Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

OMAHA, Nebraska, Mar. 27, 2017–Thirteen American-based horses, including three dressage horses, were flown into Omaha Monday for the World Cup Finals of dressage and jumping as preparations were being completed for the start of the championships in two days.

The United States’ Laura Graves flew with her Verdades and Kasey Perry-Glass came with her Dublet on the three-hour flight from Palm Beach, Florida–and a 20-degree (65F/45F – 18/7C) drop in temperature between the two cities. Bandurria Kacero was also on the flight, having competed at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington over the winter to earn the first dressage World Cup start for Argentina.

Thirteen other dressage horses flew in from Europe Saturday, including Weihegold OLD that is the world No. 1 with Isabell Werth, Carl Hester’s Nip Tuck and Edward Gal’s Glock’s Voice. Dejavu, the first ever New Zealand horse in 32 years of World Cup dressage, also arrived after flying from Auckland to halfway around the globe to Europe and, after a training stint in England, another 10-flight across the Atlantic to Omaha.

Rosamunde to be ridden by Steffen Peters, the 2009 World Cup champion and the third American dressage pair arrived in Omaha from California Sunday night and stayed at a nearby farm until the U.S. Department of Agriculture-imposed quarantine was lifted at the venue.

The dressage Grand Prix is scheduled for Thursday and the Grand Prix Freestyle that decides the champion for 2017.

A slight glitch in the testing of one of the European horses led to a short delay in the 13 American-based horses going to the World Cup venue after the flight from Palm Beach, Florida.