Endel Ots and Donatus. (Photos courtesy of SusanJStickle.com)
Wellington, FL (March 11, 2014) – At the Global Dressage Festival this February, Ots won every class he entered. “I love that. It is so great to get a horse, and see it develop, and that is a real passion of mine,” Ots said about training the 7 year old gelding San Dante, and then riding him to win all his third level tests with scores up to 72.8% at the Palm Beach Dressage Derby on February 28 – March 2, 2014. The young dressage rider’s enthusiasm is matched only by his successfulness.
At the 2014 Global Dressage Festival on February 18-23, Ots and Donatus (owned by Everglades Dressage) came in first place in the USEF Developing Grand Prix. “It was a clean test, and I was very happy with him. He had no mistakes in the test to score a 69.5%,” Ots said, proud of Donatus for doing so well in his first-ever Developing Grand Prix Test. Ots was quick to give credit for the win to everyone who helped make it possible. “A foremost thanks to Bethany Peslar for allowing me the ride Donatus. Evi Strasser was coaching me at the show, and has been very helpful. Donatus is very willing, and has super talent for piaffe.” Donatus is currently ranked number one in the United States for the Developing Grand Prix.
Also at the Global Dressage Festival, Ots competed on Lucky Strike, a seventeen-hand four-year-old owned both by Endel and his father Max Ots. The pair won the USEF Four Year Old Horse Test, with 76.2% in Markel/USEF and 79.2% in practice. “That was his first show, and he couldn’t have been better,” Ots beamed.
Endel Ots will be showing again in this year’s Challenge of the Americas on March 7, while serving as coach, choreographer, and music mixer for his team. Ots won’t be slowing down after that. He plans to continue riding Donatus, saying, “We have our eyes set on the Developing Grand Prix Championships in the fall. Two years ago I competed Taunia Reed’s stallion ‘Aga’ to a Reserve Championship, and I think Donatus has what it takes to do very well there again.”
Endel and Donatus were invited by Debbie McDonald to participate in a USEF Developing Training Session March 18-19. The goal of the USEF Developing Program is to identify up-and-coming combinations with potential to represent the U.S. in international competitions.
Endel Ots has competed in over 150 shows in his lifetime, and is a USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold medalist. He was the alternate for the United States Dressage Team at the Pan American Games. In 2012, Ots was the Reserve Champion in the USEF Developing Horse Grand Prix Championship. He has had countless other riding victories over the years. Ots is also a trainer, and has trained numerous horses up through Grand Prix level. In December 2013, Ots moved to a new location at Everglades Dressage in Wellington, Florida.
For more information contact:
Endel Ots
1-920-562-5714
endelots@gmail.com