Wellington, FL (January 16, 2015)—“You have to enjoy every day. If you surround yourself with happy people, you will be happy.” Canadian rider Jacqueline Brooks said, sharing the secret to her success and her ability to deal with tough situations— especially in the show ring. Brooks competed in the Grand Prix Open division during week one of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. She rode the Swedish Warmblood D Niro (D Day x Alitalia), who has also competed in the Olympics and in the World Cup Finals.
Custom Saddlery, the Official Saddle of the United Sates Dressage Team, recognized Brooks’s skill and dedication to the sport of dressage during the debut week of the show series. The popular saddle manufacturer awarded Brooks with the Custom Saddlery Most Valuable Rider (MVR) Award, which is presented to riders who exceed expectations in major competitions. Award recipients are competitors who portray excellent horsemanship, outstanding performances, exemplary sportsmanship, superb teamwork, and dedication to giving back to the sport and the equine community.
Brooks is a well-respected trainer, instructor, and coach as well as a competitor in dressage. She boasts about the great people and the fun she has in the equine community, which contribute to her plan for the Adequan Global Dressage Festival— “to enjoy the season.” “I’m actually planning to just be in there with D Niro, not worry so much about the score, make some changes where needed, and figure him out a little bit,” states Brooks. Seventeen-year-old D Niro showed slight sensitivity to the stormy weather during the first week of the show series, and Brooks looks forward to having quality rides that can help him through any tenseness in the ring despite the temperature changes from the pair’s native Canadian region to the southern states. Brooks’s “Most Valuable Rider” attitude inspired Custom Saddlery to award her with the Most Valuable Rider ribbon and a Custom Saddlery embroidered saddle pad.
Based out of Aiken, South Carolina, Custom Saddlery offers high quality, one-of-a-kind dressage saddles. In addition to unique saddles, the business provides professional saddle fitting services and saddle accessories such as stirrup leathers, girths, and saddle pads. For more information about Custom Saddlery, visit www.mysaddle.com or call 1-800-235-3865.

Photo: Jacqueline Brooks, on D Niro, is presented with the Custom Saddlery Most Valuable Rider Award by April Leonard during week one of the 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival

Photo: Denielle Gallagher-Legriffon’s (right) enthusiasm for dressage earned her the first Draper Therapies™ Best Foot Forward Award of the 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival

Wellington, FL (January 16, 2015)– Riding down centerline with a smile on her face and a horse as large and in charge as her 17.1-hand gelding, Zazou, not only assured Canadian rider Denielle Gallagher-Legriffon a great first impression in front of the judges, but also the first Draper Therapies™ Best Foot Forward Award of the season. As the Adequan™ Global Dressage Festival opened in Wellington, Florida, Draper Therapies was happy to congratulate Denielle on a great start to the winter show season.

“I’m always happy riding my horse. We had a very clean test and I can’t wait to use my Draper products,” Gallagher-Legriffon said as she received the Draper Therapies Best Foot Forward Award. The upbeat rider and her bay Dutch-bred Zazou (OO Seven x Kimbel), co-owned with Evi Strasser, also achieved a pair of Fourth Level reserves and a strong seventh out of 29 entries in their Prix St Georges/CDI during Week 1 of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival.

“I think it’s much easier to give an eight to a smiling rider than to a frowning one,” said the season’s inaugural Best Foot Forward Award winner about the importance of a positive attitude. “It’s important to exude good sportsmanship— to show judges that your horse is happy, you are confident, and the test feels easy.” Originally from New Brunswick, Gallagher-Legriffon is making competing in Florida look easy as she balances her time in the ring with launching a new 36-horse facility, Brilliance Farm, in Loxahatchee, Florida.

Gallagher-Legriffon’s winning attitude made her an obvious choice for the Draper Therapies Best Foot Forward Award. “She and her smile embodied putting a Best Foot Forward,” explained Draper’s product manager Becky Shipps said. “We are looking forward to recognizing more people who bring a positive spirit and attitude to these dressage rings and share that with those around them.”

This is the first season Draper Therapies, which traditionally sponsors Best Foot Forward Awards at the Winter Equestrian Festival, is presenting at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. Best Foot Forward Awards present horses with a Draper Therapies saddle pad and pair of polo wraps, and riders with a pair of Celliant®-infused socks and a scented eye pillow.

Draper Therapies’s innovative products include scientifically-proven therapeutic horse blankets, boots, wraps, and saddle pads; dog beds and mats; and clothing and products for their owners. All products are made with Celliant®, the world’s most technologically advanced fiber and a proprietary blend of minerals extruded into polyester fiber. Celliant technology alleviates pain and negative symptoms in humans, canines, and equines by improving the body’s natural systems and increasing blood flow to affected tissue.

More Draper Therapies Best Foot Forward Awards will be presented throughout the 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival, which runs from January 8 to March 29. The show series will feature four CDI-W’s, a CDI 4* and 5*, and the Western Hemisphere’s only non-championship CDIO.

Among the leading equestrians serving on Draper Therapies’ Advisory Board are dressage competitors familiar to the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, including Steffen and Shannon Peters, Katherine Bateson Chandler, Susan Dutta, Susanne Hassler, and NY Times best-selling author and rider, Tami Hoag.

Learn more about Draper Therapies products and its support of our equestrian communities at www.drapertherapies.com or 781-828-0029.

Photo: Juan Matute Jr., with Don Diego Ymas, is presented with the first EquiSafe International Dressage Achievement Award of the 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival

Wellington, FL (January 16, 2015) – As Juan Matute Jr. of Spain rode out of the dressage ring after another first-place ride on the magnificent Hanoverian gelding Dhannie Ymas, he was pleased with his performance but already focused on how to improve in the weeks to come. EquiSafe, a premier international fencing company, recognized Matute’s ambitious spirit and equestrian talents. EquiSafe’s United States representative Tommy Hallander commented, “We have many dressage riders who use our fencing around the world, so the Adequan Global Dressage Festival is the perfect place for us to show our support for dressage riders.” EquiSafe awarded Juan Matutue with the first EquiSafe International Dressage Achievement Award of the 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida. The EquiSafe International Dressage Achievement Award is presented each week of the festival to an individual rider from a country outside of the United States who exhibits outstanding skill, an amazing ride, and achieves a high score.

Matute rode Hanoverian gelding Dhannie Ymas owned by Christina Danguillecourt in the FEI Young Riders Individual division, earning a score of 70.842 percent and placing first in his class. The pair also placed first in the FEI Young Riders Prix St. Georges Team division. On his father’s (also Juan Matute) Hannoverian Mistico TM, young Matute again achieved two first-place scores in the FEI Junior Team division and the FEI Junior Individual division.

The 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival also marked Matute’s first international outing with his father’s (also Juan Matute) Hanoverian gelding Don Diego Ymas. “I think it went pretty well,” says Matute of the ride. “I enjoyed it a lot. I think the horse was pretty generous. He gave me all he wanted and that was a lot, so I was pretty happy.” With consistently high scores, Matute doesn’t seem to have much to worry about. However, the young rider is still aiming to work hard to improve upon what he has already accomplished. “We have a lot of work ahead of us, but it was a good start,” Matute said, “A positive start.”

EquiSafe is a premier fencing company that specializes in products that are safe, durable, environmentally friendly, and attractive. Founded in 1986 in Sweden, EquiSafe is the leading fencing production company in Europe for racetracks and paddocks and recently won the MTP Gold Medal honor in Poland for an outstanding horse product. As the “Official Fence of GDF” EquiSafe is expanding their brand from Europe to the United States to bring safety to American riders as well. Their fences are made from high-density polyethylene, a durable material that has shape memory to limit deformities. EquiSafe International Dressage Acheivement Award winner Juan Matute shares EquiSafe’s value of safety. Matute says that the most important thing when traveling is to keep your horses safe. “I think it’s really all that counts. Keeping the horse healthy and in shape and safe.”

The Adequan Global Dressage Festival is the world’s largest international and national dressage circuit and is the only non-championship CDIO Nations Cup in the Western Hemisphere. For the next eleven weeks, the best U.S. and international riders will compete at the Global Dressage complex at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center and EquiSafe will be presenting the EquiSafe International Dressage Achievement Award to a deserving rider every week until the end of the festival.

For additional information call EquiSafe at 561-225-4998 or email at info@EquiSafeUS.com.

David Marcus and Chrevi’s Capital (Photo by Starting Gate)

By Starting Gate

Wellington, Florida – Canadian dressage athlete David Marcus of Campbellville, ON, will attempt a major games hat trick at the upcoming 2015 Pan American Games. Having represented Canada at the 2012 London Olympic Games and the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France, Marcus is hoping to go three-for-three at this summer’s Pan American Games, being hosted by Toronto, Canada.

Marcus will once again campaign Chrevi’s Capital, a 15-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding (Chrevi’s Cavallo x Weinberg) owned by Deborah Kinzinger Miculinic, in his bid to represent Canada in three consecutive major games.

“I am thrilled that I had the opportunity to represent Canada at the Olympic and World Equestrian Games, and now my goal is to compete for Canada at this year’s Pan American Games,” said Marcus, 34, noting that the Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park is a one-hour drive from his full-service dressage training facility in Campbellville, ON.

In preparation, Marcus has been based in Wellington, Florida, since mid-November for the winter season. Wellington is home to the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, the largest dressage circuit in the world, which this year hosts seven International Equestrian Federation (FEI) sanctioned competitions. With numerous other competition and training opportunities, Wellington is the ideal place to prepare for a major games competition.

“There is a lot on offer, but I am going to try and be selective with only a few key shows,” said Marcus of his competition plans with Chrevi’s Capital. “Being in Wellington, it is easy to be greedy and want to do every show but, for Capital’s sake, we are going to be selective. He has proven himself, and he knows his job in the ring so well now. Capital is 15 this year, so it is more about picking the right shows to keep him peaking than showing week in and week out.”

For the first time, dressage teams at the 2015 Pan American Games will be comprised of a mix of big tour and small tour competitors. Marcus is hoping that his scores with Chrevi’s Capital at the grand prix, or big tour, level will earn him a place on Canada’s four-member dressage team.

“Having dual citizenship means that I can represent either the United States or Canada in international competition,” noted Marcus, who was born in Omaha, Nebraska. “I have lived in Canada my entire adult life and feel very proud to be Canadian. It is with great pride that I have had the opportunity to represent Canada at two major games, and I sincerely hope that I will get another chance this summer. This experience is made even more exciting because of the fact that we are the host country for this year’s Pan American Games, adding a whole new level of patriotism to the experience.”

In addition to Chrevi’s Capital, Marcus is campaigning several other horses on the Wellington circuit, including Don Kontes, a 15-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding also owned by Kinzinger Miculinic. Between his own competition and sales horses and those of his students, Marcus has a total of 21 horses in Florida this season under the David Marcus Dressage banner.

Marcus trains with Oded Shimoni as well as his partner, Australian grand prix competitor Nicholas Fyffe.

For more information on David Marcus, please visit www.davidmarcusdressage.com.

Catherine Chamberlain (Photo Credit:Flash Corbisier)

January 15, 2015 – The Dressage Foundation (TDF) has announced the Officers and members of the Board of Directors who will serve in 2015. In addition to the returning Board Members, TDF extends a special welcome to new Board Members Catherine Chamberlain and Sarah Geikie. “Both Catherine and Sarah are extraordinary leaders in this country’s dressage community! We’re honored and excited to have them both on the TDF team,” said Beth Baumert, President & CEO.

Sarah Geikie (Photo Credit:Moment in Time Photography)

TDF’s 2015 leadership team includes the following:

Maryal Barnett (MI) – Chairman
Michael Poulin (FL) – Vice Chairman
Judith Noone (MA) – Treasurer
Eliza Sydnor Romm (NC) – Secretary
Beth Baumert (CT) – President & CEO

Additional Board Members are:

Barbara Cadwell (FL), Joseph Carr (KY), Ralph F. Dreitzler III (WA), Lendon Gray (NY), Hilda Gurney (CA), Carol Lavell (NC, FL), Michael Matson (MD), Karin Reid Offield (MI), John Boomer (NE, Director Emeritus), General Jonathan Burton (AZ, Director Emeritus).

“TDF exists to help committed riders, trainers, judges and breeders with one of the toughest parts of our sport–finances. The mission of TDF is to fundamentally ‘up the bar’ of dressage in the United States,” Baumert said. “To that end, TDF donates about $200,000 annually to deserving individuals at all levels of the sport: from young riders to adult amateurs, judges, instructor- trainers, breeders and high performance riders. The entire dressage community can thank TDF donors for making these grants possible. Without donors–large and small–TDF wouldn’t exist. Every gift is important to TDF, and the goal for 2015 is to enlarge the TDF family of friends so we can do even more.”

For more information about The Dressage Foundation, visit www.dressagefoundation.org or contact Executive Director Jenny Johnson at (402)434-8585 or jenny@dressagefoundation.org.

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.

Sabrina Zeender FEI Secretary General

Lausanne (SUI), 16 January 2015

Sabrina Zeender, 49, has been appointed FEI Secretary General following a proposal to the FEI Bureau from FEI President Ingmar De Vos which received unanimous support. Zeender, who first joined the FEI in 1991, has been interim Secretary General since De Vos’ election to the FEI Presidency on 14 December 2014.

Sabrina Zeender holds a bachelor’s degree in Science in Communications and History from Boston University and a diploma in Sociology, Politics and Management of Sport Science from the Universities of Lausanne, Leicester, and Montpellier.

Zeender, who has been with the FEI since 1991, has served as FEI Director, Governance and Executive Affairs since 2011. She has previously held the positions of Human Resources, Finance & Administration coordinator; Sports administrator; and Manager of the Secretary General’s office. She left the organisation briefly in 1995 to work in her family’s business in the USA, returning to the FEI in 1998.

Prior to working for the FEI, Sabrina Zeender was with Telecom Japan TV Productions in New York (USA) and the Fédération Internationale de Natation Amateur (FINA) in Lausanne (SUI).

“I would like to warmly congratulate Sabrina on her appointment as FEI Secretary General,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos commented. “She is the first woman to hold this key management position in the FEI and the fact that we have been able to fill such an important position in-house clearly demonstrates that the FEI has grown into a professional organisation with a highly qualified team.

“Sabrina’s deep understanding of the FEI rules and regulations, of which she has a long experience, and her knowledge of equestrian sport will be invaluable in her new role and I would like to thank the FEI Bureau for their full support for this appointment. I proposed Sabrina on the basis of her qualifications but also for her unfailing work ethic, reliability, dedication, and team spirit. The spontaneous and warm applause from the National Federations following the announcement at the General Assembly in Baku that Sabrina would take over the post on an interim basis shows the high regard in which she is held. I am confident that Sabrina will do an outstanding job as the new FEI Secretary General.”

“I am honoured and humbled by this appointment and I would like to thank the FEI President and Bureau members for their trust,” the new FEI Secretary General Sabrina Zeender said. “I have been with the FEI for a long time and have seen it grow and develop. I am very aware of the potential this great organisation has and am thrilled to play a part in its future. The FEI Family feels like a true family to me and I undertake this new challenge with joy and enthusiasm.”

Sabrina Zeender is a Swiss national of Salvadorian, American, and Austrian descent. She is fluent in English, French, and Spanish and has two sons aged 18 and 21.

Wellington, FL – January 15, 2015 – Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP), management company of the world renowned Winter Equestrian Festival and Adequan® Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, FL, is excited to announce a brand new eventing showcase that will take place at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) on January 30-31, 2015. The $50,000 Wellington Eventing Showcase, presented by Asheville Regional Airport, will feature some of eventing’s top horses and riders competing for phenomenal prize money in the winter equestrian capital of the world.

“In the same way that we met up with Allyn Mann of Adequan® and talked about taking dressage to the next level four years ago, we think there is a great opportunity to bring the sport of eventing to new heights in Wellington,” stated Equestrian Sport Productions CEO Mark Bellissimo. “We are excited to have a third Olympic discipline at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center during the winter, and we look forward to welcoming eventing riders and fans.”

Bellissimo added, “We are very excited that Asheville Regional Airport has stepped up to sponsor this inaugural event. On a segment on Good Morning America, Frommer Travel Guide just announced Asheville as the No. 1 destination in the country to visit in 2015, and it is conveniently located just 30 minutes from the new Tryon International Equestrian Center.”

“The Asheville Regional Airport is very pleased to be the title sponsor of the inaugural Wellington Eventing Showcase. Our airport is the destination of choice when flying to attend events at the Tryon International Equestrian Center. We look forward to welcoming you to the Asheville area for more exciting equestrian competition,” stated Lew Bleiweis, Executive Director of Asheville Regional Airport.

The Wellington Eventing Showcase will be a special invitational for top U.S. and Canadian High Performance Riders. The competition is presented by Asheville Regional Airport with additional sponsors Rolex, Land Rover and Adequan®.

U.S. Olympic and World Equestrian Games Eventer Boyd Martin will compete in the Wellington Eventing Showcase. “I’m excited to have eventing included as part of Winter Equestrian Festival schedule at PBIEC, and I look forward to competing in this event to showcase our sport in front of a new audience,” Martin said.

The competition begins with dressage on Friday, January 30, in the International Ring of the The Stadium at PBIEC. Competitors will be riding USEF/USEA Advanced Test ‘B’ in morning and afternoon sessions. There will be a test ride at 9:00 a.m. and the first horse at 9:30 a.m. The last ride will take place at approximately 3:15 PM.

Show Jumping will take place on Saturday morning, January 31, also held in the International Ring at The Stadium at PBIEC. The course, designed by Richard Jeffrey of Great Britain, will be open for walking at 9:30 a.m. and jumping starts at 10:30 a.m.

Cross-Country will take place Saturday afternoon, January 31, with a 2,000-meter advanced level course spanning the grass derby field at The Stadium at PBIEC and adjacent polo field. This course will consist of 16 obstacles containing 20 jumping efforts. Cross-Country will begin at 1:30 p.m. and end at 3:30 p.m. The Cross-Country phase will run in reverse order of standings following the Dressage and Show Jumping portion of the competition.

ESP is excited to welcome Capt. Mark Phillips as the course designer for this first-ever cross country event at PBIEC with jumps built by Eric Bull. Jumps will be built as per USEF Eventing Rules for Advanced Horse Trials. Video and live scoring will also be available.

Spectators have different hospitality options available for their viewing of the event. The Global Pavillion at The Stadium offers VIP seating with tables of six for $1,500. Buffet lunch and full bar is included with outstanding views of the dressage on Friday and the show jumping and cross-country on Saturday. VIP Parking is also included. For bookings, please email Kathleen Lamour at kathleen@equestriansport.com or call 561-784-1106.

There will be a wine and cheese reception in the VIP Club following the Rider Briefing at 4:00 p.m. on January 29, 2015. There will also be a reception following the awards ceremony at the conclusion of the competition on January 31. All VIP Club table holders, owners and grooms are invited to these functions.

Equestrian Sport Productions looks forward to welcoming all of the riders and fans from the sport of Eventing for a unique and exciting new competition at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. For more information, please visit www.PBIEC.com.