Lexington, Ky. – U.S. riders are ready to take on the competition at the Rotterdam CDIO5* taking place during the CHIO Rotterdam in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, June 18-22. Susie Dutta, Catherine Haddad-Staller, and Brian Hafner will compete in the Nations Cup competition, while up-and-coming star Mackinzie Pooley will ride in the CDI-U25 competition. Debbie McDonald will serve as Chef d’Equipe, guiding the U.S. representatives throughout the week.
Dutta (Wellington, Fla.) is a frequent competitor on the European circuit with several top placings. She will ride Currency DC, Tim Dutta Inc.’s 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding, whom she rode on second-placed Team U.S.A. II during the 2013 Wellington Nations Cup CDIO3* presented by Stillpoint Farm. Earlier this year, the pair won the Grand Prix Freestyle during week seven of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF).
Hafner and his Young Rider horse, Lombardo LHF, have risen through the ranks to become a successful pair at the Grand Prix Level. The Penngrove, Calif. native and his and Rebecca Hafner’s 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding were sixth in last year’s The Dutta Corp/USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship and were awarded a training grant after their participation in the 2013 USEF Developing Dressage Program. This spring, the pair won the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special at the Rancho Murieta CDI3* at the Golden State Dressage Festival, and look to be in top form heading into their first senior team experience.
Haddad-Staller (Wellington, Fla.) has represented the U.S. at two FEI World Cup Finals and competed extensively in Europe while living in Germany for 20 years. She will ride Mane Stream Hotmail in Rotterdam, with whom she scored a second-place finish in the Grand Prix Special CDI-W at Dressage at Devon. Haddad-Staller and her own 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding won the Grand Prix during weeks one and five of the AGDF at the beginning of this year.
Riding for the U.S. in the CDI-U25 competition, Pooley has been on numerous Region 7 NAJYRC teams, winning several Team and Individual medals before moving up to the U-25 Grand Prix Level. The Coto de Caza, Calif. native will partner with Partous in her first competition overseas. She and Leslie Pooley’s 17-year-old KWPN gelding won the CDI-U25 Grand Prix classes at the Mid-Winter Dressage Fair and Capistrano Dressage International earlier this year and were awarded a training grant for their participation in the 2014 USEF Developing Dressage Program. A star for the future, Pooley looks to have a positive experience at her first international CDI.
To learn more about CHIO Rotterdam, visit http://www.chio.nl/.
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