Dressage-News

OMAHA, Nebraska, Jan. 21, 2018–An innovative dressage challenge aimed at fostering team competition and developing youth involvement in North America will be staged at the Omaha International April 12-15.

As many as eight team each with three riders can qualify at Grand Prix through CDIs or CPEDIs anywhere in North America, including the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida and the Adequan West Coast Dressage Festival in California between Jan. 1 and April 8.

Heather Blitz, based in Loxahatchee, Florida and an international championship rider for the United States, has become the first to qualify with a team at the venue that hosted the successful 2017 World Cup Final.

Angela Peavy, the 21-year-old rider who competed for the United States at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and the 2014 World Equestrian Games para dressage in Normandy, France will be on Heather’s team.

“I am so happy that horse sport at this level is being brought to the Midwest,” said Heather who had trained and competed horses bred in Louisiana.

“It is really important to remember that this sport we all love should always be fun.”

Team members can be senior, youth, amateur or para equestrian riders from North America or riders who live there permanently and have a US Equestrian or Equestrian Canada license.

At least one team rider has to be from a youth division.

To attract high performance riders to Nebraska, the organization is offering $45,000 in prize money. Each qualified team automatically receives $3,000 upon arrival at Omaha.

Seven teams will qualify at seven different CDIs/CPEDIs in North America–teams have to declare before the vet check they will form a squad to try to qualify. One wild card team for riders from the Midwestern Regions 2, 4 and 5 will qualify by applying to the organizing committee.

Qualification will be determined by the best team score in:

* Seniors–Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle;
* Seniors–Amateurs and Youth Intermediate 1 and Intermediate Freestyle;
* Under-25–Grand Prix U25 and Grand Prix Freestyle;
* Young Riders–YR Individual Test and YR Freestyle;
* Junior Riders–JR Individual Test and JR Freestyle, and
* Para Riders Grade 3/4/5–Individual Test and Freestyle in respective grade

The two best scores of the first technical test and the two best scores of the Freestyle test count. In total, four scores out of the six tests will count. In case of a tie, the highest score of a youth rider will break the tie for the qualification slot.

Para team member scores from the two CPEDIs in Wellington will be combined as follows: AGDF 0 – AGDF 1 and AGDF 2 – AGDF 3

Team riders already qualified are not able to start for another team.

When a team qualifies for the final in Omaha, at least two team members from the qualification CDI MUST participate in the final. One rider can be replaced and all horses can be replaced.

The two best scores of the first technical test and the two best scores of the Freestyle test will count. In total, four scores out of the six tests will count. In the case of a tie, the highest score of a Youth rider will break the tie for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. All other ties remain equal.

The final will be run under FEI Rules and regulations and scores will count toward qualifying for respective championships.

Prize money ranges from $12,000 for first place to $3,000 for eighth.

More information is available from Director of Dressage Thomas Baur at acm.baur@t-online.de.