The cancellation of Keysoe’s international fixture in March left a significant hole in the calendar for a number of British riders aiming for selection to this year’s European Youth Championships.
"Thanks to a huge amount of team work by Wellington Riding, British Dressage and the World Class team, we can now proudly announce that the Hampshire venue will host their inaugural CDI over 11 – 16 May," said British Dressage.
First Dressage CDI at Wellington
The popular venue and training centre, set in 300 acres of the Duke of Wellington’s estate, has hosted FEI eventing competitions in the past, but this is the first occasion for international dressage , which is followed the week after (19 – 23 May) with a new CSI 1*/2*/YH*, making it a historic couple of weeks for Wellington Riding.
Two FEI 5* judges have already been secured to officiate, with Isobel Wessels acting as president of the 3* Ground Jury and Denmark’s Susanne Baarup among her jury.
British Team Selection Event
The CDI will host 3*, 1*, Under 25, Young Rider, Junior, Children on Horses and Pony sections. All will count towards selection for their respective FEI European Championships, as well as provide a number of riders the opportunity to compete on the international stage for the first time.
Due to Covid-19 and Brexit, travelling to the European mainland has become a hurdle. A new CDI in the U.K. has been highly welcomed by the riders.
David Sheerin, General Manager at Wellington Riding, and his team are ready to rise to the international challenge; “We are dedicated not only to provide the best facilities and atmosphere at our centre but also to see equestrian sport flourish on an international home stage. I believe we can play our part in this within the UK especially ahead of Tokyo,” he said.
BD is currently working with the team at Wellington Riding to finalise the FEI schedule so competitors, eager for their first international run of 2021, can plan ahead and make their entries.
Windsor and Bolesworth Downgraded to National Level
The disruption caused by the pandemic has forced date changes for both the Royal Windsor Horse Show (now 1 – 4 July) and the Bolesworth International Horse Show (now 7 – 11 July).
Unfortunately, due to the rescheduling of these events and clashes with other major BD fixtures, this means that no international dressage will feature at either venue this year.
Jason Brautigam, BD CEO, stated: “While 2021 continues to bring us challenges, it’s fantastic to be able to rebuild the calendar to ensure we still have a busy season of dressage to look forward to. “The loss of a competitive dressage presence at Windsor and Bolesworth is an unfortunate consequence of the COVID calendar changes, but rest assured, we’ll be working with the organisers to get back into the timetable at both events in 2022. Both of these shows have great plans for this year, so please do support them if you can for some much needed live competition in July."
Related Links
New FEI Dressage Calendar Measure: Date Clashes Allowed
Heavy Cuts in 2021 International Dressage Calendar: Keysoe, Fritzens, Cascais Cancelled
2021 CDI Lier Cancelled, European Riders Running out of Show Options