Photo Report: European Invasion at 2023 Global Dressage Festival

Shows

2023 CDI-W Wellington

The fifth week of competition at the 2023 Global Dressage Festival has started on 8 February 2023 and the show circuit is finally picking up speed. A true European invasion has happened this week, boosting the starters' field with almost a double amount of entries.

European Affair

At the horse inspection on Wednesday it was European affair with riders, trainers and horse dealers all gathered near the stable area to witness the trot up.

This big field of competitors is reminiscent of the glory days of the GDF circuit between 2014 and 2016 when many Europeans tried out coming over and competing there.

Asian Presence

For the first year since the start of the Global Dressage Festival a considerable Asian delegation has shown up.

British based Singaporean Olympian Caroline Chew is already out of the starting gate, this week the Belgian based Thai Vuntanadit sister duo as well as german based Japanese Kiichi Harada will begin their campaign, and in a few weeks Korean Dong Seon Kim is expected to make his show debut on newly acquired Bohemian.

Spanish photographer Lily Forado always winters in Florida for the entire season and snapped these candids from the trot up.

Photos © Lily Forado

Dutch trainer Tommie Visser and Dutch horse dealer Diederik Wigmans are in town. Visser trains the Thai Vuntanadit sisters

Danish young rider Alexander Yde Helgstrand and Belantis

Swedish Patrik Kittel flew in to coach client Sarah Daehnert

German Lars Ligus with Baron Bollwerk

Wall Street JV

Germany's Frederic Wandres and Bluetooth

Thai Suphakamol Vuntanadit and Quadroneur

Making a long awaited come back to the CDI ring, Alice Tarjan's Candescent (by Christ), who last competed internationally at the 2021 CDIO Aachen.

Hope Cooper with Flynn PCH, who was competed in Europe by Hubertus Schmidt, Fabienne Lutkemeier and Evelyn Eger

Sarah Tubman is in a good position to collect valuable World Cup ranking points this weekend and grab a ticket for the Finals in Omaha

The Wellington based, Canadian born American Ashley Holzer dropped Valentine to national medium tour level after he had a scare at the 2022 World Championships in Herning last summer. Now back into the CDI ring