Wellington, FL (April 22, 2015) – Anne Cizadlo, who rode Paddington and Talent in the final show of the 2015 Global Dressage Festival season, claimed the last Vita Flex Victory Pass Award of the South Florida winter circuit. When Cizadlo and Paddington won the Fourth Level Test 3 with an amazing 76.787 percent and Fourth Level Test 1 with a 65.139 percent, the pair caught the attention of Vita Flex representatives. Cizadlo was awarded with a Vita Flex Victory Pass neck ribbon for her horses, as well as a Vita Flex bucket filled with Vita Flex^® performance products.

Paddington, a 19-year-old Danish Warmblood (Droomwals-Herma, Batello) gelding, and Talent, a 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Jazz-Natasja, Ferro), are owned by Paula Runnells. Cizadlo competed Talent in the Prix St. Georges as well as the Intermediaire-I.

After her wins on Paddington, Cizadlo commented, “I was most happy with his connection. He originally was a driving horse. His neck is set kind of high and he has a driving horse kind of carriage. In dressage, you want them in a rounder frame with better connection over the back— and he gave me probably the best connection in a test that he’s ever given me.”

Cizadlo has been working with Paddington for about three years. She spends six months in Wellington and six months in New Jersey, where Runnells’s farm is located. Cizadlo and the horses will return there in early May after wintering in Florida.

“The horses will stay home and train for a little bit and, probably when we come back out, Paddington will also be doing the Prix St. Georges,” she said, adding that she is determined to move him up a level in a few months, now that he is solid in the fourth level movements.

Cizadlo was thrilled to receive the Vita Flex® products as part of the award and was especially excited to try some of the products, including the Level pH® Extended Release Gastric Support supplement.

“We have several horses, Paddington included, whom I’m not always 100 percent sure are settled in their gut,” she said. “So I’m excited to try that and see if it doesn’t help him stay a little more relaxed.”

She is also a fan of the Vita-Hoof^® Hoof Conditioner and Dressing, which seems to be one of Vita-Flex’s most popular products among Victory Pass winners.

Vita Flex provides riders, trainers, and owners with a variety of top-quality equine products including antioxidants, electrolytes, vitamins and minerals, and topical solutions to help keep horses in peak health. Vita Flex supports the Winter Equestrian Festival and the Global Dressage Festival— the elite hunter/jumper and dressage competition series held each year in Wellington, Florida, during the winter season. For more information about Vita Flex and its line of superior horse products, visit www.vitaflex.com or call (800) 848–2359.

Vita Flex, Vita-Hoof, and Level pH are registered trademarks of Farnam Companies, Inc.

Photo: Anne Cizadlo (right) wins the Vita Flex Victory Pass Award at the 2015 Global Dressage Festival.

Wellington, FL (April 20, 2015)— Cesar Parra, owner and head trainer at Piaffe Performance, and Van the Man notched another win for the 2015 season when they claimed first place in the FEI Grand Prix during the Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida. Parra and Van the Man, a thirteen-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Obelisk, Lady, Fruhling), earned a 71.700 percent from Canadian judge Lorraine MacDonald to win the blue ribbon. Parra and the gelding have enjoyed a string of successes at the Wellington series, as well as at the CDI-W in Saugerties, New York; the CDI3* in Allentown, New Jersey; and Dressage at Devon in Pennsylvania.

“I’m very, very excited,” Parra said after his recent win with Van the Man. “It’s a partnership we’ve had for two years going on three. We represented the United States last year at the World Cup Final in Lyon, France. I felt that after Lyon, he had a lot of basic work that needed to get polished. All I can say is that it pays off to do basic work. Now he’s a really, really nice horse and fun to ride. The point is, we have to enjoy the entire journey.”

Parra also recently piloted seven-year-old Oldenburg mare Fiderhit Old (Fidertanz, Fleur, Sandro Hit) to a 74.118 percent for a win in the US. Developing Prix St. Georges and a second place finish the next day with a 70.147 percent. Earlier in the year, the pair took the Six-Year-Old Young Horse Final class with an 86.400 percent and placed second in the Six-Year-Old Young Horse Preliminary Test with an 84.000 percent.

“Fiderhit Old is one of the best mares in the world and the number one six-year-old in the nation right now,” Parra beamed.

Representatives of Vita Flex had been watching Parra’s success throughout the South Florida winter show season, and rewarded him with the Vita Flex Victory Pass Award after his Grand Prix win on Van the Man. The award came with a Vita Flex bucket filled with popular Vita Flex® performance products and a Vita Flex horse neck ribbon.

“I love it,” Parra said. “I think Vita Flex has great products— the Vita-Hoof® Hoof Conditioner and Dressing is great. We use a lot of it at the barn! I want to thank Vita Flex for sponsoring classes here. We need sponsors like them to make dressage more alive, more popular, and more well-known.”

Vita Flex is a supporter of the Global Dressage Festival and the Winter Equestrian Festival— the elite dressage and hunter/jumper competition series held in Wellington, Florida, during the winter season.

Vita Flex makes a variety of products including antioxidants, electrolytes, vitamins and minerals, and topical solutions to help keep horses in optimum health. The company prides itself in producing the finest products to help customers achieve their equestrian goals. For more information about Vita Flex and its line of superior horse products, visit www.vitaflex.com or call (800) 848–2359.

Vita Flex and Vita-Hoof are registered trademarks of Farnam Companies, Inc.

Photo: Cesar Parra (left) of Piaffe Performance wins the Vita Flex Victory Pass Award at the 2015 Global Dressage Festival

By British Dressage

By Leah Oliveto

Laura Graves and Verdades (SusanJStickle.com)

Las Vegas, N.V. – In the highly anticipated Finale to the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final, Laura Graves and her own Verdades rose to the occasion scoring a 79.125 to place fourth. In their first World Cup Final appearance, Graves and Verdades showcased their continued brilliance in front of an enthusiastic home crowd. With 18 starters from nine countries participating, the competition was stiff.

Graves (Plymouth, Fla.) and the KWPN gelding, who turned 13-years-of-age yesterday, entered the arena with confidence and performed a bold Freestyle test highlighted by pirouettes, two-time changes on a circle and one-time changes down centerline.

“Freestyles are always so amazing to ride and the opportunity to ride one here in Las Vegas with a horse that was so much more relaxed than he was on Thursday [in the Grand Prix] was incredible,” said Graves.

Fifth in the Grand Prix Freestyle at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, Graves was thrilled with Verdades’ first competition in an indoor arena, “I am very proud of him and our performance. It is only our third time competing in this type of competition with top riders from all over the world,” said an ecstatic Graves.

The defending champions and current World and Olympic Games Gold medalists, Charlotte Dujardin of Great Britain and Valegro did not disappoint, winning the trophy and champion title by nearly 10 percentage points with a 94.196. In second place was Edward Gal of The Netherlands and Glock’s Undercover N.O.P. scoring 84.464 and in third was Jessica von Bredow-Werndl of Germany and Unee BB with an 80.464.

For a statement regarding the elimination of Steffen Peters please visit the USEFNetwork.com.

For complete results visit worldcuplasvegas.com.

The USEF International High Performance Programs are generously supported by the USET Foundation, USOC, and USEF Sponsors and Members. The generous support of these organizations and their donors make the programs and their success possible.

USEF Communications Department

Las Vegas, Nevada – Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 were eliminated from the Grand Prix Freestyle in the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final today following the discovery of a small amount of blood on the horse’s side at the post-competition check.

In accordance with the FEI Dressage Rules, the FEI Steward reported the finding of blood to the Judge at C, Liselotte Fore, who eliminated Peters and Legolas 92. Under Article 430.7.6 of the FEI Dressage Rules, elimination is automatic in the case of blood anywhere on the horse.

“Sadly Legolas did have a tiny bit of red on one side following his test, the rules are clear and we understand the decision that was made,” said Robert Dover, U.S. Dressage Chef d’Equipe/Technical Advisor. “Steffen is the ultimate sportsman and true ambassador for the sport who has successfully represented his country in international competition for decades. When you watch riders, like Steffen, who are so loving and sympathetic to their horses, have something completely unexpected happen, all you can feel is immense empathy and sadness for them.”

The USEF holds equine welfare paramount and fully supports the decision of the FEI officials.

Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final 2014/2015 – Freestyle

Las Vegas (USA), 18 April 2015

Photo Caption: Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin holds the new Reem Acra trophy aloft after making it a back-to-back double of victories with the amazing Valegro at the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage 2015 Final in the Thomas & Mack arena in Las Vegas, USA today. (FEI/Dirk Caremans)

by Louise Parkes

The sensational British duo, Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro, secured their second consecutive title when winning the Freestyle at the Reeem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage 2015 Final at the Thomas & Mack arena in Las Vegas, USA today. On an afternoon of superb sporting entertainment during which the spectators played a major role, the Olympic, World and European title-holders threw down another of the iconic performances that have set them apart from the rest over the last four extraordinary years.

They came close to their world-record Freestyle score when posting 94.196, and finished almost 10 percentage points ahead of their nearest rivals, The Netherlands’ Edward Gal and Glock’s Undercover who scored 84.696. Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Unee BB slotted into third with 80.464, and America’s Laura Graves lined up fourth with Verdades on a mark of 79.125.

“I’m just living the dream!”, Dujardin said, after accepting the beautiful new trophy designed by New York fashion designer, Reem Acra.

New dimension

Dressage has taken on a whole new dimension at the Thomas & Mack Centre this week. American spectators are encouraged to totally immerse themselves in what is going on in the ring, and they clapped and roared their approval throughout every test. It was clear from the outset today that they would be louder than ever, but the horses and riders rose to the challenge, and many revelled in it. Denmark’s Mikala Munter Gundersen and her 15-year-old mare, My Lady, set the arena alight when sixth to go, their musical score carrying the audience with them all the way and ensuring the leading mark of 75.018 at the halfway stage of the competition.

But it just kept getting better and better, Russia’s Inessa Merkulov and Mister X producing another real crowd-pleaser when first to go after the break as the handsome gelding rolled out his expressive trot extensions and great piaffe/passage for a mark of 76.911 to take the lead.

And if ever there was a stage that suited Isabell Werth and El Santo this was it. The German rider always throws her heart and soul into every test, and even though her 14-year-old gelding decided, like several others, that the spotlight on the beautiful new Reem Acra trophy that took pride of place by the ringside was extremely suspect, the lady who has stashed 14 Olympic medals into her trophy cabinet just rode him through a scary moment and drew a riotous reaction to her courageous extended canter and hip-swinging passage for a new leading mark of 77.875.

Raised the bar

The Netherlands‘ Hans Peter Minderhoud raised the bar higher again with a quality ride on  the elegant Glock’s Flirt that put 79.036 on the board, only to be immediately overtaken by America’s Laura Graves and Verdades. This bay gelding was much happier in the arena today, and his every move was greeted by applause as he posted 79.125. But then along came Dujardin and Valegro, who just blew the rest away as they punched out passage and piaffe of the finest calibre, pirouettes that drew gasps of disbelief from the crowd and a final march down the centerline that was greeted with rapturous applause as their massive score went up on the board.

Follow that

Edward Gal had to follow that, and despite the pressure produced great work from Glock’s Undercover who, earlier in the week, was very sensitive to the atmosphere. In the Thomas & Mack arena there is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, but the black gelding held his nerve to rocket his rider up to second spot, and they wouldn’t be demoted.

America’s Steffen Peters had the audience in the palm of his hand as, second-last to go, he scored 80.286 with Legolas, but sadly he was eliminated after a small amount of blood was found on the horse’s side at the post-competition vet-check. With Peters’ score set aside, that allowed Graves to move up into fourth spot when the final pair, Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Unee BB, were awarded 80.484 and third place despite some early mistakes, the 14-year-old gelding, Unee BB, recovering his equilibrium to deliver some fabulous passage/piaffe and extended trot.

Close to perfection

But once again it was all about Dujardin and Valegro whose performance today was very close to perfection. The sport of Dressage has entered a whole new era thanks to the incredibly high standard they have set. Edward Gal said this evening, “when I started out, scoring over 60% was something, then it was 70% and then 80% – but now it seems 90 is the new 80! To come out on the top now you need near-perfection, and with the horses we have we can compete very close to perfection.”

Dujardin said this evening that she wondered if the crowd’s enthusiasm would be difficult for Valegro today, but instead, “he just went, yahoo! I must be doing something they like!” She down-played her role in yet another vintage performance. “Valegro just loves his job, I don’t have to force him to do anything, I just sit there and steer and off I go, there’s no sweating, no pushing, no pulling, he knows his job and it’s just fantastic!”

Asked about the wall of noise in the arena she said “that’s what it’s all about! I don’t go into the ring to do less than a 10, and Valegro lets me do that. If he gets worried I know I can reassure him, he trusts me, but he’s always been a brave horse.”

And she was made an incredible offer by Reem Acra, who has supported the FEI World Cup™ Dressage series for the last five years. When Dujardin thanked her for her sponsorship of the Western European League and Final this evening, Reem Acra replied – “I’m very happy to do it. And you know Charlotte that your wedding dress is coming from me!”

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 94.196; 2, Glock’s Undercover (Edward Gal) NED 84.696; 3, Unee BB (Jessica von Bredow-Werndl) GER 80.464; 4, Verdades (Laura Graves) USA 79.125; 5, Glock’s Flirt (Hans Peter Minderhoud) NED 79.036; 6, El Santo NRW (Isabell Werth) GER 77.875; 7, Mister X (Inessa Merkulova) RUS 76.911; 8, Painted Black (Morgan Barbancon Mestre) ESP 76.161; 9, My Lady (Mikala Munter Gundersen) DEN 75.018; 10, Qui Vincit Dynamis (Fabienne Lutkemeier) GER 74.804.

Full result here http://eventcontent.hippoonline.de/1000/docs/R_06.pdf

Wellington, FL (April 15, 2015)— From one of the loveliest show facilities on the West Coast— the Golden State Dressage Festival in Rancho Murieta, California— Custom Saddlery made one of its “wisest” choices of the season: selecting Jessica Wisdom of Battle Ground, Washington, to win the Custom Saddlery Most Valuable Rider (MVR) Award.

Jessica Wisdom, an Equi-librium Equestrian trainer and instructor who teaches at Emerald Valley Stables in Ridgefield, stated, “Everybody says, ‘You are such a ‘natural’’ and that is so not true. I am the product of blood, sweat and tears the whole way. It wasn’t something that came naturally. I was very good at staying on; beyond that not so much.”

When looking for a Most Valuable Rider, Custom Saddlery representatives could see that the USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold medalist’s hard work had truly paid off. Wisdom competed four horses at the Golden State Dressage Festival—including her own Hanoverian stallion— and delivered winning high scores with each of them.

“Golden State Dressage Festival is a great show,” Wisdom said, thanking Custom Saddlery for her MVR rosette and Custom Saddlery saddle pad. “Great people. Great horses. Great facility and well run. I love coming to this event!”

Wisdom’s strong scores throughout the event included a brilliant 86.40 percent on Dove Creek Farm’s 16.3 hand, chestnut KWPN (UB40 x Valoota) gelding Falcon; 78.636 percent on Jeanne Schamblin’s 16.3 hand, black Hanoverian (Rotspon x Hoheit) gelding Rocero SVS; 70.897 percent on her own 16 hand, bay Hanoverian (Diamond Hit x Heidefee) stallion Diamondhead; and 68.52 percent with Schamblin’s 16.2 bay KWPN (Sir Sinclair x Alympia) mare Encore SVS.

As a top saddle maker in America, Custom Saddlery is proud to award riders like Wisdom for a job well done. The Aiken, South Carolina company is the Official Saddle of the U.S. Dressage Team through the 2016 Olympics. Custom saddles are also a go-to saddle choice for top riders around the world. The company offers 22 innovative dressage models, as well as professional fitting services and customized saddle accessories. Learn more about Custom Saddlery and what it can do for you and your horse at www.mysaddle.com or call 1-800-235-3865.

Photo: Jessica Wisdom wins the Custom Saddlery Most Valuable Rider (MVR) Award at the Golden State Dressage Festival in Rancho Murieta, California (Photo courtesy of Stacy Berger)