Dressage-News

WELLINGTON, Florida, Mar. 28–Wellington Classic Dressage, Gold Coast Dressage Association, Palm Beach Dressage Derby and International Horse Sport Palm Beach announced Monday their intention to hold the 24 dressage shows licensed by the USEF for 2012 at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center and Equestrian Estates Horse Park in Loxahatchee.

The group that controls the competitions at these venues rejected efforts by Equestrian Sports Productions that operates and manages the Winter Equestrian Festival to discuss cooperation with the different groups. Wellington Classic Dressage, Palm Beach Dressage Derby and International Horse Sport Palm Beach are privately owned and managed while GCDA is a non-profit member organization.

Equestrian Sport Productions and Wellington Equestrian Partners recently announced plans for construction of a new dressage venue at the former Palm Beach Polo Stadium in Wellington. The plans call for staging three licensed competitions at the new facility in 2012 and to apply for four open CDI competition dates that are not subject to mileage rules.

“There has been a rumor that we are working with ESP to bring our well-established USEF Licensed Shows, and CDIs to a proposed new venue but that’s simply NOT true,” Noreen O’Sullivan, President of Gold Coast Dressage Association and managing partner for WCD and IHS Palm Beach said in a statement that capitalized the word NOT.

“We are absolutely committed to support both the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center and Equestrian Estates by maintaining our world class CDIs, as well as our national, USEF-licensed competitions at these two venues.”

Mary Anne McPhail, President of the Palm Beach Dressage Derby but which is now managed and operated by the same group that operates the other competitions, said: “We absolutely are hosting the Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI-W and the Equestrian Estates shows here at the Equestrian Estates Horse Park.”

The Palm Beach Dressage Derby is one of Florida’s most prestigious and longest-running CDI competitions.

The Wellington Classic Dressage and GCDA host their 16 competitions at the taxpayer-owned Jim Brandon Equestrian Center of 111 acres in West Palm Beach. International Horse Sport Palm Beach along with the Wellington Classic Dressage management took over the Palm Beach Dressage Derby and Dressage at the Equestrian Estates this year at the 50-acre Horse Park in Loxahatchee.

The combined WCD, GCDA and IHSPB hosted six CDI competitions during the 2011 winter season.

Noreen O’Sullivan said they have every intention of continuing to host and manage these same CDI competitions and nationally-rated shows in their dressage series.

“Those involved with WCD, GCDA and The Derby have worked extremely hard over many years to make Florida the center of dressage in the winter season by providing back-to-back international-caliber competitions,” their statement said.

“We are proud of the fact that we have built such a strong foundation for world class dressage competition in the Palm Beach region that others now want part of the action. It is our intention to continue to do what we’ve been doing for years–provide quality dressage competitions that cater to the needs of both amateur as well as professional riders.

“We are grateful to the riders and sponsors who have provided us with such strong support over the years. With their continued support, we expect that our shows will only get better each year regardless of what other show competitions might emerge. We view the riders as our partners and will continue to do our best to provide them dressage competitions that (are) not only of the highest quality but that also responsive to their needs and desires.”

The group released what they said will be their 2012 Show Schedule:

Wellington Classic Dressage   Jim Brandon  January 6-8, 2012
WCD IHS Dressage Premiere   Equestrian Estates January 12-15, 2012
Gold Coast Opener CDIW    Jim Brandon  January 19-22, 2012
Wellington Classic Sunshine Challenge  Jim Brandon  January 26-29, 2012
Wellington Classic Spring Challenge CDIW  Jim Brandon  February 9-11, 2012
International Horse Sport FEI Derby   Equestrian Estates February 18, 2012
Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDIW   Equestrian Estates March 1-4, 2012
Wellington Classic Challenge II CDI3*  Jim Brandon  March 8-11, 2012
World Dressage Masters CDI5*   Jim Brandon  March 8-11, 2012
Gold Coast Dressage March Schooling  Jim Brndon  March 18, 2012
International Horse Sport Champions Cup CDIW Equestrian Estates March 22-25, 2012
Dressage At Equestrian Estates   Equestrian Estates Mar 29-April 1, 2012
Gold Coast Grand Finale I & II   Jim Brandon  April 14-15, 2012
International Horse Sport Blue Hors Invitational Equestrian Estates April 20-22, 2012
Wellington Classic Dressage Challenge III  Jim Brandon  April 28-29, 2012
Gold Coast May Dressage    Jim Brandon  May 19-20, 2012
Gold Coast June Schooling    Jim Brandon  June 17, 2012
Wellington Classic Dressage In Tropics I & II  Jim Brandon  July 21-22, 2012
Gold Coast August Schooling   Jim Brandon  August 19, 2012
Wellington Classic Fall Challenge I & II  Jim Brandon  September 15-16, 2012
Gold Coast October Schooling   Jim Brandon  October 7, 2012
Wellington Classic Autumn Challenge  Jim Brandon  October 20-21, 2012
Gold Coast Fall Fling    Jim Brandon  November 10-11, 2012
Wellington Classic Holiday Challenge  Jim Brandon  December 8-9, 2012