Wellington Global to Stage Under-25 Nations Cup, 1 of Only Handful in World & 1st Outside Western Europe
8 years ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Wellington Global to Stage Under-25 Nations Cup, 1 of Only Handful in World & 1st Outside Western Europe
WELLINGTON, Florida, Jan. 26, 2017–The Adequan Global Dressage Festival will stage an Under-25 Nations Cup in March, one of only a handful in the world and the first outside Europe.
Teams can be as many as three combinations with two scores in the Intermediate II counting for medals. Separate medals will be awarded for both the U-25 Grand Prix and the Freestyle scheduled for the same show as the senior CDIO3* Nations Cup Mar. 21-26.
Only one other Nations Cup, in Hammarö, Sweden June 26-July 2, has been scheduled so far in 2017 as well as the second year of the Under-25 European Championships, to be held in Lamprechtshausen, Austria Aug. 30-Sept. 3.
In 2016, Nations Cups were held only in Ypäjä, Finland and Braunschweig, Germany in addition to the inaugural Europeans at Hagen, Germany.
The Under-25 Nations Cup is the latest addition to innovations in six years of the Global Dressage Festival that includes seven CDIs in the first three months of the year.
The lineup includes the first non-championship senior Nations Cup outside Europe; four World Cup qualifiers; a CDI4* and CDI5* stars that include all levels of the sport that staged the first CDI for adult amateurs that has led to the circuit becoming the center of dressage in the Americas. It has already outgrown show grounds that were built specially for dressage as part of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center and a new and enlarged facility is planned for nearby International Polo Club for next winter.
The Wellington Under-25 Nations Cup was up in the air after the FEI–International Equestrian Federation–dressage department did not approve it but kicked it up to the secretary general for a decision.
The issue appeared to center on the application made under the 12-week FEI requirement, though in 2016 when dressage was run as a department with para dressage only there were 101 additions at 48 shows around the world.
More difficulties have been reported by managers of shows in North America and Europe since dressage and para dressage were merged late last year into a group that also includes vaulting and reining.
One of the biggest changes so far this year was the reduction of the Global CDI4* prize money to $95,000 from $120,000 that was scheduled by the organizers and approved by the U.S. Equestrian Federation.
The FEI approved the amount of $120,000 for the 2016 CDI4*.
The reason given by the FEI was that prize money is pegged to the Swiss franc with a minimum of 24,000 and a maximum of 89,999 for a CDI4*.
The exchange rate of 89,999 was about $91,250 in March 2016 but the total of $120,000 was approved by the FEI. The rate for 89,999 Swiss francs was $89,912 Thursday.
