Florida Youth Dressage Championships to Be Held at 2013 WEF Dressage Classic CDI

Dressage

American Dressage News

The 2013 Florida Youth Dressage Championships will be held during the WEF Dressage Classic CDI 3* at the Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida, on 14 - 17 March 2013.

The first-time event will provide an opportunity for dressage riders in pony, junior, young rider, and Under 25 divisions.

Lendon Gray, president of Dressage4kids, created the Championships. Her foundation is known for its educational programs for youth as well as the annual Youth Dressage Festival. Gray said, "after 14 years of supporting and educating mostly the grass roots of youth dressage, D4K is pleased that it can now support a competitive experience for some of our youth reaching the high performance levels. However, in keeping with D4K's emphasis on education, there will be educational activities offered during the show."

Gray continued, "Our riders coming into the international levels of competition need opportunities to compete together in a championship setting. In the summer they have the NAJYRC and the Festival of Champions, but that is not enough for them to gain the skills of riding under pressure, testing themselves against their most skilled peers."

Gray is excited to have the Florida Youth Dressage Championships at the Global Dressage Festival and its outstanding facility. Gray noted, "GDF is a facility that gives such a wonderful feel of a true championship venue. The competitors can count on excellent facilities, management, and especially superb footing and a championship atmosphere."

Cash awards 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 2014 season to the overall highest placed rider in each division based on their combined scores of the two required tests. Local international trainers have also donated lessons to be awarded to the competitors.

Wellington Equestrian Partner and Hampton Green Farm owner Kim Boyer stated, "We are very excited to host these first championships to help young riders reach their goals and learn more about the sport of high performance dressage. We believe this will be a popular event and want to see it grow.

Open to all youth riders of any nationality who receive qualifying scores or by organizer wildcards, riders will compete in two tests of their level. Riders may ride two horses at the same level or two horses, one in each of two levels as long as the horse/rider team is qualified.

All qualifying scores will be the total of the judges' panel and a copy must be submitted with entry.

For FEI Juniors and FEI Young Riders, an average of 64% or better from either the team or the individual test with scores from at least two shows from March 1, 2012 to March 1, 2013. For FEI Pony Riders and Brentina Cup, an average of 62% or better at least two shows from March 1, 2012 to March 1, 2013. The qualifying tests for the FEI Pony can be either the team or Individual. The qualifying test for the Brentina Cup division will be the USEF National Young Adult 'Brentina Cup' test or the FEI Young Rider Grand Prix 16-25. The organizing committee retains one wild card for each division to invite a rider.

For the competition, riders in the FEI Juniors, FEI Young Riders, and the FEI Pony will ride both the FEI team and individual tests. For the Juniors, this will be class numbers 234 and 335. The Young Riders will ride class numbers 237 and 338. The FEI Pony division will ride classes 231 and 332.

Riders in the Brentina Cup U25 division will ride both the USEF National Young Adult 'Brentina Cup' test and the FEI Young Rider Grand Prix 16-25, class numbers 515 and 516.

All classes will be held in the national division except Brentina Cup, which must be shown in the CDI division under FEI rules. All classes will be judged by at least two to three judges. The two tests of each division will count equally, 50% for each test, for final results and placing.