Global Dressage Festival Lineup Changes to Provide Last-Minute Competition for Las Vegas World Cup
5 years ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Global Dressage Festival Lineup Changes to Provide Last-Minute Competition for Las Vegas World Cup
WELLINGTON, Florida, Sept. 18, 2019–The Adequan Global Dressage Festival lineup of seven CDIs this coming winter has been changed, the organizers reported Wednesday, to provide a last-minute Grand Prix Freestyle competition two weeks ahead of the World Cup Final in Las Vegas.
The first three Global shows at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center’s Stadium complex will be World Cup qualifiers with a fourth qualifier set for the final Global week of Mar. 24-29.
Contenders in North America have to compete in a minimum of three qualifiers for the World Cup Final centered on the Grand Prix Freestyle scheduled for April 15-19.
Of the 18 starting places in the annual world championship, two are allocated to North America plus a “home” athlete; nine will represent Western Europe, two Central Europe, one Pacific, one non-league, one “other” and the defending champion, Isabell Werth who has won the last three titles, all on Weihegold OLD.
Other Global circuit highlights include the CDI5*, the highest ranked and big prizemoney event that is the only one staged outside Western Europe.
In 2020 it will be mandatory for most United States combinations seeking to be on the team of three for the Olympics in Tokyo next July. Laura Graves on Verdades, Kasey Perry-Glass on Dublet, Adrienne Lyle on Silvano and Harmony’s Duval and Katherine Bateson-Chandler on Alcazar as well as Californians Steffen Peters on Suppenkasper, Sabine Schut-Kery on Sanceo and Nick Wagman on Don John could compete. Pan American Games Small Tour star Sarah Lockman on First Apple as well as Endel Ots on Lucky Strike will be contenders but likely will get a bye from the 5*.
Canada’s top combinations will also be competing in Wellington to make their country’s Olympic team.
Among the top partnerships are Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu on All In, Naima Moreira Laliberte on Statesman, Tina Irwin on Laurencio, Jaimey Irwin on Donegal V, Jill Irving on Degas, Jacqueline Brooks on Westwood, Belinda Trussell on Tattoo and Megan Lane on Zodiac,
Olympics hopefuls for Japan, host of the Games, are expected to come with team coach Christoph Koschel, who will be a flag bearer for Germany for his sixth winter circuit in Wellington.
The Nations Cup is expected to be a key event, since staged in 2012 as the first and still only senior team competition outside Europe.
Global Dressage Festival CDI major event calendar for 2020:
Jan. 8-12 – CDI-W World Cup
Jan. 22-26 – CDI-W World Cup
Feb. 5-9 – CDI-W World Cup
Feb. 19-23 – CDI5*
Mar. 6-8 – CDI4*
Mar. 11-15 – CDIO3* Nations Cup
Mar. 24-29 – CDI-W
