Carol Lavell Gifted Memorial Fund Awards $9,000 to Adult Amateurs

Patricia Estes and Herman.

Nov. 15, 2016

The Dressage Foundation on Tuesday announced Carol Lavell Gifted Memorial Fund training scholarships of $1,000 for nine Adult Amateurs for 2016.

Recipients are:

Sharon Hess of Pennsylvania and her Oldenburg, Kalander Boy;

Kate Snyder of Kentucky and her off-the-track Thoroughbred, Safely Spun;

Patricia Estes of Florida and her Appaloosa, Herman;

Cheryl Tobey of Georgia and her Arabian, Chloe;

Sarah Lindsten of Arizona and her KWPN, Cookie;

Viva Medina of Hawaii and her KWPN, Temelrite;

Karen Norton of Connecticut and her Oldenburg, Red Baron;

Linda Lambert of Connecticut and her Hanoverian, Wunderlich, and,

Arlene Gaitan of Texas and her Swedish Warmblood/Arabian, Questt.

USA Festival of Champions to be Hosted at Historic Gladstone In 2017

USET Foundation headquarters in Gladstone, New Jersey

Nov. 14, 2016

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

Gladstone, the original home of the Festival of Champions, will host the United States Grand Prix, Intermediate and Under-25 championships next May 18-21, after a year in which the championships were not staged for the first time since their founding a quarter-century ago.

Selection of the venue an hour from New York was announced Monday by the U.S. Equestrian Federation that approved the event for only next year and not for three years under a plan it had proposed to enable organizers to benefit from a longer term agreement.

The Gladstone, New Jersey headquarters of the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation was chosen in an effort to restore credibility with a competition aimed not only at crowning champions but garnering support for America's teams for Olympics, world championships and Pan American Games.

The dressage festival that was first held in 1991 has been split into two separate shows and will remain that way for now.

Grand Prix and Intermediate with the Brentina Cup Under-25 division to be moved to the senior division for the first time next year at Gladstone.

Pony, junior and young riders with a new children's competition planned for next year will be at Wayne, Illinois alongside young and developing horse national championships to be staged Aug. 24-27.

The festival has hopscotched between cities in recent years–the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington in 2013, Gladstone in 2014, the Global Dressage Festival grounds in Wellington, Florida at year's end in 2015 and then scratched this year for the first time when two different California show organizers could not make it work.

This year, the top Grand Prix combinations competed in Europe during the time the championships are usually staged in preparation for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro where the United States team won bronze, the first time on the medals podium since the 2004 Games.

Tryon International Equestrian Center that will host the 2018 World Equestrian Games in North Carolina decided not to bid when the USEF did not accept the dates proposed by the organizers. Organizers of a bid for Paso Robles in California also sought a change in the date.

Gladstone was completed at a cost of $1 million ($23 million in 2016 dollars) by Wall Street financier James Cox “Diamond Jim” Brady exactly 100 years ago and named Hamilton Farm in homage to his wife.

Steffen Peters on Legolas and Laura Graves on Verdades at the U.S. Championships in Gladstone in 2014. © Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

The reigning American champion is Laura Graves of Geneva, Florida who won the title in Verdades in Wellington in 2015.

Steffen Peters of San Diego, California has been the most successful winning the title on Legolas in 2012, 2013 and 2014 and on Ravel in 2008 and 2011 but skipped 2009 when the pair won the World Cup and then went to Aachen, Germany to become the first American to become CDIO champion. He was also champion on Lombardi  in 2007 and Floriano in 2006.

Anabel Balkenhol Wins Munich CDI4* Special on Dablino, 3rd Big Tour Win At Show

Anabel Balkenhol and Dablino. © Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

MUNICH, Germany, Nov. 13, 2016–Anabel Balkenhol ride her 2012 Olympic mount Dablino to victory in the CDI4* Grand Prix Special Sunday and the third win on two horses she brought to this show for completed a competition like she's never had before.

Anabel and the 16-year-old Hanoverian gelding scored 73.588 per cent for the win after taking the Grand Prix Friday. This was the fourth show with double victories since she began Big Tour with Dablino exactly seven years ago. The pair competed for Germany at the 2012 Olympics and the 2012 World Games in Kentucky. But this was the first time she has logged three wins at a single CDI Big Tour event.

Dorothee Schneider on Fohlenhof's Rock'n Rose was second on 70.314 per cent and Ulla Salzgeber on Sir Simon third on 69.686 per cent for a sweep of the top three places by German Olympic riders.

 

At this same show, Anabel rode Heuberger TSF to the win the Grand Prix for the Freestyle.

The freestyle itself was won Hendrik Lochthowe on Meggle's Boston on 73.700 per with Anabel and Heuberger second on 73.675 per cent and Sweden's Caroline Darcourt on Paridon Magi that she swaps with Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfvén in third on 72.425 per cent.

 

Results:

CDI4* Grand Prix Special

Placed competitors							(E)	(H)	(C)	(M)	(B)	Total
1.	501	Dablino FRH	Balkenhol, Anabel	GER		2600.00 EUR	369.0	381.5	373.5	378.0	374.5	1876.5 points
	DF 16-j.W v.De Niro/M.v.Wanderbursch II/HANN/GER41335/B: Balkenhol,Klaus						72.353 %	74.804 %	73.235 %	74.117 %	73.431 %	73.588 %
							1.	1.	1.	1.	1.
2.	519	Fohlenhofs Rock'n Rose	Schneider, Dorothee	GER		2000.00 EUR	357.0	357.0	356.5	360.5	362.0	1793.0 points
	DB 12-j.S v.Rubin-Royal/M.v.Feiner Stern/HANN/103HW56/B: Heicke,Bernd Prof.Dr.						70.000 %	70.000 %	69.902 %	70.687 %	70.981 %	70.314 %
							2.	3.	3.	2.	2.
3.	518	Sir Simon	Salzgeber, Ulla	GER		1750.00 EUR	352.5	359.5	359.5	360.0	345.5	1777.0 points
	DF 8-j.W v.Samarant/M.v.Florestan I/WESTF/104GX01/B: Salzgeber,Ulla						69.117 %	70.490 %	70.490 %	70.588 %	67.745 %	69.686 %
							3.	2.	2.	3.	4.
4.	510	Shadow 660	Laus – Schneider, Pia	ITA		1250.00 EUR	341.0	351.0	346.5	341.5	355.0	1735.0 points
	B 10-j.W v.Sancisco/M.v.Lagoheidor G/MECKL/104TY44/B: Laus-Schneider,Pia						66.863 %	68.823 %	67.941 %	66.961 %	69.608 %	68.039 %
							4.	4.	4.	5.	3.
5.	512	Meggle's U.S. Latina	Lochthowe, Hendrik	GER		1000.00 EUR	340.5	346.0	345.5	358.5	335.0	1725.5 points
	B 13-j.S v.Rubin-Royal/M.v.Landjonker (Fruhling)/CH/102QY15/B: Blunier,Käthi						66.765 %	67.843 %	67.745 %	70.294 %	65.687 %	67.667 %
							5.	5.	5.	4.	6.
6.	522	Saladin MZ	Zimmer, Mandy	LUX		700.00 EUR	329.5	343.0	342.5	334.0	326.0	1675.0 points
	R 11-j.H v.Sandro Hit/M.v.Donnerhall/OLDBG/104XJ97/B: Zimmer Mandy						64.608 %	67.255 %	67.157 %	65.490 %	63.921 %	65.686 %
							6.	6.	6.	6.	8.
7.	521	Rumba Hit	Szulc, Aleksandra	POL		500.00 EUR	328.5	332.0	334.0	332.5	335.0	1662.0 points
	B 12-j.H v.Samba Hit Brbrg/M.v.Rotspon Hann/102NZ50/B: Aleksandra Szulc						64.411 %	65.098 %	65.490 %	65.196 %	65.686 %	65.176 %
							7.	7.	7.	7.	6.
8.	517	Rubin Action	Roth, Stella Charlott	GER		200.00 EUR	323.5	330.5	331.0	323.5	338.5	1647.0 points
	DB 13-j.W v.Rohdiamant/M.v.Grundstein II/OLDBG/103UZ46/B: Roth,Katharina						63.431 %	64.804 %	64.902 %	63.431 %	66.372 %	64.588 %
							8.	8.	8.	8.	5.

Data of competition:
Judges:	(E)	Mariette Sanders (NED)			Total prize money:	€10000
	(H)	Dr. Evi Eisenhardt (GER)
	(C)	Dr. Vincenzo Truppa, (ITA)
	(M)	Hans Christian Matthiesen (DEN)
	(B)	Katrina Wüst (GER)

CDI4* Grand Prix Freestyle

								(E)	(H)	(C)	(M)	(B)	Total
1.	0511	Meggle's Boston	Lochthowe,Hendrik	GER		2.650,00 EUR	A:	71.750 %	71.250 %	73.250 %	73.250 %	70.500 %	73.700 %
	DB / 10y. / Johnson / Partout / 103DG55 / Pleyter,Maatschap						B:	76.000 %	76.000 %	78.000 %	75.000 %	72.000 %
							Total:	73.875 % (2)	73.625 % (1)	75.625 % (1)	74.125 % (3)	71.250 % (1)
2.	0502	Heuberger TSF	Balkenhol,Anabel	GER		2.025,00 EUR	A:	73.250 %	70.500 %	72.000 %	75.000 %	71.000 %	73.675 %
	DB / 9y. / Imperio / Michelangelo / 104OM88 / Gestüt Webelsgrund Erdsiek KG						B:	77.000 %	73.000 %	77.000 %	77.000 %	71.000 %
							Total:	75.125 % (1)	71.750 % (2)	74.500 % (3)	76.000 % (1)	71.000 % (2)
3.	0503	Paridon Magi	Darcourt,Caroline	SWE		1.775,00 EUR	A:	70.750 %	68.250 %	72.250 %	72.500 %	70.500 %	72.425 %
	B / 13y. / Don Primero / Napoleon 625 / 102QX23 / Niclas Magnussontomelilla (swe)						B:	75.000 %	72.000 %	77.000 %	76.000 %	70.000 %
							Total:	72.875 % (3)	70.125 % (3)	74.625 % (2)	74.250 % (2)	70.250 % (3)
4.	0520	Luizao	Schulz,Sascha	LUX		1.275,00 EUR	A:	69.500 %	67.500 %	70.000 %	71.000 %	69.500 %	70.550 %
	B / 14y. / Leandro / Calvados II / 102UF30 / Beuck Waldemar,Hohenhude (ger)						B:	72.000 %	69.000 %	72.000 %	75.000 %	70.000 %
							Total:	70.750 % (5)	68.250 % (5)	71.000 % (5)	73.000 % (4)	69.750 % (5)
5.	0513	Dance on OLD	Michalke,Victoria	GER		1.025,00 EUR	A:	69.000 %	65.750 %	68.750 %	68.750 %	69.750 %	70.200 %
	R / 14y. / Dream of Heidelberg I / Welt As / 102SI07 / Koechling,Edith						B:	73.000 %	71.000 %	75.000 %	71.000 %	70.000 %
							Total:	71.000 % (4)	68.375 % (4)	71.875 % (4)	69.875 % (6)	69.875 % (4)
6.	0504	XXXL Rubinio NRW	Hoffmann,Jennifer	USA		725,00 EUR	A:	65.000 %	65.250 %	66.500 %	68.500 %	69.000 %	68.525 %
	R / 13y. / Rubin-Royal / Florestan I / USA42518 / Jurgen Bunger						B:	69.000 %	69.000 %	72.000 %	72.000 %	69.000 %
							Total:	67.000 % (7)	67.125 % (6)	69.250 % (6)	70.250 % (5)	69.000 % (6)
7.	0509	Belcanto 34	Kozanowski,Przemyslaw	POL		525,00 EUR	A:	67.750 %	65.000 %	65.750 %	66.750 %	67.500 %	67.575 %
	F / 9y. / Breitling W / Donnerhall / 104LC34 / Heinrich,Christian (ger)						B:	69.000 %	67.000 %	71.000 %	68.000 %	68.000 %
							Total:	68.375 % (6)	66.000 % (7)	68.375 % (7)	67.375 % (7)	67.750 % (7)

 

Angaben zur Prüfung:
Richter: (E)  Hans Christian Matthiesen (DEN) (H)  Mariette Sanders (NED) (C)  Katrina Wüst (GER) (M)  Dr. Evi Eisenhardt (GER) (B)  Dr. Vincenzo Truppa (ITA)	Gesamt-Geldpreis: 10000 EUR

Chase Hickok & Sagacious Add US Dressage Finals Freestyle Championship to Grand Prix Title

Lauren Sprieser on Ellegria at the US Dressage Finals. © 2016 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

LEXINGTON, Kentucky, Nov. 13, 2016–Chase Hickok and Sagacious HF on Saturday night added the U.S. Dressage Finals Grand Prix Freestyle championship to the Grand Prix title won a day earlier in the pair's first appearance at this competition in its fourth year as a mixed adult amateur and open event.

The Wellington, Florida-based Chase and the 17-year-old KWPN gelding scored 74.167 per cent.

Heather Mason of Lebanon, New Jersey and Warsteiner that she rode to the Intermediate II championship on Thursday was reserve in the freestyle on 72.917 per cent while Lauren Sprieser of Marshall, Virginia on Ellegria was third on 69.875 per cent.

Results:

Grand Prix Open Freestyle

Judges: E-William Warren C-Janet Foy M-Liselotte Fore

		Horse		Rider		E	C	M	Total		Pl.
		Sagacious HF		Chase Hickok		74.375% (1)	74.875% (1)	73.250% (1)			1
		Warsteiner		Heather Mason		72.625% (2)	73.500% (2)	72.625% (2)			2
		Ellegria		Lauren Sprieser		68.875% (4)	71.125% (4)	69.625% (4)			3
		Oublette		Anna Whit Watkins		68.000% (6)	71.625% (3)	68.750% (5)			4+
		Don Principe		James Koford		69.750% (3)	70.750% (5)	67.875% (6)			5
		Loanshark		Kristine Howe		68.750% (5)	66.500% (7)	70.250% (3)			6
		Malcarat		Jacqueline MacDonald Cuddy		67.125% (7)	67.250% (6)	66.875% (7)			7
		G-Sharp		Rebekah Wesatzke		65.250% (8)	64.125% (8)	64.625% (8)			8
		QueBa HM		Allison Kavey		62.375% (10)	62.375% (9)	63.375% (9)			9
		Fetichin		Nicole Harrington		62.750% (9)	60.750%	62.250%			10

Diederik von Silfhout & Arlando Win Freestyle, Isabell & Don Johnson Take Special at Maastricht CDI3*

Diederik van Silfhout and Arlando. © 2016 DigiShots

MAASTRICHT, Netherlands Nov. 12, 2016–Diederik von Silfhout and Arlando won the CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle Saturday for back-to-back victories in the Dutch pair's first competition since the Olympics three months ago.

Diederik and the 11-year-old KWPN stallion scored 80.325 per cent for the win over reigning World Cup champion and team mate Hans Peter Minderhoud on Glock's Flirt in second on 78.500 per cent. Marieke van der Putten of the Netherlands on Ambria was third on 76.875 per cent. Diederik and Arlando took the Grand Prix Friday.

Isabell Werth wrapped up her first show this year with Don Johnson FRH by winning the Grand Prix Special on a score of 75.314 per cent.

Fellow German Britta Rasche-Merkt on Xerez placed second on 68.804 per cent with Belgium's David Engelen on Royal Rubinstein third on 64.392 per cent.

Results:

CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle

Judges: E-A.F.Iacobaeus SWE H-U.Nivelle GER C-A.Hamoen NED M-J.Wolfs NED B: J.v.Daele BEL
RANK	HNR	COMPETITOR		NAT.			E	H	C	M	B	TOTAL
Placed competitors
1.	0303	Arlando N.O.P.	Diederik Van Silfhout	NED		A:	77.000 %	75.250 %	78.000 %	79.000 %	77.000 %	80.325 % 3.000,00 EUR
		dbay / 11y. / S / KWPN / Paddox / Mytens XX / 103LG06 / S.J.Kat & A.P.Both & L.Both & A.C.v				B:	81.000 %	80.000 %	84.000 %	86.000 %	86.000 %
						Total	79.000 % (1)	77.625 % (1)	81.000 % (1)	82.500 % (1)	81.500 % (2)
2.	0311	Glock's Flirt	Hans Peter Minderhoud	NED		A:	75.750 %	75.000 %	75.750 %	74.250 %	79.250 %	78.500 % 2.300,00 EUR
		chest / 15y. / S / CH / Florestan I / Gauguin de Lully / 103DD24 / Ing. Gaston Glock				B:	80.000 %	79.000 %	79.000 %	79.000 %	88.000 %
						Total	77.875 % (2)	77.000 % (2)	77.375 % (2)	76.625 % (3)	83.625 % (1)
3.	0301	Ambria	Marieke van der Putten	NED		A:	75.250 %	73.750 %	77.750 %	73.750 %	76.250 %	76.875 % 1.500,00 EUR
		black / 11y. / M / KWPN / Oo-Seven / 105KU94 / EDNIHAP B.V. & I.G.M. van Gisbergen				B:	79.000 %	76.000 %	76.000 %	81.000 %	80.000 %
						Total	77.125 % (3)	74.875 % (3)	76.875 % (3)	77.375 % (2)	78.125 % (3)
4.	0315	Warlocks Charm	Henriette Andersen	GBR		A:	67.500 %	72.750 %	70.500 %	72.250 %	73.000 %	73.500 % 800,00 EUR
		chest / 13y. / G / KWPN / Jazz / Farrington / 103LO57 / Henriette Andersen & Jennifer Charl				B:	75.000 %	76.000 %	75.000 %	78.000 %	75.000 %
						Total	71.250 % (6)	74.375 % (4)	72.750 % (4)	75.125 % (4)	74.000 % (5)
5.	0307	Daily Pleasure	Beatrice Buchwald	GER		A:	72.250 %	72.000 %	68.000 %	70.250 %	70.000 %	72.750 % 400,00 EUR
		chest / 15y. / G / de Niro / Ehrenmarsch / GER43555 / Buchholtz Amely Baronin von				B:	76.000 %	76.000 %	72.000 %	77.000 %	74.000 %
						Total	74.125 % (4)	74.000 % (5)	70.000 % (7)	73.625 % (5)	72.000 % (6)
Total: 8,000.00 EUR
Other, non-placed competitors
6.	0317	Zippo	Patrick van der Meer	NED		A:	68.500 %	70.000 %	69.000 %	69.250 %	72.250 %	72.500 %
		chest / 12y. / G / KWPN / Rousseau / Haarlem / 103NA98 / Trainingsstal De Hoeve				B:	76.000 %	76.000 %	75.000 %	73.000 %	76.000 %
						Total	72.250 % (5)	73.000 % (6)	72.000 % (5)	71.125 % (7)	74.125 % (4)
7.	0308	Don Gregorius	Inna Logutenkova	UKR		A:	67.250 %	70.000 %	69.750 %	70.000 %	71.000 %	71.400 %
		black / 14y. / S / OLDBG / Don Cardinale / Placido / UKR40057 / Llc Vian – Group				B:	72.000 %	73.000 %	74.000 %	74.000 %	73.000 %
						Total	69.625 % (7)	71.500 % (7)	71.875 % (6)	72.000 % (6)	72.000 % (6)
8.	0306	Dabanos d'O4	Jeanette Haazen	NED		A:	66.250 %	65.000 %	64.500 %	69.000 %	68.750 %	68.450 %
		bay / 13y. / G / BWP / Abanos / Donnerschlag / BEL42524 / Denis van Dingenen				B:	73.000 %	70.000 %	66.000 %	71.000 %	71.000 %
						Total	69.625 % (7)	67.500 % (8)	65.250 % (8)	70.000 % (8)	69.875 % (8)

CDI3* Grand Prix Special

RANK	HNR	COMPETITOR		NAT.		E	H	C	M	B	TOTAL
Placed competitors
1.	0309	Don Johnson FRH	Isabell Werth	GER		74.412 %	75.490 %	77.059 %	76.569 %	73.039 %	75.314 % 2.700,00 EUR
		bay / 15y. / G / HANN / Don Frederico / Warkant / 102MB43 / Winter-Schulze,Madeleine				(1.)	(1.)	(1.)	(1.)	(1.)
2.	0316	Xerez	Britta Rasche-Merkt	GER		69.314 %	70.392 %	66.569 %	68.235 %	69.510 %	68.804 % 1.800,00 EUR
		dbay / 13y. / S / 104DN97 / Rasche-Merkt,Britta				(2.)	(2.)	(2.)	(2.)	(2.)
3.	0313	Royal Rubinstein	David Engelen	BEL		62.059 %	64.216 %	63.431 %	66.863 %	65.392 %	64.392 % 1.500,00 EUR
		bay / 11y. / S / HANN / Rubin-Royal / Sao Paulo / 103ZK84 / David Engelen				(3.)	(3.)	(3.)	(3.)	(3.)
Total: 6,000.00 EUR
Other, non-placed competitors
4.	0310	Enrico	Oksana Gusarova	UKR
		bay / 11y. / G / Ehrentusch / 104DA74 / Oksana Gusarova

 

Chase Hickok & Sagacious HF In 1st Appearance Win US Finals Grand Prix

Chase Hickok and Sagacious HF in the US Dressage Finals Grand Prix Championship. © 2016 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

LEXINGTON, Kentucky, Nov. 11, 2016–Chase Hickok and Sagacious HF won the U.S. Dressage Finals Grand Prix championship Friday night in the first appearance at the mixed amateur and open national competition.

Chase based in Wellington, Florida and the 17-year-old KWPN gelding she has been riding for almost three years scored 70.667 per cent, the only combination at 70 per cent.

The pair competed in the Under-25 division until two months ago posting 10 wins in 15 CDI U25 starts.

Along the way, the pair won the U.S. Under-25 Brentina Cup national championship and competed in Europe in 2015.

Sagacious had previously been competed by Lauren Sammis on the team gold medal team at the 2007 Pan American Games and also won individual silver, and by Carolina Roffman who was reserve U25 champion at Aachen, Germany in 2013.

Chase said that after graduating from U25 she set this event as the goal for this year. The duo competed in their first Big Tour two months ago.

“It was a nice opportunity to extend the season for a bit and cap it off with a national championship,” she said.

Next is to compete on the CDI circuit at the Global Dressage Festival in Wellington from January through March.

 

Anna Whit Watkins of Moody, Texas placed second on the 20-year-old Oublette on a score of 68.000 per cent.

Anna competed in the inaugural finals, also to finish as reserve Grand Prix champion.

 

Anna Whit Watkins on Oublette. © 2016 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

Results:

Grand Prix Championship

Judges: E-Cristel Carlson C-Gary Rockwell M-Sandra Hotz

		Horse		Rider		E	C	M	Total		Pl.
		Sagacious HF		Chase Hickok		70.600% (1)	70.600% (1)	70.800% (1)			1
		Oublette		Anna Whit Watkins		69.800% (2)	67.900% (4)	66.300% (6)			2
		Wrigley		Sharon McCusker		65.200% (7)	69.600% (2)	68.200% (2)			3
		Warsteiner		Heather Mason		66.800% (4)	68.300% (3)	65.900% (8)			4
		Don Principe		James Koford		65.800% (6)	65.800% (8)	66.800% (4)			5
		Ellegria		Lauren Sprieser		63.600% (10)	67.900% (4)	66.400% (5)			6
		Kastel's Akeem Foldager		Charlotte Jorst		63.900% (9)	65.300% (9)	67.800% (3)			7
		Bahai		Nora Batchelder		64.300% (8)	66.500% (6)	66.100% (7)			8
		Lagrima		Sara Spofford		65.900% (5)	63.900% (10)	64.300% (10)			9
		Sir Velo		Noel Williams		68.100% (3)	62.900% (12)	61.500% (12)			10
		Welttaenser		Shelly Reichart		60.100% (12)	66.100% (7)	64.600% (9)
		Leonardo		Kim Gentry		62.800% (11)	61.900% (14)	62.400% (11)
		Chackomo M		Laura Burket		58.000% (15)	63.200% (11)	61.000% (13)
		Loanshark		Kristine Howe		59.000% (13)	62.100% (13)	59.300% (14)
		Ive Been Ripped+		Jessica Fussner		58.500% (14)	57.500% (15)	57.000% (15)

President-Elect Donald Trump & Equestrian Sport

Central Park Horse Show in New York. © 2016 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

Nov. 11, 2016

President-elect Donald Trump has been involved in horse sports in the United States in a significant way as the owner of historic Mar-a-Lago on Palm Beach that hosts a major jumping event and leases the Wollman Rink to stage the Central Park Horse Show in New York.

The involvement of Donald Trump in equestrian sports began with Equestrian Sport Productions that manages the Winter Equestrian and Global Dressage Festivals in Wellington, Florida  seeking to stage a jumping event at Mar-a-Lago in January, 2013.

The former Marjorie Merriweather Post estate that was purchased and restored by Donald Trump in 1985 is one of the most spectacular mansions in the world and designated a U.S National Landmark.

It was the first ever equestrian event held on Palm Beach island and included a demonstration by the U.S. Olympic team combination of Tina Konyot and Calecto V. As a result of feedback from riders, Donald Trump put in new grass footing on the lawn on the edge of the Intracoastal Waterway for the 2014 and 2015 events. It was not staged in 2016 because of weeks of torrential downpours that made the course unrideable.

However, Mar-A-Lago is on the international calendar as a jumping event again for next Jan. 7-8.

Mark Bellissimo, chief executive officer of Equestrian Sport Productions, during the Mar-A-Lago event discussed the possibility of staging a horse show in Central Park in New York.

Donald Trump, who has a long-term lease on the Wollman ice skating rink after he re-built the facility, agreed to lease the arena to Equestrian Sport if they were able to get approval from New York City to host the Central Park Horse Show.

With city approvals in hand, Equestrian Sport staged the first Central Park show of dressage, jumpers and other disciplines in 2014.

Dressage was a centerpiece event from the first year with German superstar Isabell Werth competing, Steffen Peters riding Ravel in a special exhibition and Jan Ebeling retiring the Olympic celebrity horse Rafalca.

The appearance of Valegro and Charlotte Dujardin in a farewell exhibition was a highlight of the 2016 event in September.

Valegro in the center of an adoring crowd at New York's Central Park Horse Show where the triple gold medal-winning horse and his rider Charlotte Dujardin were celebrity stars. © 2016 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

Central Park Horse Show is scheduled for Sept. 19-22 in 2017.