Spectators Back for Wellington’s Winter Dressage, Jumping Shows Gearing Up for Big Season as Europe Closes Down
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By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
WELLINGTON, Florida, Dec. 30, 2021–Spectators will be back for the winter dressage and jumping shows that are gearing up for a big circuit as European events shut down in the latest surge of coronavirus completing almost two years as a global pandemic.
Both the Global Dressage and the Winter Equestrian Festivals are preparing for spectators as well as complete VIP services and rows of retail vendor tents for the 12-week circuits including the Friday Night Lights of dressage Freestyles and Saturday Night Lights of top jumper competitions.
At least 750 horses are being flown from Europe, said Tim Dutta of the Dutta Corp. that is the official air transportation manager for the Wellington shows that run until early April. The number of horses being flown from Europe to Florida, he said, may be the most ever though many are horses for sale.
Florida is in sharp contrast to Europea where several venues have been forced to shut down because of Covid, among them January’s prestigious Geneva CHI at which Germany’s Olympic dressage gold medal team riders were entered, as well as the Amsterdam World Cup.
Riders from many of the dozens of countries represented at the dressage, jumping and para dressage events in Wellington will also be seeking to go to the world championships in Herning, Denmark next August.
Sabine Schut-Kery and Adrienne Lyle on America’s silver medal team at the Tokyo Olympics five months ago will be at Global while Steffen Peters is staying home in California looking to earn qualifying scores at Thermal. Canada’s qualifying begins next week will have, as usual, a big presence in Wellington.
Like much of the world, the Wellington dressage and jumping shows closed down in the winter of 2019, but reopened two months later and continued throughout the rest of the year and all of 2020, but with no spectators.
The management headed up by Michael Stone, as president, announced that both shows–though WEF at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center changed hands and is now owned by a European group–will be fully open.
“All spectators should come to the venue with a mask in their possession to use in any indoor venue, including, but not limited to, all bathrooms,” was a management statement. “Properly-fitted masks are highly encouraged at all times while on the property where you cannot socially distance yourself from people outside of your party.”
The Friday night musical freestyle performances at Equestrian Village have become a highlight for each of the seven international CDI events over the winter. The dressage events complement Saturday night for jumping at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.
The 2022 schedule of dressage Friday Night Lights with free admission for spectators–though there is a parking fee–is:
Jan. 14–World Cup
Jan. 28–CDI4*
Feb. 11–World Cup
Feb. 25–CDI5*
Mar. 4–World Cup
Mar. 18–Nations Cup
Mar. 25–CDI4*
In the three World Cup events, North American riders will be seeking to earn one of the two starting slots at the Final in Leipzig, Germany April 6-10. Riders from other regions can also earn a start at the annual championship that was canceled for 2020 and 2021.
German team rider Frederic Wandres leads the Western European League and is back in Wellington for a second winter. However, whether he can capitalize on his possible success in qualifying in the past two years is again uncertain. Four of the 11 events scheduled in Western Europe have already been canceled with three remaining uncertain. Isabell Werth, the defending titleholder from the last championship in 2018, has so far been able to compete in only one of the two World Cups required to go to the Final.
