Olivia Lagoy-Weltz Proudly Introduces New Venture - LivDressage Makes Grand Entrance On To Dressage Scene in Virginia

Upperville, VA – Olivia Lagoy-Weltz certainly knows how to make a grand entrance and debut a new location in the dressage world. As a USDF Gold, Silver and Bronze medalist and FEI competitor, she knows, first hand, that the best way to get people’s attention is to win shows and “get the blues” by riding into the blue ribbons. And, after a hugely successful winter season in Wellington, Florida, she continues to do just that. Lagoy-Weltz is proud to announce that in addition to serving her clients in Wellington during the winter, she has moved her training business, LivDressage to Tempi Creek Farm in Upperville, Virginia, and now provides high quality, focused dressage training in the greater Washington, DC area, as well. LivDressage officially debuted with the blues in Virginia during the VADA/Nova Summer Dressage Competition held at Morven Park Equestrian Center in Leesburg. Riding her own 9-year-old Danish Warmblood, Rassing’s Lonoir (by De Noir out of Lorani), Lagoy-Weltz took first place in the Open Prix St. Georges with a 70.00%, which also earned the pair the High Point Award for PSG. “There were a few highlights of this show,” she explained, “Number one was the people. Everyone at the show was very nice and welcoming, which is huge since breaking into a new area is always challenging when you don’t know anyone!” She continued, “Second was Lono (Rassing’s Lonoir) himself. Particularly on Sunday, he was very focused and very settled. And then, last but not least was having super-star rider and friend, Heather Blitz be at the show. I wasn’t expecting her to be there, but she came down from her new Massachusetts base at Cutler Farm for the young horse classes.”
 
Lagoy-Weltz explained that she enjoys bringing up young horses through the levels and is excited to continue to work with Lono on qualifying for the Developing Horse Championships. “As soon as the Developing Horse Championships are over, the attention will turn to being ready for the Small Tour at the CDI level and the 2014 Intermediarre 1 Championships,” she describes, “By the end of 2014, the hope is to be working the Grand Prix.” She also hopes to be bringing many more clients’ young horses up to these levels as well by providing insightful, creative and proven dressage instruction.
 
Lagoy-Weltz grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and began riding when she was 5 years old. She started in hunters, but had discovered dressage by age 7. A dedicated rider, she was an active and successful competitor throughout her Junior years on both the Bay Area Dressage and Eventing circuits. In 2002, she moved to Europe to ride at Egbert Kraak’s Stal de Craecken. After five years in Europe, split between Holland and Germany, Lagoy-Weltz returned to the Bay Area to become Head Dressage Trainer at Denville Kanani Equestrian Facility in Danville, CA.  There she trained horses and riders of all levels while developing her own FEI mounts. In 2009, she was recruited to Woodspring Farm in Versailles, KY to train horses imported from Europe. During her time there, she actively competed on the FEI circuit in Wellington, FL through the Grand Pix level and was featured widely in the dressage press. She also was regularly invited to compete at the USEF Festival of Champions in Gladstone, NJ.

During her young career, Lagoy-Weltz has had many accomplishments. In addition to becoming an international competitor at age 21, she was also 2010 USEF National Intermediare Championship Competitor, 2011 USEF National Championships FEI Young Rider Grand Prix winner and Brentina Cup Reserve Champion, and 2012 USEF Region 2 Open GP Champion, and Open I-2 Reserve Champion. She has proven herself a well-educated and talented competitor by any measures. Using these skills, she focuses on bringing talented horses to the FEI levels in a way that produces not only top performing competition horses, but happy, healthy horses as well. Lagoy-Weltz is proud to leverage her proven techniques from years of international competition toward the success of LivDressage.  Also, by drawing from a background in biomechanics, LivDressage’s holistic approach is designed to ensure both short term success and long term understanding to ensure all horses and riders reach their dressage goals.