Oliveira Dressage to Appear at 2007 FEI World Cup Dressage Finals in Las Vegas

For the Second Time, Lusitano Stallions Trained by Legendary Portuguese Classical Master João Oliveira Will Be Showcased in World Cup Exhibitions

Los Angeles – For the second time at the FEI World Cup™ Dressage Finals in Las Vegas, the classical equestrian artistry of Oliveira Dressage will be featured on opening night Thursday, April 19, 2007 and on Saturday night April 21, when four Lusitanos trained by the legendary Portuguese Master João Oliveira will perform at the Thomas and Mack Center in two distinctive and memorable exhibitions. Cobento Biotech A/S of Denmark is sponsoring Oliveira Dressage’s World Cup performances.

Opening night will showcase a classical pas de trois fit for a king when tenor singing talent Jesus León accompanies this Louis XIV inspired riding exhibition in traditional costume. León, the featured soloist for Master Oliveira’s 2005 World Cup performance, is an inaugural member of the Los Angeles Opera’s Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program and will perform with the Santa Fe Opera in summer 2007.

A return of Oliveira Dressage’s stunning Lighted Horse performance, which brought standing ovations at the World Cup Finals in 2005, will add an extra glow to Las Vegas when four Lusitano stallions silhouetted by lights from poll to tail, perform on Saturday night. Featured in the Oliveira-trained Lusitano lineup are: Trinco, Vittorio, and Pensamento, three stallions, and Unitario, a gelding.

USDF Gold Medalist Linda Alexander Walton who owns Brookside Equestrian with her husband Keith Walton remarks, “I think that seeing these young Lusitano stallions perform will be among the most memorable moments of this year’s World Cup. I’ve watched João work with these horses since the day they arrived from Brazil and have seen the patience, love, and training that he puts into each one. Three of the them were trained exclusively by him—the oldest of which just turned seven! João has a way of takingwhat they offer and turning it into something incredible. It’s really a tribute to him. I feel honored to have seen him transform young, green horses into living art. Nothing is ever forced.”

At the World Cup Finals, Master Oliveira’s family and friends will perform for Oliveira Dressage. His cousin Ana Luisa Valença, a top ranking Portuguese rider and star in the European equestrian spectacle Apassionata, will again appear. She was featured with him at both the 2004 U.S. Olympic Selection Trials and the 2005 World Cup Finals. Joining Ms. Valença in this year’s exhibitions are Portuguese matador Mario Miguel; Frederico Cardoso, who also stars in Apassionata; and Carlos Carneiro, a longtime performer for the Valença family of Portugal.

Master Oliveira, who planned the exhibitions with his cousin, will not perform. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in January and is currently undergoing treatment. He hopes to attend the World Cup exhibitions. Born in Lisbon, Portugal, Master Oliveira is the heir to the classical riding legacy of his father Nuno Oliveira.

Based at Brookside Equestrian in Walnut, California, a training facility for the USEF Olympic Dressage Team competition training programs, Oliveira Dressage joined forces with Linda Alexander Walton and her husband Keith to establish Oliveira Dressage Brookside—the leading West Coast importer and trainer of quality Lusitano dressage horses.

For further information on Oliveira Dressage (www.oliveiradressage.com) or Brookside Equestrian (www.brooksideequestrian.com), please call Linda Alexander Walton at (619) 985-1386 or email her at: Daula@aol.com.

PHOTO CREDITS: Ana Luisa Valenca of Portugal rehearsing for the pas de trois in traditional Portuguese costumer that will take place at the World Cup on Thursday 4/19.
Portuguese classical master Joao Oliveira in a training shot aboard Trinco, a 7 year old Lusitano stallion. Photos by Linda Alexander Walton