Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

WELLINGTON, Florida, Dec. 20, 2015–Grand Prix competitions in the United States and Europe have become virtually interchangeable with the growing number of riders crossing the Atlantic in both directions mostly being awarded scores about the same no matter the continent.

Florida’s Adequan Global Dressage Festival has become the catalyst of change with riders from more than 30 nations and an increasing number from California and elsewhere in the United States competing in a lineup of seven CDIs with almost $700,000 in prize money over winter.

A review of judges’ scores of nine American riders at home and in Europe in 2015 confirmed what became apparent in 2014 with the first year of a campaign by the United States to see substantially more riders in Europe than ever before. Results for most combinations were about the same no matter which side of the Atlantic the competition.

The scores of several European riders–none of the foreign riders resident in the U.S. but only those based in Europe and competing at Wellington–were tallied for the first time by dressage-news.com and showed the same general trend.

The ground juries in Wellington also tend to be the same high caliber as panels of judges at European shows, typically a majority of 4* and 5* European judges with U.S. 4* and 5* panelists.

For many years, the belief was widespread in Europe and even in the U.S. that scores for American combinations were inflated at home only to be cut significantly at European competitions.

Although the Southern California calendar of shows has been expanded and improved, barely any riders from outside North America compete on the circuit and virtually none except foreigners resident in North America in other CDIs throughout the United States.

Results for United States riders with multiple Grand Prix in both the U.S. and Europe in 2015:
Allison Brock/ Rosevelt–USA average 71.600% – Europe average 71.870%
Susan Dutta/Currency DC–USA 66.155% – Europe 66.728%
Shelly Francis/Doktor–USA 71.78% – 69.573%
Charlotte Jorst/Kastel’s Nintendo–USA 69.320% – Europe 69.86%
Arlene Page/Woodstock–USA 68.668% – Europe 70.530%
Kasey Perry-Glass/Trøstruplund’s Scarlet–USA 66.82% – Europe 69.28%
Steffen Peters/Legolas–USA 75.752% – Europe 74.700%
Steffen Peters/Rosamunde–USA 73.935% – Europe 73.400%
Kathleen Raine/Breanna–USA 72.093% – Europe 68.488%

Results for European riders with multiple Grand Prix in both Europe and U.S. in 2015:
Caroline Darcourt (SWE)/Paridon Magi–USA 66.146% – Europe 68.240%
Jose Daniel Martin Dockx (ESP)/Grandioso–USA 71.910% – Europe 72.300%
Lara Griffith (GBR)/Rubin Al Asad–USA 71.910% – 72.300%
Christoph Koschel (GER)/Tiesto–USA 69.570% – Europe 69.455%
Tinne Vilhelmsson-Silfven (SWE)/Benetton Dream FRH–USA 69.156% – Europe 67.34%