by Jane Savoie

The following article was inspired by a rider who told me, “I have a wonderful, talented thoroughbred. We can do Second and Third level work at home, yet when we compete, we can barely get through a First Level test. The missing link seems to be relaxation. My horse is off the track, and we seem to feed off each other’s tension. How does a normally tense person learn to relax?”

This rider is right in thinking that relaxation is her priority. When you’re tense, your work can’t be of as high a quality as when you’re relaxed. That’s true for both horses and riders. Sure, a certain rush of adrenalin is normal and even welcome. But when you’re so tense that you feel immobilized, you’ve got a problem. Here are some tips to help you relax at shows.

Tip 1: First, try to figure out why you get so nervous at shows. Are you worried about what people think of you? Have you put unrealistic pressure on yourself to win? Are you afraid you won’t measure up to the expectations of others? If those are the kinds of things that make you nervous, focus on “performance goals” rather than “result goals”. In other words, rather than having a goal of scoring 65% or placing in the top 3, make a new goal that reflects your effort rather than the outcome. For example, how about sitting elegantly and quietly, or remembering to breathe, or maintaining a metronome-like rhythm for an entire test?

Tip 2: Do you ride defensively because you’re afraid that your horse will be fresh at a new place? If so, go to the show a day early. Work your horse on the longe line so he can get his bucks out of his system. Take him out of the stall several times for hand walks or grazing around the arenas. You’ll be amazed at how grazing your horse calms him down. By the time you ride, he should be as comfortable with his new surroundings as he is at home.

Tip 3: Stage some dress rehearsals. Drive to neighboring farms; take your horse off the trailer, warm-up, and do a practice test. Do this often enough that going to a new place and “performing” gets to be old hat for both of you.

It’s even a good idea to braid and put on your show clothes to simulate a competition. I remember one horse that would warm up beautifully, but as soon as I went around the ring, he’d get tense. I didn’t think I was making him tense, but I would consistently “lose him” between the warm-up and the competition arena.

I finally figured out that I never wore my shadbelly jacket with its long tails during the warm up. When I finally put my coat on, the tails brushed his sides, and he’d catch a glimpse of them moving out of the corner of his eye. These new sensations scared him. So for several weeks, I pinned a large bath towel to the back of the saddle pad. When he moved, the towel flapped against his body, and he could see it waving. He soon got used to it, and our problem went away.

Tip 4: Use humor to break up tension. Go to shows with friends who get silly and make you laugh. The less intense you are, the more fun you’ll have. Go around the arena and as you pass the judge, think to yourself, “Hey, Baby! Get ready to have your socks knocked off!” Hear the bell and say under your breath, “Oh, Yippee! It’s my turn!” Come down the centerline, see the judge sitting in the trailer, and visualize that you’re going to put the tailgate up so she can’t see you. Do whatever goofy thing helps you to dissipate tension.

Tip 5: Think about what happens to you physically when you’re tense. Muscles get tight while respiration and heart rate increase. The good news is that with a little work, you can regulate all of these reactions.

Let’s address muscle tension first. Understand that the more you tighten a muscle, the more deeply it relaxes when you let go. To learn the feeling of muscular relaxation, sit in a chair and tense every muscle in your body. Hold the tension until your body quivers. Then let go and feel yourself sinking heavily down into your chair.

Now, go through this process starting at your head and working down to your feet section by section. Each time you release the tension in a muscle group, anchor this feeling of deep relaxation, by saying the words “let go”. Eventually as you ride, you can scan your body for tight places. “Talk” to that area with your cue words. For example, say out loud, “Neck–Let go.” Wrists–Leg go.” “Legs–Let go.”

Tip 6: Now, let’s talk about breathing. Normally, when you’re tense, your respiration becomes more rapid and shallow. You might even find that you occasionally hold your breath. You can be sure that if you do this, you’ll transmit your tension to your horse.

So, practice deep breathing. As you inhale through your nose, keep your shoulders down and let your stomach get “fat”. As you exhale through your mouth, feel your seat lowering into the saddle so that you “dissolve” into your horse’s body. Consciously breathe like this when you first get on, during every break, and as you go around the outside of the arena. In fact, one of your performance goals can be to take a deep breath in every corner.

Tip 7: You can also train yourself to regulate your heart rate by using the stress and recovery cycle that occurs during exercise. Go for a twenty-minute walk and periodically increase your heart rate by walking faster or even jogging for 10-30 seconds. Each time you slow back down to a comfortable walk and feel your heart rate and breathing returning to normal, ANCHOR this feeling with a specific cue. Pick a cue that you can use easily when you ride. For example, clear your throat, touch your thumb to your forefinger, or tap your fists together. Then when you feel tense at shows, you can use your cue to slow your heart rate because you’ve trained yourself to do so.

Tip 8: Know your test (course, pattern) like the back of your hand. That way you can ride your horse rather than riding the test. You shouldn’t be thinking; “Now I make a circle, and then I leg yield, and then I lengthen across the diagonal.”

If you’re focusing on where you have to go next, you can’t concentrate on what your horse needs.

I know I really “own” my test, when I can pick any point in the test and know what movement comes BEFORE it. So, I’ll ask myself, “What comes before the halt at A?” or “What comes before the lengthening from M to K?”

You’re not alone. Everyone gets tense when competing. Contrary to popular opinion, professionals are not immune to sweaty palms and rubbery legs. But the exciting thing is that you can learn to deal with your anxiety so that you can still do your job well and enjoy yourself. All it takes is some handy tools in your toolbox.

Source janesavoie.com

Can I Learn How to Ride Dressage from Online Videos?

By Shannon Dueck

I have often been asked this question, my opinion is both “Yes” and “No”. Full disclosure here:: I do have training videos on one of the popular websites, so that must mean I think they can be useful.
Here are some of my reasons for saying “Yes”:

Theoretical knowledge of horsemanship in general and dressage training in particular is crucial to being successful as a rider and trainer (and yes, you are training your horse every time you sit in that saddle, even if you are not getting paid). You really do need to know the hows and whys of what you are trying to accomplish when you are riding. Without the theoretical background, even the most gifted rider will go round and round in circles (get it?) and never progress. And, the theory of dressage is never completely mastered, so we can all continue to improve our knowledge forever. While books are truly treasure troves of theory, good videos of great trainers who are teaching students or riding and talking while doing so can clarify much of the written word for us.

Many of us are visual learners, myself included. That means that no matter how much we read about it, discuss it, question it and spout the theory ad nauseam, we really don’t get it until we see it done a number of times. I remember as a working student spending many extra hours watching top trainers ride and train. For some reason I could see the half halt and feel it in my body when they were riding. Eventually I could reproduce that half halt myself on a horse – the “Eureka” moment. I finally knew what all the books were talking about. I sure know the moment I felt myself affect the horse’s hindlegs and put them where I wanted them. This was directly related to how many times I had watched great riders do the same thing. I completely believe that we can learn from watching good riding and training, and this learning can sometimes almost bypass the conscious brain and just go straight into our subconscious. (Warning: I also believe we can subconsciously learn bad riding from watching bad riding, so turn away from the train wrecks please!) This is reason number two for a resounding “Yes”.

Reason three is that we have a limited number of horses to ride every day. I ride and teach all day, but that doesn’t mean I am exposed to all different kinds of horses and situations. We can learn from different trainers on different horses; every one has unique challenges in their training process. If you only ride one horse a day, watching applicable video can vastly increase your understanding of how to deal with your own unique challenges.

Reason one for “No” is the same as reason three for “Yes”. It can be confusing to learn from too many trainers, and for that reason I think most students should limit their exposure somewhat to trainers who have similar training methods as your current trainer. Otherwise you can find yourself questioning more, and not progressing. This is fine if your quest is just knowledge for the sake of knowledge (not a bad quest), but it’s not so great for progressing in the actual sport of riding dressage well.

Lastly, if you want to learn how to ride, there is no substitute for riding. Lots of riding. All the theoretical learning, all the questioning, all the discussions, answers and watching will never do for you what hours in the saddle will. You must have the knowledge and understanding of what you are trying to accomplish, but in the end you must develop feel in your body and subconscious. This takes hours in the saddle, being aware of what you are doing, trying to feel your horse and then using your body more effectively to affect your horse in the right ways. In this way, your conscious knowledge turns into unconscious skill.

International Grand Prix trainer and competitor Shannon Dueck is a Pan Am Games Individual Silver Medalist, and has competed at both WEG and the World Cup Final. She has trained with Bert Rutten of the Netherlands, Kathy Connelly, Lars Peterson, Hubertus Schmidt, Robert Dover, and most recently, Wolfram Wittig while in Germany this past summer.

Source dueckdressage.com

Show Jumping: 2011 Aachen Nations Cup News

The 2011 Nations Cup Show Jumping competitions in Aachen, Netherlands – has the Netherlands winning Leg 5 of 8 of the FEI Nations Cup.

FEI NATIONS CUP
The FEI Nations Cup is a five-star competition in which official teams representing nations compare their merit. At each event the teams gain points according to their placing. At the end of the 2011 season the team with the highest points wins the FEI Nations Cup and the two teams with the lowest points will be relegated to the FEI Nations Cup Promotional League. The highest placed team from the 2011 FEI Nations Cup Promotional League Final and the highest placed Team on the FEI European Nations Cup Promotional League standings immediately prior to the 2011 FEI Nations Cup Promotional League Final will join the FEI Nations Cup Top League for 2012.

US Dressage Riders Missing From Aachen Dressage Competition

Recently reported by dressage-news.com, US Dressage Riders will be curiously absent from the Aachen under-25 competition in Germany next month and none met the qualifying criteria.

The Under-25 division aimed at competitors between Young Riders and the senior ranks has exploded in Europe with classes attracting large numbers of entries with top quality riders and horses and a large and growing fan base. The Under-25 division has been embraced as vital to the future of the sport.

“We are very aware of this gap in our ranks in the Unites States, as well as the desperate need for more junior and pony riders to come up the ladder,” said Anne Gribbons the U.S. Equestrian Federation Technical Advisor, essentially the national coach.

Debbie McDonald who won medals with Brentina in Olympics and World Equestrian Games and a World Cup title is designing an “ambitious” Under-25 program for the U.S. that should be implemented next year, she said

The CHIO Aachen introduced an Under-25 Nations Cup in 2010 and will stage it again this year at what is the premier horse show in the world with a CDIO5* Nations Cup, CDI4* and a CDI for Under-25s that will fill the 8,000-seat permanent dressage stadium July 13-16.

Caroline Roffman, the International Equestrian Federation’s “Rising Star” for 2010, was invited by the organizers to compete in next month’s competition.

Caroline of Wellington, Florida, told dressage-news.com that she was excited to compete with Lux, a nine-year-old Danish warmblood gelding by Lobster. However, a pre-competition veterinary examination found issues that her vet said would not prevent the horse from competing at Aachen but recommended a break from competition for the sake of the long term development of Lux.

“I’m really, really disappointed,” Caroline said. “I’ve been so excited about this ever since I received the invitation. The horse comes first, though, and we decided this was best for Lux.”

In anticipation of an invitation to Aachen, the USEF sought applications. Horse and rider combinations were required to submit three scores from FEI Grand Prix, FEI Young Rider Grand Prix 16-25, FEI Intermediaire II with an overall minimum average of 66 per cent. At least two of the scores had to be at the Young Rider Grand Prix or Grand Prix level and one Grand Prix score must be from a CDI.

No riders qualified. And Caroline withdrew.

“The U-25 riders are getting a lot of attention in Europe,” Anne Gribbons said, “and of course that group is the one to target to help them move on to the Senior Grand Prix division. And, as usual, they have greater numbers and lesser distances to travel than we do to get new programs started.

“We are very aware of this gap in our ranks in the Unites States, as well as the desperate need for more junior and pony riders to come up the ladder.

“That is the reason I have intensively worked with the USEF and the committees to create a system of education we hope will produce depth in the future and fill in the holes.

“Debbie McDonald is designing an ambitious program for next year and the age group between Young Riders and Grand Prix under 25 is one of the areas she will target.”

Nine-time Paralympic dressage gold medallist Lee Pearson will miss September’s European Championships in Belgium with a back injury.

Recently reported by bbc.co.uk, Paralympic dressage rider Lee Pearson is out of the Europeans.

The 37-year-old fell from his horse during a training session, injuring his back and putting him out of the saddle for eight weeks – meaning he will miss the selection events in July.

An MRI scan revealed he had fractured three vertebrae and crushed a fourth.

“The news came as quite a shock. It’s just uncomfortable to ride,” he said.

“I never dreamed it could be broken. I thought I must have sprained it as I’m able to carry on with life pretty much as normal.”

Although the fractures are stable and Pearson expects to make a full recovery, he has been advised not to ride to allow everything time to heal.

The European Championships – the last major Para dressage event before the London Games – take place in Belgium on 1-4 September.

Pearson added: “Nothing is set in stone and I could be riding again sooner than I think but either way it’s much more important that I’m injury free and back in form for the Paralympics next year.”

The five-strong team for the European Championships will be chosen after the two remaining selection events at Hickstead and Hartpury next month.

British riders have won team gold at every Paralympic, World and European Championship since the sport began.

Performance Manager David Hunter added: “It’s very unfortunate that Lee has had this accident but we are relieved to hear though that it has been picked up early .

“We expect to see him back on board soon and fighting fit for London 2012.”

By Pippa Cuckson

A senior equestrian official recently berated me for not reporting Laura Bechtolsheimer’s four wins at an early season dressage show in Europe.

But Laura is a multiple world and European silver medallist and, in the absence of many other big-hitters, the only newsworthy thing would have been her failure to sweep the board that weekend.

Dressage, it seems, has not fully registered that the dynamic has dramatically changed following Britain’s rapid evolution from under-horsed get-rounders to dressage super-power within the space of a single Olympiad.

On current form, British dressage seems even more of a nap for a medal in London than eventing, especially as the two main rivals, Holland and Germany, are marginally weaker too.

After the World Equestrian Games last October the Dutch lost top-scorer Moorlands Totilas in a lucrative but perhaps cynical sale to Germany. Seven months on, “Toto’s” new rider Matthias Rath has yet to compete internationally with the equine star, never mind prove that they have gelled.

Heightened expectations will put unusual pressure on the British dressage squad at the 2011 European championships in Rotterdam and at Greenwich next year, but they are up to the challenge. In previous eras, the dressage quartet tended to pick itself and was resigned to languishing around seventh or eighth out of 10 participating teams.

Nowadays a dozen British horse and rider combinations are capable of scoring around the 72 per cent needed to stay in touch of a team medal.

Aside from our 2010 world silver medal-winning squad of Bechtolsheimer (Mistral Hojris), Carl Hester (Liebling II), Fiona Bigwood (Wie Atlantico) and Maria Eilberg (Two Sox), both Bechtolsheimer (Andretti H) and Hester (Uthopia) have second strings stepping up to the plate; former dual European bronze medallist Emile Faurie (Elmegardens Marquis), Germany-based Emma Hindle (a choice of three or four) and Anna Ross-Davies (Pegasus MK) are on target with new equine partners and there is excitement about the relatively untried Nikki Crisp (Pasoa) and Charlotte Dujardin (Valegro), who in January became the first Brit to score 74 per cent on her debut Grand Prix and has since beaten Hester, her boss and mentor.

It’s ironic, therefore, that the 2012 team can only contain three riders, with no scope to discard a low fourth score as in the past. The reduction in participants arises from the International Equestrian Federation’s (FEI) determination to keep this esoteric discipline accessible to 21st century audiences with a declining attention span.

Other format changes such as the freestyle test to music drew a younger generation of riders and uber wealthy horse-owners into dressage; innovation could now be working to the slight disadvantage of the talent pool it helped create in the UK, though team management still hopes to get a fourth rider into the individual contest.

A more radical change for the Olympics is that the team medal will be decided by the combined scores of two set dressage tests – the Grand Prix and a modified Grand Prix Special – fought out over three days.

Historically, Grand Prix has decided the two-day team contest, with the Special only ridden by those progressing to the individual final.

This may provide further dilemmas for selectors, as some horses are better suited to one test or the other; equally, some brilliant but excitable horses ‘blow’ on the first day of a championship, but settle by the third day and start scoring big marks.

Whether the penny has dropped amongst spectators also remains to be seen. Amid all the speculation about ticket ballot success, the big question for dressage fans is whether they correctly identified the podium day in the first place!

The Bramham International has always been a reliable step-up for future Olympic eventing horses; last year’s winner, Redesigned, went on to finish fifth with Pippa Funnell, just two penalties off a medal, at last year’s world games on his debut championship appearance.

This weekend’s running (June 2-5) has even more resonance as riders scramble to get Olympic eligibility qualifications in the bag. No matter who you are, everyone had to start from scratch on January 1; seventy-seven horses run in Bramham’s principal three-day event, 36 in the under-25s and 41 in the supporting one-day international, which can also count.

To some this urgency may baffle, as riders only need a maximum of two 3-star international results per horse and the cut-off point is June 17, 2012. But as this week’s injury scare with the Queen’s Derby hope Carlton House has shown, anything can go wrong with the most cosseted of equine athletes. An ancient equestrian adage says there’s always another day for a horse, but reality is different.

William Fox-Pitt rides two at Bramham and if they complete without error it will bring his total of horses already qualified for London 2012 to six and a half – a staggering achievement for this stage of the season, even by the ambitious standards Fox-Pitt sets for himself.

Meanwhile, Mary King has qualified four, thanks to good Badminton placings and a historic one-two at the Kentucky four-star the following week. She can now turn her attentions safely(ish) to increasing her series lead in the lucrative HSBC Classics. With this sort of equine arsenal behind them, this evergreen duo must surely have already bagged their berths at Greenwich?

Source blogs.telegraph.co.uk

Recently reported by the usef.org, California’s young Dressage horse talent was on display during Dressage at Flintridge CDI*/Y/J.

Young dressage horses were the stars of the weekend in the historic and pastoral setting of the Flintridge Riding Club for Dressage at Flintridge CDI*/Y/J, May 26-29, 2011 in La Cañada-Flintridge, CA. As host of the Markel/USEF Young Horse Western Selection Trial for the FEI/WBFSH World Breeding Championships in Verden (GER) and the final Pan American Games qualifying competition for Southern California, competitors made the most of the opportunity to try to earn scores worthy of securing an invitation to represent their country on an international stage.

In the Five-Year-Old division of the Markel/USEF Young Horse Western Selection Trial, the standout performer was Sanceo, a brown Hanoverian stallion (San Remo x Rivera by Ramiro’s Son II, bred in Germany by Gerhard Dustmann) ridden by Sabine Schut-Kery of Thousand Oaks, CA, for owner Alice Womble-Heitman of Hempstead, TX. Winner of last fall’s California Dressage Society (CDS) Young Horse Futurity as a four year old, Sanceo impressed the judges to earn 8.12 in the Preliminary Test (40%) and 8.30 in the Final Test (60%) for an overall score of 8.23, the championship ribbon, and a possible ticket to Verden.

“This stallion is such an elegant and light type of horse,” noted judge Natalie Lamping (4* USA). “He’s just what we’re looking for in this division.”

Reserve Champion was the U.S.-bred bay Dutch Warmblood mare Bakara (Sir Sinclair x Thea by Idocus). Ridden by 2007 Verden competitor Willy Arts of DG Bar Ranch, Bakara earned scores of 7.38 and 7.60 for an overall 7.51 for owner and breeder Janice Kissel of San Luis Obispo, CA.

In the demanding six-year-old tests, Sherry Van’t Riet of Monte Nido, CA, rode her own brown Oldenburg gelding Sir Deauville (Sir Donnerhall x Estella by De Niro, bred in Germany by Karl-Heinz Drees) to win the championship title with scores of 7.38 and 6.90 (7.09 overall), while in reserve was last year’s CDS Five-Year-Old Futurity champion Soleil (bay Oldenburg gelding, Sunny Boy x Ricoletta, bred in Germany by Werner Martens Achternhoff) owned and ridden by Bekki Vrono from San Dimas, CA, with an overall score of 6.74.

Despite the quality of rides in the CDI* classes, there was no match for Jan Ebeling and the striking black mare Rosenzauber 8. Having just returned to the U.S. from an FEI World Cup Finals appearance, Ebeling rode Deborah Harlan’s ten-year-old Hanoverian (Rotspon x Shining Sun by Shogun) to a sweep of the division with strong scores of 70.263% in the Prix St. Georges, 70.702% in the Intermediaire I, and 70.292% in the Freestyle. “My favorite things about this mare are her lightness and how good in the contact she is,” said judge Lamping. “She’s so pleasant to watch.”

Canadians shared reserve placings in the small tour throughout the weekend, as Dominique Culham Buckland of British Columbia rode “Utango DG” to place second in the Prix St. Georges Test (66.579%) while compatriot Lindsay Seidel-Wassenaar and “Oslo” were runners-up in both the Intermediaire I Test and the Freestyle (66.754% and 66.833%, respectively).

In the CDI Young Rider division, Kelli Newton and “Luciano” dominated the division, earning a 68.553% in the Young Rider Team Test, 66.491% in the Individual Test, and a 68.958% in the Freestyle.

Markel/Cornerstone High Point Series Awards and Flintridge Riding Club awards were presented in several divisions. In the FEI ranks, Jan Ebeling and “Rosenzauber 8″ were presented with the Markel champion’s dress sheet and the Roc Perpetual Trophy, while in the Open division Jaye Cherry rode “Santana” to the claim the Markel dress sheet and the Keen Perpetual Trophy. For Adult Amateurs, Tiffany Mahoney with “Arabella” won both the Markel award and the Kingdom Video Trophy. For Juniors/Young Riders, Stella Leitner and “Favorius” won the Markel division while Kelli Newton and “Luciano” were presented with the Dr. Mary Seddon Perpetual Trophy. In addition, Nina Winternheimer and “Ari” won the Flintridge Riding Club Perpetual Trophy in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Don T. Hibner, Jr.

Mary Bahniuk Lauritsen (Credit: Dressage Daily)

Four advanced young riders have been selected for the 2011 Olympic Dream Program that annually sends young riders to Europe for an intensive 10-day dressage experience.

The program is administered and funded annually by The Dressage Foundation (TDF). On May 2, an independent Selection Committee, after reviewing dozens of applications, chose Mary Bahniuk Lauritsen (MA), Jhesika Wells (WA), Kathryn Butt (SC) and Laura DeCesari (AZ) to make the 10th annual TDF trip to Europe. The committee chose Melissa Reese (NJ) and Ari Lopez (CA) as the first and second alternates, respectively; however, the original winners have all committed to go. The Selection Committee based their decision on candidates’ essays, competition scores, recommendations, DVDs of their riding and signs of commitment to the sport of dressage.

Jenny Johnson, administrative director of TDF, said, “The Board of Directors and staff of The Dressage Foundation congratulates the four candidates chosen for this year’s Olympic Dream Program! We received a record number of high quality applications, so the Selection Committee had quite a task.”

The program, conceived by Olympic medalist and TDF Board Member Michael Poulin (FL), will be led this year by Simone Ahern (CO) and Elizabeth Caron (CT). Beth Baumert (CT) is serving as administrator as she has since the program’s inception. Poulin believes TDF’s Olympic Dream program helps American young riders reach their potential. He aims to fuel “the power of the dream” for young people, and help them “develop a sense of proportion, a sense of themselves and of being proud of who they are and what they’re doing.”

On June 28, the group will travel to Frankfurt, Germany. The tentative plan, subject to the schedules of German trainers, is to visit former U.S. team coach, Klaus Balkenhol, Spanish team coach, Jean Bemelmanns and German Olympians, Ingrid Klimke and Hubertus Schmidt. The group also hopes to visit Schafhof, the home of former German Olympian, Ann-Kathrin Linsenhoff, and her trainer/husband Klaus Martin Rath, along with his son, Matthias Rath who was on the 2010 World Equestrian Games team for Germany. Matthias is the current rider for the great horse, Totilas. The group will return to their home towns on July 8. While traveling, the young riders will record their observations in daily journals and chronicle the events with photos and video to share with their home dressage organizations.

Source dressagedaily.com

Recently reported by dressagedaily.com, Rafalca ridden by Jan Ebeling won day 1 of the CDI Dressage Grand Prix.

In the CDI Grand Prix class, Jan Ebeling rode his long-time partner “Rafalca” to a decisive win with a score of 69.298%. Ebeling is using this competition as a final preparation for the Reem Acra/FEI World Cup Dressage Finals, and feels that his mount has become much stronger over the last year in order to better tackle the demands of the division. The ground jury agreed. “Rafalca is much more confirmed, consistent and at ease throughout her test than we’ve seen her before,” noted judge Cara Whitham.

For West Coast riders, there was no joking around this April Fool’s Day as a huge field of competitors fought for the blue ribbon in the CDI Prix St. Georges Test at the Festival of the Horse CDI-W/Y/J. Officiating for today’s class were FEI judges Linda Zang (5* USA), Cara Whitham (5* CAN), and Eddy de Wolff (4* NED). “The overall quality in the top group of this class was very good,” said judge Eddy de Wolff. Emerging the hard-fought victor was Steffen Peters riding Jen Hlavacek’s nine-year-old Westfalen gelding “Weltino’s Magic”, which de Wolff described as “a super horse”. After impressive wins at last month’s Mid-Winter Dressage Fair, this pair returned to Burbank to earn a first-day score of 75.395%.

Competing in the CDI Young Rider division, Dressage rider Brandi Roenick topped the list riding “Pretty Lady”, scoring a 66.974%. Additionally Colby Dodd of Canada won the Junior Team test competition.

Watch this excellent video of Dutch Dressage Star Adelinde Cornelissen Winning her 4th FEI Dressage World Cup qualifier in Goteborg Sweden.

As reported recently by horsesport.org, Adelinde Cornelissen once again dominated.

Adelinde Cornelissen and Jerich Parzival recorded their fourth victory of the 2010/2011 Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage season at Gothenburg, Sweden tonight and jumped to the top of the Western European League leaderboard ahead of the final qualifier on their home turf at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands in three weeks’ time.

The 32 year old rider and her 14 year old horse produced a more harmonious test than ever before, and Cornelissen declared herself delighted with the result. Sweden’s Patrik Kittel finished a close second however with a personal-best result from his stallion Watermill Scandic HBC while Germany’s Isabell Werth and Warum Nicht FRH had to settle for third.

In a competition that was very much “a game of two halves”, many of the early riders produced low scores. Ground Jury President, The Netherlands’ Wim Ernes, said “tonight we saw some bad tests….but the top riders did a good job”. He added “we saw today in the first group, a lot of riders who did not have enough impulsion and so made a lot of mistakes”.