Dressage-News

WELLINGTON, Florida, Dec. 10, 2018–A new national Future Stars Performance Series for Prix St. Georges horses is being introduced for the 2019 Adequan Global Dressage Festival with a final in the showcase international arena for $10,000 in prize money.

The series is for seven to nine-year-old horses with the winners and runners-up in eight GDF national events qualifying for the final in the last of 12 weeks of competitions at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center’s Stadium complex.

Iron Spring Farm of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, a leading American sport horse breeder, is title sponsor of the series. Cunningham & Cunningham Livestock insurance of Goshen, New York and Legacy Farms of Loxahatchee, Florida are supporting sponsors.

Equestrian Sport Productions, organizer of GDF, is featuring the Future Stars Performance Series in eight national competitions leading to the final.

Launching of the series, open to riders of all nationalities licensed to compete in the U.S.,  is in a Pan American Games year, the continental championships staged once every four years of small and big tour teams that is an Olympic qualifier.

Combinations need to place first or second in one USEF Developing Prix St. Georges competition to qualify for the final and do not need to participate in any other series event before the final. Riders can qualify more than one horse.

The series is loosely based on the world famous Nürnberger Burg-Pokal that is the German championship of horses aged seven to nine years at small tour with the winner of one of 12 national competitions receiving an invitation to the final that for 2018 will be held in Frankfurt this week.

Thomas Baur, GDF sport director, formatted the series at national level to provide an opportunity for as many combinations as possible to compete for a place in the final as easily as possible and at minimal cost–no horse inspection or on-site stabling required.

Lars Petersen, an Olympic, World Equestrian Games and World Cup team competitor for Denmark who now rides for the U.S. and operates Legacy Farms with Melissa Taylor, along with Kenneth Braddick of dressage-news.com proposed the series to the Global organizers.

“We didn’t have to do much persuasion as Global already hosts events from World Cup to Nations Cup with big money CDI5*s and CDI4*s that have made the circuit among the best in the world,” Lars said. “And Global’s lead introducing amateur CDIs and the Florida Youth Championships shows their willingness to be innovative for the benefit of the sport.

“Development of new horses and riders is critical for the future of the sport.

“We’re excited to be involved with Future Stars Performance Series as another step forward for Global and dressage in the Americas.”

The eight weeks of qualifying conpetitions are:

-GDF1 Jan. 9-13
-GDF3 Jan. 23-27
-GDF5 Feb. 6-10
-GDF6 Feb. 15-16
-GDF7 Feb. 20-24
-GDF8 Feb. 27-Mar. 3
-GDF9 Mar. 7-10
-GDF10 Mar. 13-17

Final: GDF12 Mar. 27-31-International Arena, Global Dressage Festival
Prize Money $10,000
Break down: 1. $2,500, 2. $2,000, 3. $1,500, 4.$1,000, 5. $600, 6. $500, 7. $400, 8. $300, 9. $200, 10. $200, 11. $200, 12. $200, 13. $100, 14. $100, 15. $100, 16. $100.
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