For Immediate Release
Wellington, FL – February 13, 2014 – Week seven of the 2014 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) will feature the Florida International Youth Dressage Championships (YDC), presented by Dressage4Kids. The Championships start on Friday morning, comprising four divisions – Pony, Junior, Young Rider, and Under 25 Grand Prix. Additional sponsors of the event include PanaCavallo/The Davis Family, Hampton Green Farm, and Dressage Today magazine. The event will take place during AGDF’s Stillpoint Farm CDIO Nations Cup and CDI 3* presented by Peacock Ridge, which runs February 19-23 at The Stadium at The Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC).
Kim Boyer, Lendon Grey, Julie McKean and Michel Davis at the 2013 Florida International Youth Dressage Championships. Photo Credit- Susan J. Stickle
The 2014 YDC are open to all nationalities and riders under 25. No matter what country they are from, all are encouraged to sign up and participate! In addition to the competition, there will be many fun events throughout the week.
2014 is the second year of the YDC, and the first year that the Championships will be held in the International Classes. Holding the YDC during the Nations Cup will expose American-based youth riders to the international flavor of a large European show.
Lendon Gray of Dressage4Kids stated, “We are excited to once again host this event at the AGDF. We look forward to opening the event up to young riders from around the world and believe that this competition will broaden the horizons of all of our competitors.”
Awards of $3,000 will be divided among the top riders in each division, and Hampton Green Farm will award the use of one stall at their facility in Wellington for the 2015 season to the overall highest placed rider in each division based on their combined scores of the two required tests.
All parents and owners of horses in the YDC are invited to a reception hosted by the Dressage Owners Task Force, Tuesday afternoon after the CDIO Nations Cup jog, in the Global Pavilion at The Stadium at PBIEC from 4:00-6:00 p.m.
The Seminar for youth riders and their trainers will be held on Wednesday from 3:00-4:15 p.m. at The Wellington Club on the Main Grounds at PBIEC (FTI WEF show grounds) and is sponsored by Equestrian Sport Productions, Adequan®, and Dr. Rob van Wessum. The speakers are Dr. Rob van Wessum and Dr. Torri Maxwell of Adequan. Dr. Maxwell will be lecturing on joint health, and Dr. van Wessum will be speaking about Training for Soundness.
Dr. van Wessum joined the practice of Don Ryker, DVM & Associates in 2009 as a specialist in equine lameness. In addition to 17 years of clinical experience as a sport horse lameness clinician, he has experience as an internationally known rider, trainer, and judge in the sport of dressage. A native of the Netherlands, he received his veterinary degree from Utrect University in 1991.
A special dinner is also scheduled for Thursday evening at Diamante Farms with support from Dressage Today magazine, hosted by Terri and Devon Kane and Michael and Sarah Davis, from 6:30-9:00 p.m. All area youth riders and their guests (trainers, parents) are invited.
For more information on the Florida International Youth Dressage Championships, please visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.