2011 World Dressage Masters Palm Beach Set to Begin at Jim Brandon Center

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2011 World Dressage Masters

In just two days, The World Dressage Masters 2011 season will get under way with the World Dressage Masters Palm Beach CDI5* presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach. The richest dressage competition ever to have taken place in North America, and the only five star FEI dressage competition to take place on this continent, the WDM Palm Beach will see 17 of the world's most successful dressage riders and their horses compete for 100,000 Euros in prize money.

Five European horses arrived in West Palm Beach on the weekend, following a transatlantic flight and brief quarantine. Also arriving by air to Miami late last week was Olympic and World Equestrian Games medalist Steffen Peters' mount, Ravel. Owned by Akiko Yamazaki, the 13 year old Dutch Warmblood gelding is the most successful dressage horse in American history, having won the 2009 World Cup Final and two individual bronze medals at the 2010 World Equestrian Games.

Joining the list of American, Canadian and European entries is North America's other top pair: Canada's Ashley Holzer and Pop Art, who are already in Florida for the winter show season. This will be both Holzer's and Peters' third appearance at the WDM Palm Beach, which will be produced concurrently by Wellington Classic Dressage with the Wellington Dressage Classic Challenge II CDI3*.

"Now that the horses have safely arrived at the Jim Brandon Center and are becoming accustomed to their surroundings, we are getting very excited to see the World Dressage Masters get started," says Wellington Classic Dressage's Noreen O'Sullivan. "It is both a thrill and an honor to host the WDM Palm Beach, and to have the opportunity to invite international competitors of this caliber to South Florida."

Michal Rapcewicz giving Randon a break during a schooling session The WDM Palm Beach will officially begin on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 9th when the horses are presented to the FEI ground jury for the mandatory horse inspection at12:30 pm. The ground jury is itself a star studded group of Olympic and World Equestrian Games judges and includes the following names:

Jayne Ayres (I) USA
Stephen Clarke (O) GBR
Wim Ernes (O) NED
Lorraine MacDonald (I) CAN
Hans Christian Matthiesen (I) DEN
Gary Rockwell (O) USA
Cara Whitham (O) CAN
Lois Yukins (I) USA

Immediately following the horse inspection, the draw for order of go for Thursday's Grand Prix competition will take place, followed later in the afternoon by a reception and presentation to which all WDM Palm Beach ticket holders will be invited. The results of the Grand Prix will determine the start list for the Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Freestyle. The top eight placed pairs from the Grand Prix will proceed to the Freestyle on Friday evening, while the rest of the field will compete on Friday afternoon in the Grand Prix Special. A competitors' party at the Mallet Grill at IPC, to which ticket holders are also invited, will wrap up events on Thursday evening.

The main spectator draw at the WDM Palm Beach will be Friday evening's Grand Prix Freestyle, where horses will perform six minute choreographed programs featuring the highest movements of dressage. What makes the freestyle such an outstanding experience for the audience is the customized music featured in each performance. The musical genres used in dressage freestyles vary from rock-and-roll to movie scores, and each freestyle is created to enhance the impression of maximum expression and power in each horse's performance. While the audience feasts their eyes and ears on the beauty of the most artistic form of Olympic equestrian sport, they will also be feasting in a more literal sense. A five course Southern France-inspired dinner from International Polo Club Catering, accompanied by wine pairings from the most renowned wine regions of France, will be served at ringside tables. The Jim Brandon Center, elaborately decorated, will transport participants and spectators to the elegance of Provence.

Friday evening's entertainment will begin with a Master Class presentation by Dutch Olympic silver medalist and 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games gold medal team member Hans Peter Minderhoud, who will demonstrate his expertise in training horses at the Grand Prix level. Following the competition and awards presentation, an after-party will be the final celebration of this week of world class international dressage.

Anja Plonzke on Le Mont d'Or The following rider/horse combinations will compete at the 2011 WDM Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach:

Steffen Peters (USA) - Ravel
Tinne Vilhelmsson Silfven (SWE) - Favourit
Ashley Holzer (CAN) - Pop Art
Tina Konyot (USA) - Calecto V
Michal Rapcewicz (POL) - Randon
Valentina Truppa (ITA) - Chablis
Anja Plonzke (GER) - Le Mont d'Or
Christa Laarakkers (NED) - Ovation
Anne Van Olst (DEN) - Clearwater
Todd Fletrich (USA) - Otto
Pierre St Jacques (USA) - Lucky Tiger
Evi Strasser (CAN) - Quantum Tyme
Shannon Dueck (CAN) - Ayscha
Shawna Harding (USA) - Come On III
Elisabeth Austin (USA) - Olivier

The first and second placed combinations from the CDI3* Grand Prix test at the Wellington Classic Challenge II

World Dressage Masters Palm Beach Fast Facts:

What: North America's only CDI5*, and part of the richest dressage series in the world. Up to twenty of the world's top dressage stars will compete for 100,000 Euros in prize money at the WDM Palm Beach.

When:
Wednesday March 9th, 12:30 pm: CDI5* horse inspection
Thursday March 10th, 1:00 pm: CDI5* Grand Prix
Friday, March 11th, 1:00 pm: CDI5*Grand Prix Special
Friday, March 11th, 6:00 pm: CDI5* Grand Prix Freestyle

Isabell Werth gives a clinic on riding young horse. Here she is aboard her 6-year old Lezard

Isabell coached her head rider Matthias Bouten on Werth's rising star Bella Rose

In a year or so Bella Rose won't have to hide behind Totilas!

A dignitary appeared at the stallion show: 27-year old Trakehner sire Kostolany (by Enrico Caruso)

Trainer Stefanie Meyer-Biss rode legendary pony breeding stallion Dornik B one last time at the 2011 Equitana stallion show

Susanne Miesner and Jessica Süss (with Zorro) did a clinic on how to train a Friesian the classical way. Where's your helmet Jessica???!!!

Laura Bechtolsheimer (on Anabel Balkenhol's Rubins Royal) flew in from England to do a clinic with Klaus Balkenhol

Laura Bechtolsheimer and Anabel Balkenhol (on Four Ever) leaving the packed arena with style

Star Power presented by Xenophon: Anabel & Klaus Balkenhol with Helen Langehanenberg and Laura Bechtolsheimer

Susanne Miesner pleased as punch after three successful presentations with her students

Klaus Balkenhol, Ingrid Klimke & Britta Schöffmann doing a talk show at the ReiterRevue booth

Ingrid Klimke and the Classical Sales Warendorf team (Scholz, Miesner) get the "Cavallo" Fairness Award

Fun and show in spades

Pinocchio, a "Dülmener Wildpferd", presents advanced movements in a clinic with Britta Schöffmann

Nathalie Penquitt showing circus elements

Different roads -- one goal: A Xenophon presentation showing that it's suppleness that's important, not which kind of saddle is on a horse's back: Western rider Diana Royer

Different roads -- one goal: A Xenophon presentation showing that it's suppleness that's important, not which kind of saddle is on a horse's back: show jumping rider Thorben Rüder

Yes, you could also shop until you dropped

Eventing clinic (stressing the importance of a good basic dressage training!) with Ingrid Klimke

Uta Gräf & Jessica Süss did a presentation with Christoph Hess, during which Uta rode Le Noir first with a two-bit and then a bitless bridle. Pity Uta did not wear a helmet as such a big public event!

Anabel Balkenhol having fun on a Western horse

Anky's first clinic at Equitana: on reining

Georg Fink, Heide Kröber and, yes, Gerd Heuschmann chatting at the Xenophon booth

David de Wispelaere

"Mixed Emotions", a much-noted Xenophon presentation that was conceived at Equitana: Enter the arena: Anabel Balkenhol on a horse that David de Wispelaere loaned her, Western trainer Diana Royer on Remmidemmi, eventer Eva Böckmann on Dior

After riding a few rounds, presenting their own disciplines, the three switched horses ...

... and Anabel did flying changes on Remmidemmi, while Diana Royer even took a fence on Dior (and Eva couldn't stop grinning doing the passage on the Spanish stallion)

Look a zebra, or should we say "Fjobra"

Hearing the shutters click way, Anky van Grunsven told the photographers that "I don't mind if you take pictures while I have him low, but please also take pictues when he's nicely up".

Anky van Grunsven gives a dressage demo on Nelson (by Weltmeyer)

Young eventer Eva Böckmann did a clinic with Martin Plewa on "The importance trust when training an eventer", which resulted in this premiere, where the two of them jumped over an overstuffed chair

For the pony kids, the "Golden Kids Cup" is a much-coveted trophy. This year, Lena Walterscheidt won it on Lord Champion, dressed up like a character from Avatar

Jessica Krieg on Ghost finished second closely behind Walterscheidt

Masses of people interested in all things equestrian came to Equitana

"Olympia meets kids": Klaus Balkenhol worked with upcoming eventing star Eva Böckmann

Pat Parelli meets Anabel and Klaus Balkenhol

"Olympia meets kids," a Xenophon clinic in which Klaus Balkenhol worked with upcoming stars like Kirsten Sieber, who didn't hesitate to jump a fence with a temperamental 7-yr-old mare even though she knew she risked ending up in the sand. Hats off!