World Dressage Masters CDI5* Announced for Florida in January
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WEST PALM BEACH, Florida, Aug. 23–A World Dressage Masters event has been scheduled for next January, according to an announcement Thursday by the organizers of horse shows at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center but no details, including a sponsor, were disclosed
A fifth year of the €100,000 (US$125,000) event that Wellington Clssic Dressage (WCD), organizers of shows at the taxpayer-owned facility, said would be a CDI5* will be staged Jan. 23-27, 2013.
The Florida winter circuit is organized in three venues–Wellington Classic Dressage shows at Jim Brandon Center in West Palm Beach, International Horse Shows in Loxahatchee and Global Dressage Festival at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.
GDF staged the only CDI5* in 2012 with $100,000 in prize money and has scheduled a similar CDI5* in 2013 at the newly built, multimillion dollar show grounds in Wellington.
WDM was inaugurated at PBIEC in 2009 and two years later was moved to the Brandon Center in West Palm Beach.
International Polo Club Palm Beach was the sponsor for 2011 and 2012. However, the club’s founder, John Goodman, was convicted earlier this year of vehicular homicide and driving under the influence manslaughter and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
In the past four years WDM in Palm Beach has been one of four events on the circuit that until 2012 also included Munich, Germany; Hickstead, England and Falsterbo, Sweden. Hickstead was canceled this year because of a conflict with the Olympics.
Anne Gribbons, U.S. team coach, described WDM as the “crown jewel” of dressage events in Florida and said it was a “very exciting” competition because it brought riders from Europe.
“It’s been very well run for the past two years,” she was quoted by WCD. “They take the facility at the Jim Brandon Center and make it intimate−cozy and exciting at the same time. The place was packed the past two years, which gives it a really good atmosphere. It prepares horses for indoor shows like they have in Europe.”
The complete schedule of Florida CDIs in 2013:
Jan. 17-20 – Gold Coast Opener CDI-W – West Palm Beach, Florida
Jan. 23-27 – Wellington Classic Sunshine Challenge CDI5*/3* – West Palm Beach
Jan. 31-Feb. 3 – Wellington Dressage CDI-W/3* – Wellington
Feb. 7-10 – Wellington Classic Spring Challenge CDI3* – West Palm Beach
Feb. 14-17 – Florida Dressage Classic CDI-W/3* – Wellington
Feb. 28-Mar. 3 – Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI-W – Loxahatchee, Florida
Mar. 7-10 – Wellington Classic Dressage Challenge II CDI1* – West Palm Beach
Mar. 14-17 – WEF Dressage Classic CDI3* – Wellington
Mar. 21-24 – International Horse Sport Championship Cup CDI-W – West Palm Beach
Mar. 28-31 – Dressage at Equestrian Estates CDI3* – Loxahatchee
April 4-7 – 5* West Palm Beach CDI5*/3* – Wellington
April 11-14 – WEF Wellington Dressage Nations Cup CDIO3*/3* – Wellington
