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News Notes for September 30, 2010

The action continues this week at the Alltech/FEI World Equestrian Games, which has been the number one dressage news story this past week. Dressage has been a feature at WEG this past week, but other dressage shows are going on around the U.S. this weekend, including the prestigious Dressage at Devon and the popular Andalusian-Lusitano Alliance U.S. Grand National Championships. The New York Times turned its focus on the issue of dressage riders and helmets in its coverage of the WEG this week. And a regional championship title earns a Northeast dressage rider a feature article in her local press.


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The news has been all about the Alltech/FEI World Equestrian Games this week and will be again this weekend and throughout the next. The 16 days of competition is taking place at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. Reining wrapped up the first week and the popular dressage freestyle will close up dressage on Friday night. Yet to come next week will be the para-dressage competition, vaulting, show jumping, driving and the end of the eventing competition. You can catch the action and results Here!

Meanwhile, dressage competition at the international and national levels continues around the U.S. this weekend. The big show is the prestigious Dressage at Devon, which includes both a breed show and CDI. The ever popular Grand Prix Freestyle takes place Saturday night at the historic show grounds in Devon, Pennsylvania. Results and more information can be found at www.dressageatdevon.org.

Another big event going on this weekend is the Andalusian-Lusitano Alliance U.S. Grand National Championships and Open Dressage show in Lake St. Louis, Missouri. The event is an important one for the owners and riders of pure and half-bred Andalusian, Lusitano and PRE horses. The show is also a qualifier for the IALHA Nationals being held in Fort Worth, Texas in October.

Other dressage shows taking place this weekend around the U.S. include the Connecticut CDTA and Carbery Fields Dressage in Lebanon, Conn. In Camp Lake, Wisconsin, the Silverwood Dressage October show will take place this weekend. Also in Wisconsin, the Otter Creek Fall Festival will be happening in Wheeler. Newberry, Florida will play host this weekend to the Ride Light Dressage show. Heading north, Dressage at the Ridge will be in Tuskegee, Alabama. Much further north, in South Woodstock, Vermont, will be the GMHA Fall Dressage. And last, but not least, out West in Briones, California, there will be Dressage at Hossmoor this weekend.

Mainstream media is at the WEG and on the hunt for good stories and this past week, the New York Times focused on the issue of helmets and dressage riders. Many riders at the WEG have been wearing helmets when schooling their horses. The Times feature included interviews with Courtney King-Dye and top U.S. dressage rider Steffen Peters. Courtney made clear to reporters that when the day comes that she returns to top-level competition, she’ll be wearing a helmet in the show ring. Steffen has also traded in his trademark baseball cap in the warm-up ring for a helmet, but admits that superstition keeps him in a top hat in the show ring. He has worn the same top hat and tailcoat in competition for the past 22 years. You can read the full story at Here!

A win at the USDF Region 8 Championships in New York earned Gwyneth McPherson a feature article back in her home state of Maine. The Sun Journal reported on her new title as 2010 Region 8 Grand Prix Champion, a title she earned with the help of Limington and Lawool, a 17-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding. The pair scored a 63.23 percent to earn the title. Gwyneth is the trainer and director at the Pineland Farms Equestrian Center in New Gloucester, Maine. You can read the full story at the Sun Journal.