Wednesday March 26, 2003

The Heidelberg Cup

The Edgar Hotz Perpetual Trophy

A new addition at the show this year is the addition of a perpetual trophy in memory of esteemed dressage judge Edgar Hotz, who died in 2002. A great friend of show manager Klaus Fraessdorf, Hotz was highly respected, and Fraessdorf wants to keep his memory alive. After collecting contributions, Fraessdorf had the enormous perpetual trophy made, with room for sixteen years’ worth of names to be permanently engraved on it. “I have to raise the ceiling in my house a bit for the tall trophy,” he joked. The prize is given to four highest-scoring riders in the Adult Amateur, Open, Junior/Young Rider, and Freestyle sections. Each winner will receive a smaller replica of the original trophy that is theirs to keep, created from balsam wood and bronze and topped with a 24-karat-gold top hat.

“I wanted to make something nice that people will keep in a nice place in their house so that he will be remembered,” said Fraessdorf. “His name will be remembered at my shows, and riders come here from all over the country. When those riders win the trophy and take it home, and they talk about the Edgar Hotz trophy, his name will be spread around the country.”

Fraessdorf continued, “To me he could have lived a lot longer, but he had a real health problem and couldn’t cope with it. I’m in constant contact with his wife Irma; she was the largest contributor when I told her what I was doing.”

Describing dressage as an intense and artistic sport, Fraessdorf said, “I want to make an example because I’m upset at how many of our mentors and contributors to the sport of dressage are forgotten in their passing. We should be more considerate of these things.”

While he is still looking for donations in order to add prize money to the award, Fraessdorf said that he has already covered the cost of the take-home trophies for next year, thus it is assured that the award will continue and the memory of his friend will live on.

Awards for the four trophies are as follows:

Open: Katie Poulin-Neff, riding Brilliant Too, 71.296%
Freestyle: Trae LaPorte, riding Fleetwood, 71.875%
Adult Amateur: Janne Rumbough, riding Wallony, 66.905%
Junior/Young Rider: Kassandra Barteau, riding Redson, 67.692