Wellington, FL (April 11, 2012) – Following successful rides at the $120,000 5* West Palm Beach show at the Global Dressage Festival, sixteen-year-old Rebecca Cohen is well on her way to accomplishing her goals of competing in Kentucky this summer and at the National Championships at Gladstone. Cohen rode in the FEI Junior Individual and Junior Team classes at the world-class show, riding away with a first in the Individual and a second in the Team class.
“I competed Downtown, who I call Daddy, a 17.2 hand Westphalen gelding. I’ve been riding him for three years and our scores get higher and higher at every show,” Cohen said. “On the second day of the show we won the FEI Junior Individual Test and one of the judges gave us a score of 70% which was really exciting.”
Cohen added that she was also pleased that she and Downtown didn’t make any big mistakes during their test. “Downtown is coming off an injury in 2011, and we are getting better and better. I am excited that at the Nations Cup show I will be showing in the Freestyle. My music is from Maroone 5 and Kings of Leon and Downtown really likes it,” she said. In 2010, Cohen was on the Region 3 Junior Team and helped her team bring home a Bronze medal. She won the FEI Junior and Third Level division at Regionals and also earned a spot at the Festival of Champions.
Cohen, who is in 10th grade, says she has her heart set on attending a college where she will still be able to ride. “I would like to be able to compete in the Brentina during college so I will definitely find a college where I can ride,” she said, adding that she is currently working on balancing her two main pursuits. “It’s hard to balance school and riding but I am doing it. In my spare time I go to the gym and hang out with friends.”
While Cohen said she would like to be a lawyer, thanks to her good negotiating skills which she practices on her mother, she is focused now on competing and said she owes a great deal of her success to her coach Ilse Schwarz. “I love training with Ilse. She’s with me every step of the way and she wants success for me as much as I want it,” Cohen said.
As a future star in the dressage world, Cohen said one of her biggest influences has been Steffen Peters, and she has recently begun coaching with Robert Dover. “I feel extremely fortunate to be coached by Robert,” said Rebecca. “His lessons are really tough but fun, and Daddy is more attentive to my aids. Steffen has been to our barn with Ravel, and watching how he interacts with his horses is an amazing learning experience. Steffen is all about the horse, he never forces anything. I am so grateful to have such incredible trainers helping me reach my goals.”
For more information contact
Johnny Robb – JRPR, Inc.
561-753-4608
jrpr@mac.com