Friday January 24, 2003

Dressage In Florida Kicks Off 2003 Season

International Trainers Come to Wellington For Several Dressage Clinics

While competition was in full swing at PBPEC, at the Horse Park at Equestrian States, Germany’s Conrad Schumacher headed up the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Judges and Trainers Symposium January 18-19. Participants included Olympian Carol Lavell on Much Ado, Cathy Priest on her new Grand Prix Horse, It’s Me, as well as several other top riders and horses at different levels.

Patrick Burssens’ IDA Farms in Wellington hosted a clinic by Spain’s Juan Matute. Matute is well known for his work with the Spanish Team’s Andalusian stallions. At Atlanta in 1996, he was the first Spaniard to compete in an Olympics on a PRE (purebred Spanish) horse.

Just prior to the first Selection Trial for the 2003 Pan American Games, USET Dressage Coach Klaus Balkenhol from Germany will hold a private USET training session for some of America’s most elite riders on January 24-25 at the Walter and Mary Anne McPhail’s High Meadow Farm, in Loxahatchee, Florida.