Tag Archives: World Dressage Masters

Ravel Repeats at 2012 World Dressage Masters Palm Beach

Steffen Peters and Ravel celebrate (Shannon Brinkman Photo)

West Palm Beach, FL – Before a packed house at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center, defending champions Steffen Peters and Ravel scored the first victory of the 2012 World Dressage Masters Palm Beach CDI4* presented by the International Polo Club Palm 81.383% in the process.

The marquis event brought some of the very best from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and Charlotte Dujardin, from Great Britain, made a hard charge at the victory with Valegro scoring 78.468 %. But Peters never flinched in the pressure of being the final rider in the ring. He impressed the judges (and gave the crowd what they came for).

“Sometimes it’s a little hard to put it into words,” said Peters after his ride. “First I have to give a big thank you to my buddy Ravel; it’s a personal best for us. It’s amazing to think he keeps getting better after all these years.”

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Steffen Peters Sets New Grand Prix Record at World Dressage Masters Palm Beach

Steffen Peters and Ravel, Grand Prix winners at the 2012 WDM Palm Beach. Photo credit Sue Stickle

Wellington, FL (January 27, 2012) – American Steffen Peters took a step toward defending his 2011 World Dressage Masters Palm Beach title by winning the WDM Palm Beach Nürnberger Grand Prix test with a record-shattering score of 81.383%. Not only is that a personal best result in a CDI Grand Prix for Peters and Akiko Yamazaki’s 14 year old KWPN gelding, it is also the highest score ever attained in a WDM Palm Beach Grand Prix.

“I started to have the feeling I got from Ravel tonight in the last couple of weeks,” said Peters after his decisive victory over the international field of 16 competitors. “I had this feeling at a show two weeks ago in California, but I had to risk it a bit more here. Ravel feels even stronger than last year and more supple. It was a blast to ride.”

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World Dressage Masters Palm Beach Grand Prix Order of Go

Wellington, FL (January 27, 2012) – Following the draw for order of go at the WDM Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach, the competition for Friday afternoon’s Nürnberger Grand Prix is as follows:

2:00 PM Carl Hester (GBR) Wie Atlantico De Ymas
2:09 PM Yvonne Losos de Muñiz (DOM) Liebling II
2:18 PM Heather Blitz (USA) Paragon
2:27 PM Pierre St Jacques (USA) Lucky Tiger
2:36 PM Ashley Holzer (CAN) Breaking Dawn
2:45 PM James Koford (USA) Pharaoh
2:54 PM ***Break*** ***Break***

3:10 PM Minna Telde (SWE) Deinhardt
3:19 PM Todd Flettrich (USA) Otto
3:28 PM Jacqueline Brooks (CAN) Gran Gesto
3:37 PM Adrienne Lyle (USA) Wizard
3:46 PM Per Sandgaard (SWE) Lomumba Havdal
3:55 PM Victoria Winter (CAN) Proton

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Schedule Change at World Dressage Masters Palm Beach

Wellington, FL (January 26, 2012) – Following Ashley Holzer’s winning ride with Pop Art in the Wellington Classic Sunshine Challenge CDI3*, a qualifier for the World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach, competition organizer Wellington Classic Dressage and the WDM management found themselves faced with a sports issue that has necessitated a decision to amend the schedule of the show.

American Heather Blitz on Paragon, second in the CDI3* Grand Prix behind Holzer and Pop Art, is one of the two riders who would have been eligible to be invited for the 5* WDM Palm Beach. Holzer, and third placed Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven of Sweden on Divertimento, are already competing in the WDM Palm Beach on other horses and are not permitted to enter with a second horse. Invitations were therefore extended to Blitz, who placed second in the CDI3*, and James Koford of the US, who finished fourth on Pharaoh.

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World Dressage Masters Palm Beach Set to Begin

2011 WDM Palm Beach Champion shares the podium with Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven of Sweden and Tina Konyot of the US - photo credit Sue Stickle

Wellington, FL (January 25, 2012) – The World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach will be officially under way at 12:30 pm on Thursday, January 26th, when 15 of the world’s top international dressage horses are presented at the FEI horse inspection. The Jim Brandon Equestrian Center is, for the second consecutive year, the venue for this unique and exciting event, which is organized by Wellington Classic Dressage.

“The International Polo Club team has come into the Jim Brandon Center and created an environment that rivals that of any international equestrian venue anywhere in the world,” said Mason Phelps Jr. of Phelps Media Group.

The World Dressage Masters presented by Axel Johnson Group is the world’s richest dressage series and the only series that holds the highest classification of FEI dressage competition, at the five star level. In the coming days, 17 of the world’s top ranked horses and riders from Europe and North America will compete for €100,000 ($130,000) at the only WDM event to take place outside of Europe. IPC Palm Beach became the presenting sponsor just a few weeks before the 2011 WDM Palm Beach after the previous sponsor cancelled its support. The 2011 WDM Palm Beach was a spectacular, sold out event, but the 2012 WDM is expected to exceed even last year’s success.

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Five Americans Headline World Dressage Masters Palm Beach

Lexington, KY – The dressage world descends upon the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in West Palm Beach, FL for the 2012 World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach. Fifteen riders from six countries have accepted invitations to compete at the prestigious event which runs January 26-28 at the CDI5* level.

The U.S. effort is led by last year’s defending champion Steffen Peters (San Diego, CA) who returns to the venue in which he swept to victory last year on Akiko Yamazaki and Four Winds Farm Ravel. Ravel, now 14, first represented the U.S. at the 2008 Olympic Games, and has gone from strength to strength since that trip. Peters was also the double-Gold medalist in October at the 2011 Pan American Games with Weltino’s Magic.

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World Dressage Masters Palm Beach: List of Competitors and Schedule

Tinne Vilhelmsson Silfven and Favourit, second place in the freestyle at WDM Palm Beach in 2011

Wellington, FL (January 19, 2012) – Excitement is mounting for the World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach, which gets under way in just one week. The World Dressage Masters presented by Axel Johnson Group is the richest dressage series in the world; over half a million dollars in prize money was awarded at four WDM competitions in 2011. The WDM Palm Beach is the only WDM event outside of Europe, and the only five star CDI in North America. International Polo Club Palm Beach became the presenting sponsor for the WDM Palm Beach in 2011.

An elite group of horses and riders, including several of the world’s top ten ranked pairs, will compete at the 2012 WDM Palm Beach. Six nations are represented by 14 riders who have now confirmed their participation. The 2011 WDM Palm Beach champions, Steffen Peters of the US and Akiko Yamazaki’s charismatic horse Ravel, will seek to defend their title against stiff rivals from Europe and North America. The number of Swedish competitors has now swelled to three, following the addition of Per Sandgaard and his horse Lomumba Havdal to the list of entries. Sandgaard represented his native Denmark at the 2004 Olympics in Athens before moving permanently to Sweden and changing his citizenship.

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European Champion Carl Hester to Compete at World Dressage Masters Palm Beach

Carl Hester and Uthopia. Photo by Leslie Bliss

Wellington, FL – January 13, 2012 – Organizers of the World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach received confirmation on Thursday that Great Britain’s Carl Hester has accepted an invitation to compete at the 2012 WDM Palm Beach, which takes place from January 26th to 28th, 2012. Hester led the British Dressage Team to a historic gold medal at the 2011 European Dressage Championships, and went on to win individual silver riding the nine year old stallion Uthopia. Hester’s exclusive appearance at the WDM Palm Beach will be his first time competing on American soil since he was a member of the British Dressage Team that won a silver medal at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

“We are thrilled that Carl has accepted our invitation to attend the 2012 WDM Palm Beach,” says Noreen O’Sullivan of Wellington Classic Dressage. “We already have an impressive group of world class horses and riders, and the addition of Carl’s name to that list is exciting news for the WDM’s presenting sponsors, for the organizers, and of course for the spectators.”

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World Dressage Masters Palm Beach Announces Change to Line-Up

Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro. Photo courtesy of British Dressage

Wellington, FL – January 6, 2012 – Organizers of the World Dressage Masters presented by Axel Johnson Group have been informed that the stallion Totilas and his rider Matthias Rath of Germany will be unable to attend the WDM Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach, which is set to take place January 26th to 28th.

“I received a call this morning from Paul Schockemöhle, one of the owners of Totilas,” said WDM Palm Beach organizer Noreen O’Sullivan of Wellington Classic Dressage. “I am very sorry to announce that Totilas will not be able to compete in this year’s World Dressage Masters Palm Beach. The owners feel the horse has just returned to light work after an injury and would not be ready for this event. We have already invited Totilas and Matthias to our 2013 WDM event. The owners and Matthias were very disappointed they would not be able to attend this year’s WDM Palm Beach but also said they look forward to accepting our invitation for next year if the horse is going well.”

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Susan Stickle to Be Official Photographer at World Dressage Masters Palm Beach

Photos: Susan J. Stickle Photos

Wellington, FL – December 23, 2011 – Award-winning equestrian photographer Susan Stickle will be the official photographer at the 2012 World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach, which will take place at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center on January 26th to 28th 2012.

Stickle, who has photographed the world’s top horses and riders at such events as the Olympics, World Equestrian Games and World Cup Finals, was also the official photographer for the 2011 WDM Palm Beach. Her images have appeared in virtually every major equestrian publication in the English speaking world. “I’m very flattered to be back to the WDM again this year,” says Stickle. “Shooting the likes of Ravel and Totilas, and the many other top international horses that are coming to Florida to compete, is a great honor.”

The 2012 WDM Palm Beach will feature a much-anticipated show-down between the defending 2011 WDM Palm Beach Champion, Steffen Peters of the US on Akiko Yamazaki’s Ravel, and the current world-record holding World Champion Totilas with his new rider, Germany’s Matthias Rath. In addition to Totilas and Ravel, a total of 20 of the world’s top horses from across North America and Europe will compete for the biggest purse in North American dressage, €100,000 (US $130,000). The highlight of the WDM Palm Beach will be the Grand Prix Freestyle on the evening of January 28th, where the top eight pairs from the Grand Prix test the previous day will perform their custom-choreographed musical programs.

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