Category Archives: Dressage

The Discipline of Riding Dressage

Dressage, Jane Savoie, Training/Clinics

Motivation from Moshi 75, by Jane Savoie

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Jane says I’m too serious, and need to play more. She told me I should relax and enjoy life. I used to think she was crazy. I have lots of work to do, and I didn’t think I should waste time playing around. Dressage is serious business ya know, and I have to be PERFECT. But Jane taught me that dressage should be FUN first and serious second.

I’ve heard Jane tell visitors that I’m very wise, like a Socrates with four legs. There is an old record that says Socrates learned to dance when he was seventy because he felt that an essential part of himself had been neglected. So, I thought, perhaps I should learn to dance, too! Jane loved that idea. She cranked up the music and off we went!

To really dance well, you have to let go of the habit of looking at yourself through other people’s eyes. You have to stop that feedback loop. You have to risk looking silly. To dance you have to take a bit of the athlete in you and mix it with the artist in you. Unrestricted movement, without too much thinking, is the key. Shake, rattle, and roll, and you have a dance!

Do you like to dance? When was the last time you really let go and let your body move to the rhythm of the music? I suggest you try that today. Find a quiet room, close the door if you’re shy, and turn up the tunes. Release your mind as you release your body to move with the beat. Let go. Feel the freedom of movement. Close your eyes and really feel it.

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Competitions, Contributors/Press, Dressage, Events

Good Dressage Rewarded with High Scores at The Colorado Horse Park

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Mary Allyn's Rock On, ridden by Shannon Dahmer, won two FEI High Points. All photos: Artizencreations.com

Parker, CO — A thrilling summer at The Colorado Horse Park continued last week during the 2011 Parker Adventist Hospital Dressage in the Rockies Presented by Horseware Ireland. More than 40 scores above 70% were awarded by judges Sandy Osborn, Olympic bronze medalist Hilda Gurney and Beverly Rogers. As one of the largest dressage shows in the region, Dressage in the Rockies attracted competitors not only from Colorado, but the surrounding states. The three-day event was actually three separate shows (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), allowing riders to earn qualifying scores for various championships and awards in a single weekend.

“I want to congratulate all these riders on their success; these scores came from very legitimate judges,” said show manager Glenda McElroy of Cornerstone Dressage. “All of the judges have been very complimentary about the quality of horses and riders.” McElroy’s Cornerstone Dressage, based out of Los Angeles, has managed some of the top CDI (international) shows in the country, as well as the Rolex FEI World Cup Dressage Finals in 2005, 2007 and 2009.

Among the big winners during the 2011 Parker Adventist Hospital Dressage in the Rockies Presented by Horseware Ireland was rider Shannon Dahmer. She collected six High Point and Reserve High Point awards over the course of the three shows with three different horses.

Riding Mary Allyn’s Rock On, Dahmer won the Intermediaire I classes and FEI High Point during shows I and III. On Saturday, Dahmer and “Rocky” performed an Intermediaire I Freestyle to a compilation of music from the “Rocky” soundtracks, including “Eye of the Tiger”. “He thinks he’s very cool,” Dahmer said of the 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding, “so the music really suits him. Plus, everyone knows it so you can get the crowd involved.” The pair received a 70% for their efforts.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Dressage, JRPR

International Dressage Rider Cesar Parra Wraps Up Successful European Tour

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Piaffe-Performance Young Riders Medal on the Home Front

Dr. Cesar Parra and Grandioso, along with groom Jen Mandraccia, lined up during an awards ceremony in Germany. (Photo courtesy of Jose Alvarez)

Whitehouse Station, NJ (August 15, 2011) – International dressage rider and trainer Dr. Cesar Parra recently wrapped up his very successful European tour, returning to his Piaffe-Performance Farm in New Jersey with Michael and Sara Davis’s Grandioso and Dave and Taunia Reed’s Agastrofos.  Parra’s goal overseas was to prep himself and his horses for the show arena and gain training advice from the masters in Germany.  While Agastrofos’ time overseas was more focused on training than competition, there can be no doubt that Dr. Parra met his goal; he and Grandioso won four major competitions during their stay in Germany.  At Balve and Helmer Edelburg, the pair competed in the Prix St. Georges and S3, topping the field in classes of over 40 horses.

“I am so happy with Grandioso’s success here in Europe. I have always said, and known, that Grandioso is a very special horse,” Parra said. “Having shown in Germany for many years, I know how difficult it is to win a class here. Our time there was fantastic from a training perspective of course, but it has also given us more confidence in the ring.”

While Parra was winning overseas, the students at his Piaffe-Performance Farm were racking up the wins in Kentucky.  Chase Hickok and Dominique Cassavetis both medaled at the 2011 USDF/Platinum Performance North American Junior and Young Rider Championships in Lexington.  Hickok took home the Individual Silver in the Young Rider Freestyle and the Individual Bronze in the Young Rider Team Test, while Cassavetis rode away as part of the Junior Gold Medal winning team from Region 1.  “Chase and Dominique did a fantastic job of representing Performance Farm,” said Parra.  “And senior trainer Katie Riley did an exemplary job of coaching them in my absence.  I could not have asked for a better outcome.”

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Dressage, Wellington Classic Dressage

Wellington Classic Dressage Event

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Wellington Classic Dressage is gearing up for the 2012 show season at the beautiful Palm Beach County Jim Brandon Equestrian Center and major improvements to the Center will mean that no matter the weather, the show can go on.

The Jim Brandon Equestrian Center, one of Palm Beach County’s Parks and Recreation facilities, has been host to Dressage and other equestrian events for the past six years. The facility has undergone major improvements this summer including landscaping and beautification, but also what matters most to dressage riders – footing. The FEI rings and warm-ups have new footing and an additional $100,000 was spent on a state-of-the-art drainage system in the show arenas and barns.

The new footing is courtesy of Wellington Classic Dressage, said Joan Hutchinson, facility manager for the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center. “And we’re grateful for that,” she said. “Those footing improvements were paid for by Wellington Classic and yet it benefits everyone, not just dressage riders.”

The new drainage system was covered by Palm Beach County and Hutchinson said that while it’s one of those vitally important improvements it’s also not one that is easily noticed. “When it floods, people notice that, but the idea here is that neither the rings nor the barn will flood and people don’t usually notice an improvement that’s good.” Noreen O’Sullivan, Managing Partner for Wellington Classic and President of Gold Coast Dressage Association (a 501 (c)(3), not-for-profit), agrees, adding, “Florida is in a tropical climate and is subject to heavy rainstorms at times, so although we can’t control the weather, it’s great that we have such a great system in place.” Wellington Classic and Gold Coast Dressage hosts shows year-round at Jim Brandon.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Dressage, Driving, JRPR

Chester Weber Named Chef d’Equipe for United States Pair and Pony Pair Teams

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Chester Weber competing at the 2011 CAI Riesenbeck. Weber was named Chef d’Equipe for the US Pony and Pair Driving Teams. (Photo courtesy of My Elisabeth Weber)

Ocala, FL (August 12, 2011) – Chester Weber’s contributions to the sport of Combined Driving are many and recently Weber’s expertise was recognized again when he was named the Chef d’Equipe of the US Pair and Pony Teams.  Weber served as Chef d’Equipe for the Pony Teams in 2007 and 2009, and this will be his first time as Chef d’Equipe for the Pair Team.  He was nominated for the Chef d’Equipe position by the Pair and Pony Team sub committees and chosen by the Driving High Performance committee.  Weber recently returned from competing in Europe, where he racked up an impressive round of wins.  While overseas, he was mentored by Ed Young, Chef d’Equipe for the US Four-in-Hand teams.

“I have been working with Ed Young since 2006 and am pleased that he could support both me and all of the US drivers in Europe,” said Weber.  “Our pair drivers just drove their first Nations Cup show in preparation for the World Pair Championships in Conty, France at the end of August.  I will be the Chef d’Equipe at that show and at the World Pony Driving Championships in Lipica, Slovenia in September.  Ed is also the vice chair of the High Performance Committee and has been a great resource for me.”

Weber has been working with Team Coach Michael Freund since 1998, and they will do their part to help the US Pair and Pony Teams reach the medal podium.  Weber’s marked enthusiasm for the sport and eighteen years of experience will no doubt give this year’s pony and pair teams an edge.  The pair team has no previous international championship experience, and while they are all seasoned equestrians in their own right, having the knowledge and leadership of a seasoned international competitor will boost their odds.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, FEI, Show Jumping

FEI European Pony Championships 2011, Jaszkowo (POL)

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BRITISH, GERMANS AND FRENCH DOMINATE IN POLAND by Louise Parkes

The gold medal winning British Jumping team at the FEI European Pony Championships 2011 in Jaszkowo (POL) - L to R - Graham Babes, Jessica Mendoza, Amy Inglis and Beth Vernon. FEI/Helen Revington.

Lausanne (SUI), 12 August 2011 – British riders took team and individual Jumping gold, Germany claimed two of the three Dressage titles, and France dominated the Eventing competitions at the FEI European Pony Championships 2011 staged at Jaszkowo, Poland from 26 to 31 July.

JUMPING
The Jumping team Championship was an exciting and close-fought affair, with just one fault separating the victorious British from the fighting Irish at the end of the day, while the Dutch were much further adrift when claiming bronze.  The British had the whip hand after the first round with clears from all four riders, and the Irish were five faults in arrears while having to count a single time penalty from Max O’Reilly-Hyland (Rock Dee Jay), and an additional four faults when both Michael Duffy (Kadia Mouche) and anchor Emma O’Dwyer (Jacknell Street) left one on the floor.

But British pathfinder Amy Inglis (Nils D Hurl Vent) picked up 12 faults second time out, and although second-line rider Beth Vernon (Falaza) completed a double-clear, both Graham Babes (Dollar Girl) and Jessica Mendoza (Tixylix) made a single mistake to bring their tally to eight.  Bertram Allen had opened the Irish account with a first-round clear from Acapella Z, but this time they returned with four faults on the board, and despite great second-round clears from both O’Reilly-Hyland and O’Dwyer, they were obliged to count four more when Duffy also made a single error.  That single first-round time fault from O’Reilly-Hyland proved expensive in the final analysis.

The Dutch meanwhile rocketed up from sixth at the halfway stage to take the bronze. Jens Van Grunsven, nephew of dressage legend Anky Van Grunsven (Indorado), recovered from a 12-fault opening round to go clear second time out, Amber Fijen (Winning Mood) picked up five in round one and four next time out, Leon Tine Bruin (Scapa SB) made just a single mistake in round one but collected 17 on his return to the arena and Megan Laseur (Ensilla) followed a five-fault first effort with a clear to leave The Netherlands with a total of 18 faults.

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Championships, Competitions, Dressage, Events, FEI, FEI

It’s a Silver Anniversary for FEI European Dressage Championships, but Who Will Take the Gold?

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Lausanne (SUI), 11 August 2011 – The FEI European Dressage Championships 2011 will celebrate 25 years of spectacular sport as the action gets underway at the Kralingse Bos arena in Rotterdam (NED) next Wednesday morning.  The world of Dressage has undergone significant change since Switzerland’s Henri Chammartin and Wolfdietrich won the first Individual title in Copenhagen (DEN) IN 1963, and while only 16 riders from eight nations lined out in that inaugural fixture, participation is at an all-time high this time around with 66 competitors from 21 nations and a total of 16 teams vying for the coveted medals.

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Switzerland, Sweden and the Ukraine will all be represented in what promises to be an epic battle over four tough days of competition beginning on 17 August.

INCREASINGLY COMPETITIVE
The FEI European Dressage Championships, as we know them today, emerged from the FEI Grand Prix events that date right back to 1927 and which became increasingly competitive throughout the 1950s.  The winners were often referred to as European Champions, so it came as no surprise when Chammartin, FEI Grand Prix champion in 1955, 1958 and again in 1959, claimed gold at the first official FEI European Dressage Championship four years later. In fact he was a double-medallist in 1963, also taking bronze with his second ride Woerman while Germany’s Harry Boldt and Remus finished in silver-medal position.

Two years further on, in 1965, the first Team Championship took place in which the three Dressage powers of the time – Germany, Switzerland and the Soviet Union – finished in that order while Chammartin won his second Individual title.  The great Swiss rider, who recently passed away at the age of 92, also competed in five consecutive Olympic Games between 1952 and 1968 and collected five Olympic medals including gold in Tokyo in 1964.

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Championships, Competitions, Dressage, Driving, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, Show Jumping, Vaulting, Western/Reining

Five Nations Apply to Host 2015 FEI European Championships under New Bid Process

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Lausanne (SUI), 9 August 2011 — Organisers from five nations – Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, The Netherlands, and Poland – have applied to stage a European championship for Seniors in one or several FEI disciplines in 2015 under a new bid process launched by the FEI in March of this year. The objective of the new bid process is to raise the profile of the FEI European Championships by selecting candidates able to deliver sporting events of the highest quality.

Aachen, host of the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games and the famous annual World Equestrian Festival, has expressed interest in the FEI European Championships 2015 in Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Vaulting and Reining. The discipline which attracted the highest interest is Eventing, for which no less than five applications have been received.

The bidding process for the 2015 FEI European Championships for Seniors was launched in March 2011 and will run until April 2012. The process consists of two phases. During Phase I, the Applicant Phase which ended on 31 July 2011, applicants were required to indicate which one or more of the European Championships they would be interested in staging and provide information relating to their ability to meet minimum Championship requirements.

Phase II, the Candidate Phase, will begin on 1 September 2011. During the Candidate Phase, candidates will be required to provide greater detail on all aspects of the event. The Championships in the Olympic disciplines of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing will be allocated by the FEI Bureau in April 2012. The successful candidates for the Championships in the non-Olympic disciplines will be announced a year later in April 2013.

Enquiries relating to the bid process should be directed to FEI Legal Counsel Francisco P. Lima (francisco.lima@fei.org).

Media contacts:

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
ruth.grundy@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 45

Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Press Relations
malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 33

Breeds, Championships, Community/Charity, Competitions, Dressage, Events, USEF

2011 IFSHA World and Grand National Championship Horse Show

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Lexington, VA – The 2011 IFSHA Friesian World and Grand National Horse Show will return this year to the East Coast and will for the second time in its history be held at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, VA. Hundreds of classes will fill the five days of competition, beginning with dressage on Wednesday judged by Virginian, The Honorable Elizabeth Lewis of Keswick. In addition to classes from Intro through Grand Prix, IFSHA is proud to introduce Western dressage to the schedule this year as one of the Recognized Breed Affiliates of the newly formed Western Dressage Association.

Judging the halter and performance divisions throughout the week will be a “dream team” of United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) women: The Honorable, Sue Burkman, Los Alomos, CA; Nancy Troutman, Salem, VA; and Judith Warner of Asheville, NC, respectively. This panel of three judges will rotate duties as call judge during the show, depending on their specialties and fields of expertise. Joining the talented trio in rotation on the carriage driving classes will be The Honorable ADS Judge Mickey Bowen of Unionville, PA. An open carriage driving division has been added to the show this year to take advantage of our judges skills and encourage local whips to join the fun.

USEF Steward Shirley Nowak and Dressage Technical Delegate Janice Enneking will be available for exhibitors’ questions. Master of Ceremonies Doug Shane of Penrose, CO, will add his golden voice and library of music to assure a festive mood to the event. The management team of Gareth A. Selwood and Nancy Nathanson will once again run the show with their usual flair and are excited to announce that this year the IFSHA Board of Directors has chosen “The Yellow Ribbon Fund” as the official charity to benefit from this year’s show. The Yellow Ribbon Fund was founded in 2005 to help injured service members and their families who are recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and The Navy Medical Center. A special “Yellow Ribbon” Championship class will be held during the Horse Show on Saturday Night with all entry fees collected from that class donated to the Yellow Ribbon Fund in the name of the winner of that class. It will be sure to be a highlight of the show.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Dressage, Events, JRPR

Piaffe-Performance Team Winning on Two Continents

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Piaffe-Performance Students Dominique Cassavetis and Chase Hickok Win Gold and Silver Medals at North American Junior and Young Rider Dressage Championships

Chase Hickok, a student at Piaffe-Performance Farm, riding Palermo at the 2011 USDF/Platinum Performance North American Junior and Young Rider Dressage Championships. (Photo courtesy of Sue Stickle)

Lexington, KY (August 8, 2011) – Dominique Cassavetis and Chase Hickok, students at Cesar Parra’s Piaffe-Performance Farm, mounted the medal podium at the 2011 USDF/Platinum Performance North American Junior and Young Rider Dressage Championships in Lexington, Kentucky, following an intense competition that included not only brilliant performances but severe storms as well. Despite the weather, the staff, friends and family at Piaffe-Performance were all smiles as Cassavetis rode away as part of the Junior Gold Medal winning team from Region 1 and Hickok won the Individual Silver medal in the Young Rider Freestyle and the Individual Bronze in the Young Rider Team test. While his students were winning in North America, Dr. Parra was wrapping up a successful European tour.  Parra and Grandioso, owned by Sara and Michael Davis, racked up impressive wins overseas and proving that they are formidable competition at the international level.

Katie Riley, Senior Trainer at Piaffe-Performance, was thrilled with the young rider’s results. “We are all so proud of Dominique and Chase. They really rose to their fullest potential and showed that they have very bright futures ahead of them,” Riley said. “Dominique was part of the NAJYRC Junior team aboard Charming Princess, and they won the Gold Medal which was absolutely fantastic.”

Hickok piloted Palermo, a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood, to Individual Bronze in the Young Rider Team test and to Individual Silver medal in the Young Rider Freestyle, earning at 70.725%. “This was our first time to do this freestyle in competition and we rode to Latin-themed music,” Hickok said. “The music is really great because it matches Palermo by having a lot of energy and personality. It also really showed off his gaits. He has the most heart of any horse I’ve known and really does his best for me every day. I also have to thank Katie Riley, for coaching me at the show, as well as Kevin Kohmann and Laura Pradels for their work on my freestyle. But mostly, my parents for their support and encouragement.”

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