Wellington, FL – February 27, 2018 – Week eight of the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) runs March 1-4 and features the Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI-W at Equestrian Village at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL. The Palm Beach Dressage Derby exhibition, presented by Yeguada de Ymas, features riders competing at Small Tour level with unfamiliar horses to see who can ride to the best score. The final round of the knockout-style derby will be a featured exhibition held on Friday, March 2, during the intermission of the “Friday Night Stars” Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W, presented by U.S. Trust & Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
The participants from the 2017 Palm Beach Dressage Derby following the exhibition during the “Friday Night Stars” Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W.Photo by Susan J Stickle Photography
“We look forward to hosting the Palm Beach Dressage Derby class at AGDF again this year,” said Thomas Baur, AGDF Director of Sport. “It’s a unique way to show the fantastic skills of these international-level riders, and spectators will enjoy seeing them figure out how to ride a new horse in the show ring.”
The fourth annual Palm Beach Dressage Derby Exhibition Class, presented by Yeguada de Ymas, will start on Thursday with a Prix St. Georges class, where derby horses will compete with their regular riders for familiarization. The horses include Ghandi, ridden by Soeren Wind; Lyra, with Lauren Chumley; and Fausto, ridden by Karen Pavicic.
Christoph Koschel and Wrazzmatazz.Photo by Susan J Stickle Photography
The semi-final classes will be held on Friday afternoon, while the final round of competition will take place during the intermission of the Friday evening FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W, presented by U.S. Trust & Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
The 2018 competitors include defending champion Christoph Koschel (GER), Juan Matute Guimon (ESP), Olivia LaGoy-Weltz (USA), and Brittany Fraser (CAN).
Past winners of the Palm Beach Dressage Derby Exhibition Class include:
2015 – Adrienne Lyle
2016 – Chris Von Martels
2017 – Christoph Koschel
Riders will draw to see who competes against whom and will also draw for the mounts on which they will compete. The Derby is an educational yet entertaining way to test riders’ skills on a larger scale, but also in an engaging and competitive atmosphere.
Last year, Koschel and Mikala Munter (DEN) went head-to-head in the final round of competition riding Wrazzmatazz, but Koschel ultimately came out on top. Each rider is given a five-minute familiarization period with each of their rides, prior to riding an FEI Prix St. Georges test before a panel of three judges.
Everyone is invited to Friday Night Stars on March 2 to watch freestyle competition and see this unique exhibition event.
For more information on the Palm Beach Dressage Derby and the AGDF, please visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.