomlinson said he is especially excited to serve on the HHRF board because “While we already know in our hearts the benefits of the partnership with horses, HHRF provides the research to scientifically prove these benefits.”

Through investment in rigorous research, Horses and Humans Research Foundation serves as a catalyst to advance knowledge of horses and their potential to impact the health and wellness of people. The foundation’s goal is to promote research that will 1) Benefit special program participants by improving equine assisted activity best practices; 2) Educate the public, including professional affiliates, regarding the value and benefits of horses and equine assisted activities.

HHRF research grant awards are made possible by generous contributions of foundations, individuals and businesses. To view research findings, awarded projects and learn more about this 501(c)3 organization, including how to contribute, visit www.horsesandhumans.org.

Lausanne (SUI), 17 February 2015

The FEI has announced the long list from which the members of the Ground Jury officiating at the Rio 2016 Olympic Dressage events will be drawn.

The 12 highly experienced 5* judges that make up the long list are Maribel Alonso (MEX), Susanne Baarup (DEN), Stephen Clarke (GBR), Annette Fransen-Iacobaeus (SWE), Andrew Gardner (GBR), Peter Holler (GER), Isabelle Judet (FRA), Thomas Lang (AUT), Gary Rockwell (USA), Francis Verbeek (NED), Eddy de Wolff van Westerrode (NED), and Katrina Wüst (GER).

Maribel Alonso has now been appointed as President of the Ground Jury. The Jury’s remaining six members and reserves will be determined by a draw conducted at the FEI Headquarters in Lausanne (SUI) under the supervision of the FEI Legal Department.

All judges must be from different nationalities. Each time a jury member is drawn, the remaining candidates that share the same nationality will be automatically eliminated.

The draw will take place one year before the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

U.S. Riders Pursue Las Vegas World Cup Berths During California Dreaming Productions’ Mid-Winter Dressage CDI-W This Weekend in Burbank - Watch Live!

By Yellow Horse Marketing (Jennifer M. Keeler) for California Dreaming Productions

Steffen Peters and Four Winds Farm's Legolas 92 will look to earn valuable World Cup qualifying scores at this weekend's Mid-Winter Dressage CDI in California. Photo: Terri Miller

The Los Angeles Equestrian Center will be “the place to be” this weekend as some of the nation’s best and brightest dressage stars compete at California Dreaming Productions’ Mid-Winter Dressage Fair CDI-W/Y/J/U-25, which runs February 20 – 22 in Burbank, Cal. Following a stellar inaugural year in 2014, the organizing team of California Dreaming Productions (CDP) now looks to continue to change the way riders, trainers, owners and spectators experience the sport of dressage on the West Coast, and their second year is off to a spectacular start with an overflowing field of CDI and national competitors scheduled to compete for coveted prizes and valuable qualifying scores. And back by popular demand, dressage fans from around the world can once again watch all the action from the CDI arena via California Dreaming Productions’ wildly-popular live streaming video service on CDP Live with expert commentary by FEI 5* (ret) judge Axel Steiner – watch live streaming online HERE.

Particularly exciting for the U.S. equestrian community is the spectacular return of the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final to Las Vegas, Nev., which will be held April 15 – 19, 2015 in conjunction with the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final after a six-year absence from North American soil. As one of only two West Coast qualifiers for the World Cup, the Mid-Winter Dressage CDI-W has attracted an impressive field of 16 Grand Prix competitors, including long-time U.S. Team anchor Steffen Peters. Aboard his legendary partner Ravel, Peters found glory in Las Vegas as the 2009 World Cup Champion, and this year he hopes to earn necessary qualifying scores at Mid-Winter with Four Winds Farm’s Legolas 92 for a chance to return to the Thomas & Mack Arena and once again lead the American charge.

Zero Gravity will make his international Grand Prix debut with Olympic veteran Guenter Seidel at the Mid-Winter Dressage CDI. Photo: Terri Miller

But Peters will have to contend with three other Olympic veterans as part of the competitive field, including Hilda Gurney on her trusted partner Wintersnow and Jan Ebeling with the impressive stallion FRH Rassolini, as well as Guenter Seidel who looks forward to debuting Charlotte Mashburn’s rising star KWPN gelding Zero Gravity at Grand Prix at Mid-Winter. After attending this show last year, Seidel became a fan of California Dreaming Productions’ events, which combine High Performance dressage competition with an exciting and refreshing atmosphere, all close to home on the West Coast.

“Last year it was such a nice change for our shows here in California, and having special features like the VIP area where friends and owners could come and be in a nice place to watch the classes, it makes the whole show much more fun and adds to the atmosphere,” said Seidel. “I am really excited to bring Zero Gravity as well as my young small tour horse Rey del Mundo to Burbank. It’s a great way to start the season, and then we plan to go on to both California Dreaming Productions shows in San Juan Capistrano in March.”

Seidel and Rey del Mundo will be part of 25 international competitors who have flocked to the Mid-Winter Dressage CDI Intermediaire division, which serves as an official qualifying competition for next summer’s Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada where a new format of naming mixed teams of large and small tour combinations will be utilized for the first time. With additional riders in the FEI Junior, Young Rider, and Under-25 Grand Prix divisions, the show will play host to a full field of CDI competitors all seeking to catch the eye of a renowned panel of judges including Cara Whitham (5* CAN), Sarah Geikie (4* USA), Jeanne McDonald (4* USA), Magnus Ringmark (4* SWE), and Peter Storr (3* GBR).

But Mid-Winter Dressage is about much more than just CDI competition. Over three days and three arenas, more than 150 exhibitors will compete for fabulous prizes at all levels from green horse and rider to adult amateur Grand Prix. In addition to a fantastic atmosphere and competitor-friendly show experience, Mid-Winter Dressage also offers show competitors a chance to qualify for regional and national programs, including the USEF Festival of Champions, FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships, Markel Young & Developing Horse National Dressage Championships, Markel/Cornerstone Young Talent Search, California Dressage Society Annual Show, and Great American/USDF Regional Championships.

“We had an incredible first year in 2014 for California Dreaming Productions but now we’re even more excited to get going with our second season, which we hope will be even better,” said CDP co-founder Alisa Wilson. “We are passionate about the sport and about what we’re doing with these shows, and we’d like to sincerely thank all of our sponsors and competitors for their support and for believing in a new era for dressage on the West Coast.”

General spectator admission to Mid-Winter Dressage is free, but dressage fans can enjoy the show in ultimate style with VIP reservations, which feature ringside box seating and hospitality as well as a special Saturday brunch. Those unable to attend the show in person can keep up with all the action from the CDI arena via streaming video on CDP Live, which will once again feature the incredibly-popular live commentary by FEI 5* (ret) judge Axel Steiner. Viewers may access the video feed, a broadcast schedule, and daily orders of go via this link:

See the prize list and daily ride times here.

Watch all the action on CDP Live!

About California Dreaming Productions

Formed by a partnership between long-time show organizer Glenda McElroy of Burbank, CA and Grand Prix riders and trainers David and Alisa Wilson of Chino Hills, CA, the goal of California Dreaming Productions (CDP) is to bring a fresh face to international-level dressage competition on the West Coast.

For more information about CDP shows and events, visit our website www.californiadreamingproductions.com or contact Glenda McElroy, glenda@cdpequestrian.com, or David and Alisa Wilson, david@cdpequestrian.com and alisa@cdpequestrian.com.

Emma Brooks

Arka Equipe, suppliers of luxury equestrian attire for horse and rider, are pleased to announce that they have sponsored their first Dressage Ambassador, following a search launched on social media.
Emma Brooks, from Hampshire, joins the Arka Equipe Ambassador Team which already includes event rider Melissa Joannides, and showjumper Georgia Lovett.

Emma is one of the only people in the UK to compete Lusitanos successfully in higher level dressage. Her main horse, Zimbral, is a 10 year old stallion who Emma has owned since he was 4, and they currently compete at Small Tour level and work at Grand Prix level. The duo have trained with Charlotte Dujardin since 2012, and in 2014 Zimbral was selected for the Team GB World Class Equine Pathway Programme, to be considered for the future to represent Team GB at dressage. He is the first Lusitano ever to achieve this, and one of only a handful of horses currently on the programme. Zimbral is also a highly graded Lusitano breeding stallion in the UK, and his first foals are due to hit the ground this Spring.

Emma and Zimbral won their first couple of Small Tour classes, and in 2015 aim to compete at Inter II and Grand Prix. They will attend the Premier League shows this year with the aim of qualification for National Championships and working towards competing internationally. Emma also has a new 3 year old Lusitano stallion, Gavião Dos Olhos, who she is currently training in preparation for his dressage competition debut later this year.

Arka Equipe’s search for a dressage star was launched in August 2014 on Facebook, and received hundreds of applications. Karolina Mikulicz-Church, Managing Director of Arka Equipe, commented, “With so many great applicants, it was extremely hard to narrow down our search. We met some really talented young riders during the process and hope to keep in touch with them all and follow their careers with interest. Eventually we chose Emma as our Ambassador because of her obvious talent and unique horses, plus she really ‘gets’ our brand and is a great representative for us in the dressage world.”

Arka Equipe boasts a stable of top-end brands including Dainese, Dada Sport, Accademia Italiana, Tonino Lamborghini, Hidez, Prestige and Pariani, with new names being carefully and selectively sought.

Click www.arkaequipe.com for more information or images please contact Annabel Goldie-Morrison on 07796170727/ annabel@goldiemorrison.com

Janne Rumbough and Junior receive the ShowChic Turnout Award at the 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival (from left to right: Kastel Denmark’s sponsored rider Lauren Knopp, Charlotte Jorst of Kastel Denmark, Janne Rumbough, Michele Hundt of ShowChic, and Krystalann Shingler of ShowChic)

Wellington, FL (February 16, 2015)— What was black and white and chic all over for Week Five of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival? Try ShowChic Turnout Award winner Janne Rumbough of Palm Beach, Florida, and her gelding Junior. Rumbough’s crisp style— an elegant black outfit offset by a white scarf— was the perfect look to complement her 17.1 hand gray USPRE gelding, Junior, bridled in black. The pair looked like a true team as they went before the judges at the preliminary CDI Jog.

Rumbough said that the secret to her elegant look is simplicity. “I just try not to over think it. We always try to do the best we can. I have a white horse in a black bridle, so I went with that,” an amiable Rumbough told ShowChic Turnout Award sponsor and company co-owner, Michele Hundt. Hundt awarded the pair with a gift bag of useful equestrian goodies from ShowChic, and Charlotte Jorst of Kastel Denmark—which partnered with ShowChic in sponsoring the Jog— presented Rumbough with a gift from Kastel Denmark. “I’m so proud of Junior, and thank you so much, ShowChic. We love you!” beamed Rumbough.

ShowChic Turnout Awards are the company’s way of creating good-natured and good-looking sportsmanship for the CDI Jogs. Partnering with Omega Alpha, Kastel Denmark, Cavallo, and Equiline at the CDI Jogs, ShowChic presents a multitude of prizes to competitors who are “as well-groomed as their horses,” says Hundt. Winners of ShowChic Turnout Awards epitomize fashionable sensibility, flair, color coordination, and stylish individualism while presenting their equine athlete at the upper levels of international sport.

Junior (Gaucho III x La Nin III, by Brioso VI) is a 2002 USPRE gelding bred by Lanys Kay-Eddie. The striking gray has been owned and trained through the levels by the Dutch-born Rumbough, a veteran dressage rider who competes as an Adult Amateur. Rumbough started the gelding as a four year-old. She also rode Junior’s sire, Gaucho III. The pair’s CDI charisma carried over to The Stadium at the show grounds, where a 66.150 percent score put them in good company among the top five in Friday’s FEI Grand Prix Freestyle at the richest and most prestigious dressage series in the world.

Success in dressage— and especially in the freestyle— is nothing new for this duo, whose big (70.708 percent) score in November at the 2014 U.S. Dressage Finals in Kentucky earned Rumbough the Grand Prix Freestyle Adult Amateur Championship. During Week One of the 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival, she was presented with the Piaffe Performance Adult Amateur Award after competing as the only adult amateur in its Grand Prix Freestyle division. As a passionate advocate of dressage and the USPRE breed, she also participated in the 2015 USPRE Fantasia hosted January 21 by the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, performing a Pas de Deux on Junior and joined by Mikala Munter Gunderson, who rode Rumbough’s USPRE stallion Armas Zumbel.

“Their beauty radiates from the inside out,” praised Hundt. “Each week of the CDI series, we see more and more people taking the time to really turn out their horses and themselves for these preliminary jogs. The simplicity and harmony of Janne and Junior’s presentation really stood out.”

ShowChic— sponsor of the ShowChic Turnout Awards for the Adequan Global Dressage Festival CDI Jogs— provides high fashion, popular brands for the modern dressage rider that are sure to impress the judges inside the box and the ringside audiences. The ShowChic mobile unit, conveniently set up on the show grounds, offers the same brands as its ShowChic Wellington boutique and online store: Arista, Back On Track, Cavallo, Equiline, Eurostar, FITS, Kentucky, Pikeur, and Samshield. Learn more about ShowChic recognition programs and its complete catalog at www.showchicdressage.com or call 561-319-2121.

Ann-Louise Cook presents Steffen Peters with the People’s Choice Award at the 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival CDI 5*

Wellington, FL (February 16, 2015)– Top-ranked FEI dressage rider Steffen Peters personifies professionalism and sportsmanship, and is highly respected by his dressage community. Wellington, Florida based realtor Ann-Louise Cook of Illustrated Properties rewarded Peters’s riding skills and contributions to dressage by naming him winner of the People’s Choice Award at the CDI 5* competition at the 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival.

The German-born Peters is a naturalized U.S. citizen and three-time Olympic Games competitor. He earned a Team USA Bronze Medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, and scored a Team Bronze Medal at the 2006 World Equestrian Games, two individual Bronze Medals at the 2010 World Equestrian Games, and Individual and Team Gold Medals at the 2011 Pan American Games. In 2009, Peters and the now-retired Ravel (Contango – Hautain, Democraat) had the highest scores in all three portions of the Aachen World Equestrian Festival Grand Prix competition in Germany, making them the first American pair to be named Aachen Grand Prix Champions. Peters is currently competing aboard Legolas 92 and his newest partner, Rosamunde; both owned by Four Winds Farm.

Steffens received Ann Cook’s People’s Choice award after riding Rosamunde to a first place finish in the FEI 3* Grand Prix with a 71.3 percent, and Legolas 92 to a 71.2 percent in the FEI 5* Grand Prix during week five of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. Also during the week, he and Legolas earned a 76.220 percent and second place in the FEI 5* Grand Prix Freestyle. He and Rosamunde earned another first place in the FEI 3* Grand Prix Special with a 72.745 percent.

“We started with a wonderful CDI 3* with Rosie,” Peters said of the eight-year-old Rheinlander mare Rosemunde (Rock Forever-First Lady, Fidermark). “It was her first international Grand Prix, and her second Grand Prix in her life. It went extremely well,” he told Cook as he was presented with the People’s Choice Award. “She won today, too, and it was a wonderful feeling. The horse has so much power, and she does it with so much lightness and elasticity. It was an honor to ride a horse like that.”

Peters said that thirteen-year-old Westphalian gelding Legolas 92 (Laomedon-Furstin, Florestan II), his partner for the 2014 World Equestrian Games in France, has also been going well. “He’s been trying to compete with his little sister Rosamunde, and he’s been giving her some tips,” Peters smiled. “He was wonderful three weeks ago when we did a National show, and I hope he continues to go exactly the same way as he did then.”

Peters said his next goal is the 2015 Reem Acra World Cup of Dressage in Las Vegas. There are two qualifiers in California, his home state, which he must hurdle before he gets there: one in Los Angles and another in San Juan Capistrano.

“We’re pleased you came all the way to Wellington to show us how beautifully you ride,” Ann-Louise Cook said to Peters. “Your new horse Rosamunde is lovely, and she was really nice to watch in the ring. It’s an inspiration and you are such an outstanding rider.”

Cook believes that everyone at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival should have a chance to choose a favorite rider. The People’s Choice Award gives dressage enthusiasts on the show grounds a voice in choosing which rider deserves to win, based on exemplary sportsmanship, horsemanship, and performance. Cook, a successful realtor with Illustrated Properties Real Estate, awards each People’s Choice Award winner with a ribbon sash and a beautifully engraved silver bowl.

Peters thanked Cook for the acknowledgement. “I certainly appreciate the award and this is very, very kind of you,” he said.

As a dressage enthusiast, Cook is happy to sponsor the Adequan Global Dressage Festival as well as recognize excellence with the People’s Choice Award. As a successful realtor, she exemplifies excellence in her work with Illustrated Properties Real Estate Inc. She devotes herself to educating her clients and ensuring they have the best real estate experience in buying or selling Wellington area homes and farms.

For more information about Ann-Louise Cook and her business at Illustrated Properties Real Estate, Inc., please visit www.annlouisecook.com.