Global Dressage Festival of 7 CDIs, 2 CPEDIs, 10 National Shows Scheduled for Wellington in 2017
9 years ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Global Dressage Festival of 7 CDIs, 2 CPEDIs, 10 National Shows Scheduled for Wellington in 2017
By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
WELLINGTON, Florida, Mar. 13, 2016–The 2017 Global Dressage Festival will include seven CDIs, two para dressage competitions and 10 national shows all staged at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center’s Stadium complex over three months in winter, according to a tentative schedule released Sunday by Equestrian Sport Productions.
The lineup of shows similar to the 2016 schedule that repeatedly broke records for entries in CDIs in the Western Hemisphere along with the para-dressage shows and national competitions at The Stadium will run from Jan. 11 to Mar. 26, 2017.
Prize money is still to be confirmed but is expected to at least match the 2016 total of more than $700,000, making it the richest dressage total purse in the world. Consideration is being given to raising the Nations Cup to a CDIO4* from a CDIO3* with more prize money.
The tentative schedule for 2017:
–Jan. 11-15–CDI-W World Cup plus national
–Jan. 19-22–CPEDI3* Para dressage
–Jan. 25-29–CDI-W World Cup plus national
–Feb. 4-5–National
–Feb. 8-12 CDI5*, CDI3* plus national
–Feb. 18-19–National
–Feb. 22-26–CDI-W World Cup plus national
–Mar. 1-5–Palm Beach Derby CDI-W World Cup plus national
–Mar. 10-11–CPEDI3* Para dressage plus national
–Mar. 15-19–CDI4*, CDI3* plus national
–Mar. 24-26–CDIO3* Nations Cup, CDI3* plus national
The World Cup Finals of Dressage and Jumping will be held in Omaha, Nebraska Mar. 27-April 2.
The Global show grounds in the heart of Wellington have become a center of dressage and a complement to the Winter Equestrian Equestrian Festival of jumpers and hunters that share the international equestrian venue. Eventing was added in 2015 to provide all three Olympic disciplines with dates on the Wellington competition calendar.
The Van Kampen covered arena was used extensively throughout the 2016 circuit for CDI, CPEDI and national competitions due to weather conditions and the large number of entries that have made Global one of the largest equestrian events in the world.
The Global circuit was launched in 2012 and has grown to include riders and horses from about 30 countries with as many as 140 combinations for more than 300 rides in a single CDI.
Worldwide support has come in the face of an anti-equestrian tone from the Village of Wellington government where the majority of the five-member council was elected with massive financial support from a family that is seeking to tear down the Global facility of the covered arena, permanent stables and other improvements that cost millions of dollars.
