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Grand Prix Rider Katherine Bateson-Chandler Champions Her First Dressage Show of 2016

Photo courtesy of JRPR.

Wellington, Florida (January 13, 2016) — As the 2016 Adequan Global Dressage Festival is officially commencing, international Grand Prix dressage rider Katherine Bateson-Chandler got a head start to the season with her win at the Wellington Classic Dressage Season Kick Off show. The national competition, held on January 8-10 at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival show grounds in Wellington, Florida, set the stage for a successful run for Bateson-Chandler and Alcazar, a 10-year-old KWPN gelding (Cantango x Polin, Ferro) known as “Lonzie” and owned by Jane Forbes Clark. The pair competed in the FEI Test of Choice. Fresh off of their sixth place finish at the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions, they scored an impressive 73.50% in the FEI Grand Prix to claim first place in the hotly contended class.

“I’m really happy with Lonzie’s win this past weekend,” Bateson-Chandler said, praising her partner for their victory. “We competed him in this national show just to see what we need to be a bit sharper with. I’m thrilled with how he performed, and I know that there is still plenty more growing to do.”

Bateson-Chandler is grateful to her U.S. dressage coach Debbie McDonald for helping them achieve this success, and feels prepared and excited to go down centerline with Alcazar in the upcoming weeks in the Adequan Global Dressage Festival CDI competitions.

Bateson-Chandler opened last year’s Adequan Global Dressage Festival season with winning scores, and consistently impressed the judges during her and Alcazar’s first season in the Big Tour classes. Their exciting Grand Prix wins in the national and international arenas were proof that the duo is fierce competition in high performance dressage. The pair earned the 2015 Adequan USDF Dressage (Intermediate II) Horse of the Year title.

They then traveled to Europe for a summer of competition and training, wrapping up their summer European tour as the highest-placed American pair in the Grand Prix Freestyle at the Comite Equestre De Saumur CDI3* in France.

The U.K. native and naturalized U.S. citizen Bateson-Chandler divides her competition seasons between Wellington and Europe, where she trains with 2012 Olympic Gold medalist Carl Hester. Bateson-Chandler originally took over Alcazar’s reins from U.S. Olympian Robert Dover, for whom she used to groom for.

Bateson-Chandler offers training and coaching services to horses and riders across the U.S. and Europe. Her experience at the international Grand Prix level gives students a competitive edge, whether through coaching as an eye on the ground, bringing young horses up the levels, or campaigning seasoned FEI competitors. KBC Dressage offers training, lessons, clinics, and coaching, as well as scouting and prospect selection for clients. For more about Katherine Bateson-Chandler, visit www.kbcdressage.com.

Contact: Katherine Bateson-Chandler
chandlercarlos@aol.com
908-391-9096

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