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Friday, February 29, 2008

25th Annual Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI-W/Y Is Underway
By Lynndee Kemmet for DressageDaily.com

Loxahatchee, Florida – Day one of the 25th Annual Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI-W/Y ended with the FEI jog and DressageDaily's Inspection Reception. More than 200 competitors, dressage fans and show staff gathered at the end of opening day to enjoy an evening of wine and food sponsored by Mary Phelps-Hathaway a Markel Equine Insurance Specialist, DressageDaily and the Mushroom Matrix.
PhelpsPhoto: Amy Bock and Parcival

This year's Derby, being held from Feb. 28 through March 2, started off with cool, but sunny weather, and predictions are for a pleasant four-day run of warmth and sunshine. That's good news for the hundreds of competitors and horses that have gathered at The Horse Park at Equestrian Estates. Among competitors are many of the leading riders from the U.S. and Canada aiming for spots on their respective 2008 Olympic Dressage teams.

This year's DressageDaily Inspection Reception, always a popular annual event that follows the FEI job, celebrated its fifth year and DressageDaily's Mary Phelps also used the occasion to celebrate her fifth year with Markel Insurance as an Equine Insurance Specialist.

The reception featured catering by Jim and Terry Toomey of Paradise Cafe who prepared a delicious menu that included fresh gourmet mushrooms flown in from California by Golden Gourmet Mushrooms, makers of the Mushroom Matrix. Matrix Vice President Keith Manfred joined the DressageDaily team of Mary Phelps-Hathaway, husband J.J. Hathaway, Lynndee Kemmet and Christy Warrington in serving up Jim and Terry's delicious dishes.

This year's Palm Beach Dressage Derby is a USEF High Performance Qualifying competition and a BLM Qualifying competition. It offers $20,000 in prize money and awards. Yet to come this weekend is the popular Phelps Photo.com Lead Line competition and on Saturday, competitors and dressage fans are invited to gather at the PhelpsPhotos/DressageDaily booth to enjoy a closing day reception of award-winning wine and food.

Stay tuned for more Dressage Derby action to come.