International dressage competitors Patrik Kittel and Silvia Rizzo arrived at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center with their horses and set to work schooling Wednesday for the Gold Coast Opener CDI-W and World Dressage Masters (WDM) CDI-5* Palm Beach.
Sweden's Patrik Kittel, fresh off a 9 a.m. flight, was eager to conquer jet lag as he and Scandic, a KWPN-approved stallion, schooled tempis, half-pass, piaffe and passage. The duo are ranked No. 2 in Sweden and No. 11 in the world and will compete in the Gold Coast Opener World Cup Qualifier and again at the World Dressage Masters CDI5* Palm Beach Jan. 24-26, also at Jim Brandon.
Kittel was pleased to be in sunny Florida after leaving snowy Germany behind and his wife will join him Jan. 22 for the WDM. "I've always been a big fan of World Dressage Masters," he said. "I think it's a great series for dressage riders with very prestigious money."
Kittel hasn't been to Florida since he was youngster visiting Disney World, but settled into the atmosphere at Jim Brandon quickly. "Everything is really great," he continued. "It's a super hotel, great weather and great boxes for the horses."
Scandic, called Scandiman by Kittel, adjusted well to the change in weather and Kittel said he's a pro at traveling. Scandic and his rider rode for Sweden in the 2012 London Olympics and Kittel and another Olympic mount, Floresco, placed fourth in team competition at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Another international superstar, Italy's bubbly Silvia Rizzo, also schooled at Jim Brandon Wednesday morning in preparation for the Gold Coast Opener CDIW as well as the World Dressage Masters CDI5*. Rizzo arrived earlier in Florida after serious delays and organizational issues with the shipping, quarantine and transportation of her stallion.
Rizzo and Donnerbube II, an Oldenburg stallion (by Donnerhall x Pik Bube II) affectionately called Bubi, worked hard at extensions and canter pirouettes, but it was the horse's rhythmic passage that was the showstopper. They seem unaffected by the crews grooming the nearby arenas and made a striking pair: Rizzo, with her long, platinum hair and Donnerbube with his sleek, dark bay coat.
Rizzo says she keeps the horse fit with gallops at a racetrack, hill work, daily hacks and arena work. The powerful stallion seemed to revel in their hand gallop cardio work-out and was ready for more. "He's like a bomb," she laughed. "When he decides to do something, he's the boss," Rizzo said. She added that the horse loves his work, but doesn't like the music to their kür and prefers the Grand Prix Special. She and Donnerbube will also compete in the World Dressage Masters CDI5* and they'll stay in Florida until early February for the Wellington Classic Spring Challenge CDI3* at Jim Brandon.
-- WDM Press Release, edited by Eurodressage
Related Links
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Silvia Rizzo Appointed Foreign Rider for the 2012 CDI-W Stockholm