Atlanta, GA (September 21, 2011) – Dressage rider Suzanne Dansby-Bollman is thrilled that her Grand Prix partner Cooper, an 18.3 hand Holsteiner gelding, has returned to the show ring after an injury that took him out of competition four years ago. The 19-year-old superstar is back, better than ever, and will compete at the prestigious Dressage at Devon, September 27 – October 2, with a musical freestyle designed especially for the impressive and expressive gelding.
“Words can’t describe how excited I am that Cooper will be able to compete at Devon. We were invited to compete at the National Grand Prix Championships at Gladstone, but I decided not to go because I felt we needed the extra two weeks to work on our new freestyle,” Dansby-Bollman said. “Terry Ciatti-Gallo and I have been working these past couple of months on the choreography for a new and exciting freestyle for Cooper, which we will debut at Devon. We entertained the idea of using other types of music, but revisited the Celtic theme. We both concluded that it is the most suitable for Cooper’s personality, and his big, expressive gaits.”
Dansby-Bollman said she believes Cooper will be at the optimum fitness level for Devon and she is looking forward to the show, which is considered a premier North American equestrian event. “We are ready to go for it now, especially since the temperatures have dropped 25 degrees, literally, from 100 degrees to 75 degrees in the last couple of days,” she said, adding that her Atlanta-based Dancing Horse Farm can get quite hot.
