Britain's William Fox-Pitt Leads After Olympic Evening Day One, Germany Topping Teams So Far

William Fox-Pitt after taking lead after first of two days of eventing dressage. © 2016 FEI/Dirk Caremans

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 6, 2016–Great Britain's William Fox-Pitt, two weeks in a coma after a head injury last fall, took the lead after the first of two days of Olympic evening dressage Saturday.

On Chilli Morning, a 16-year-old stallion, William produced a score of 37.00 in the first of three phases to top a score of 37.60 set by Australia's Christopher Burton and his nine-year-old gelding, Santano II.

Added to 47.20 logged by team mate Gemma Tattersall on Quicklook V, Great Britain was third before the remaining 31 horse-and-rider combinations in Sunday's second day of dressage.

Defending Olympic champion Michael Jung on Sam, the horse he rode to spearhead the German team and individual gold four years ago was on 40.90 with compatriot and reigning world champion Sandra Auffarth on Opgun Louvo fourth on 41.60 to be at the top of the team standings. Australia was second among the 13 teams.

“All along Rio has been my target, totally,” William said. “It was unrealistic, but it was mine.

“I was in a coma for a couple of weeks and my sight was quite dodgy. I went from blind to seeing double so when I started jumping there were two jumps. It's been a journey, but I've had so much support. Mentally I was very tired, I probably still am. I feel like I'm waking up, but slowly.”

Results–Dressage Day 1

TEAM
1	GER	Germany	82.50
2	AUS	Australia	83.90
3	GBR	Great Britain	84.20
4	FRA	France	85.40
5	NZL	New Zealand	91.00
6	IRL	Ireland	93.80
7	USA	United States	94.30
8	SWE	Sweden	98.80
9	CAN	Canada	101.40
10	BRA	Brazil	104.50
11	ITA	Italy	105.80
12	NED	Netherlands	111.70
	RUS	Russian Federation	66.00

Olympics Open In Rio With Eventing Horse Inspection Kicking Off Equestrian

The USA dressage team (left to right) of Steffen Peters, Allison Brock, Laura Graves, Kasey Perry-Glass with coach Robert Dover in their Ralph Lauren team uniforms.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 5, 2016–The first Olympic Games in South America opened Friday night with 205 teams parading in the famous Maracana soccer stadium after the horse inspection for eventing that kicked off equestrian competition that includes dressage and jumping over the next two weeks.

Four of the teams were led by flag bearers competing in equestrian–all jumper riders–at Deodoro that has been praised almost universally for stabling for horses, footing in the main arena and training and warm-up rings–the elements given top priority by riders.

Eight nations have teams in all three Olympic disciplines–Australia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Sweden and the United States as well as host Brazil–at this 31st edition of the Games that first included equestrian competition 104 years ago.

Eventing dressage with all 65 horse and rider combinations, including 13 teams, from a total of 24 countries starts Saturday.

Dressage competition of 60 horse/rider combinations with 11 teams and pairs from another 14 countries, more than ever before and 10 higher than in 2012, starts Monday with the horse inspection.

Two days of Grand Prix as the first phase of team medals is held Wednesday and Thursday with the Grand Prix Special to decide the gold, silver and bronze teams is scheduled for Friday.

The Grand Prix Freestyle to decide individual medals is set for Monday, Aug. 15.

For dressage, two of the three individual medal pairs from London in 2012 are in Rio–Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro, team and individual gold, and Adelinde Cornelissen and Parzival, team bronze and individual silver. Kristina Bröring-Sprehe and Desperados, on the German silver medal team in London, is on this year's team and has become world No. 1.

Isabell Werth, also of Germany, will ride Weihegold that a medal would elevate the rider to equaling the nine Olympic medals that Anky van Grunsven of the Netherlands has for the most in equestrian sports.

Jumping with 75 combinations from 27 countries and including 15 teams starts with the first round on Sunday, Aug. 14.

Russian Equestrians Confirmed for Olympics

Mister X ridden by Inessa Merkulova. File photo © Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

RIO DE JANEIRO, All five Russian equestrian athletes–including two dressage riders–have been cleared by the International Olympic Committee to compete at the Games in Rio de Janeiro opening this week, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) reported Thursday.

The IOC action came after a detailed submission by the FEI, including confirmation that all five had no previous anti-doping rule violations.

Inessa Merkulova with Mister X, ranked No. 7 in the world, and Marina Aframeeva and Vosk, 41st in the world, are the two Russian dressage combinations.

FEI President Ingmar De Vos said: “This has been a very difficult time for our Russian athletes, who all have clean anti-doping records under both human and equine testing regimes, so we are very happy to have confirmation today from the IOC that all five are now declared eligible to compete.

“Our sport is not implicated in the (independent) McLaren Report, we also have confirmation from the IOC that there have been no equestrian positives in the re-testing of athletes from Beijing 2008 and London 2012, and WADA has no cases against Russian athletes in equestrian sport, but obviously we still had to go through the process as outlined by the IOC Executive Board last month.

“All five riders have been tested and we did individual analysis of their anti-doping history, which we submitted to the IOC. That documentation has undergone a detailed assessment by the CAS expert and the full process has now been signed off by the Review Panel set up by the IOC specifically to deal with the issue of Russian athlete eligibility.

“The good news has come just in time as the Eventing starts tomorrow (Friday) morning with the first horse inspection at 8.30!”

Dressage starts next week.

Olympic Dressage Competition & Warmup Arenas

The Olympic dressage competition arena at Deodoro in Rio de Janeiro. Photo courtesy of Steffen Peters

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 3, 2016–The Olympic competition and warm-up arenas at the equestrian stadium in Deodoro, one of the major complexes of the first Games to be held in South America.

Most of the 60 dressage horses plus reserves are either on site or on their way–most shipped from Europe but the two Canadian individual horses left New York Wednesday night.

Veterinary inspection of the dressage horses is scheduled for next Monday with two days of Grand Prix starting next Wednesday and the Grand Prix Special on Friday to decide the team medals.

Individual medals will be decided by the Grand Prix Freestyle scheduled for Monday, Aug. 15.

Olympic dressage warmup arenas at Deodoro. Photo courtesy Steffen Peters

USA's Tryon International Equestrian Center Announces Pursuit of 2018 World Equestrian Games

Tryon International Equestrian Center. © Ken Braddick/dressge-news.com

Aug. 2, 2016

Mark Bellissimo, managing partner of Tryon Equestrian Partners, announced Tuesday that Tryon International Equestrian Center in North Carolina is working with the United States Equestrian Federation to keep the 2018 World Equestrian Games in North America.

The USEF and the governors of both North and South Carolina both support the initiative of the group. The management of Tryon also operates the Winter Equestrian and Global Dressage Festivals of winter-long jumper and dressage competitions in Wellington, Florida with three times more horses competing each week than the entire World Games of two weeks.

The interest by the group that owns the Tryon shows at Mill Spring, in North Carolina has been communicated to the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) that owns the combined world championships of dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, jumping, reining and vaulting as well as para-dressage held once every four years.

The FEI announced last month that Bromont, Canada that had been awarded the Games had withdrawn because of lack of funding, leaving just two years to prepare.

The USEF has sent a letter to the FEI pledging “strong support” for the bid, the Tryon group said in a news release.

William Moroney, USEF Chief Executive Officer, said: “While it is unfortunate the games will not be able to take place at Bromont, the USEF believes it is critical that the WEG remain in North America as intended so that the globalization of the sport can continue.”

USEF President Chrystine Tauber added, “Mark Bellissimo and Tryon Equestrian Partners have a brand new venue, deep experience and sufficient resources to make this happen. They have the USEF's full endorsement.”

Both N.C. and S.C. state and local governments have expressed support of the bid. The only WEG in North America was in Lexington, Kentucky in 2010. The games had an economic impact of $201.5 million over the event's 14 days according to a financial study.

“North Carolina's infrastructure and natural beauty make our state a natural fit to host the 2018 World Equestrian Games,” Gov. Pat McCrory said. “We will support efforts to host the Games in our state which will provide not only a positive experience to all those attending, but a significant boost to North Carolina's rapidly growing economy.”

South Carolina's Gov. Nikki Haley echoed support-“We have a long and rich history in equestrian competition, and welcome the opportunity to showcase our state's world-renowned hospitality and tourism assets to the attendees and participants of this prestigious event.”

Tryon Equestrian Partners has invested more than $125 million (€111.3 million) over the past two years developing 1,500 acres (600Ha) in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains to create what they believe to be the premier equestrian lifestyle destination and resort in the world.

The Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) is the centerpiece of that effort.

The venue includes 1,200 permanent stalls, 12 competition arenas, a lighted international arena that seats 6,000 (expandable to 12,000) with multiple VIP areas, a large covered/indoor arena that seats 5,000, as well as a Mark Phillips-designed cross country course which will support both eventing and driving marathon.

TIEC is located between Charlotte, North Carolina with an international airport with direct flights to Europe as well as Asheville, North Carolina and Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina, both with airports and within 35 minutes from the show grounds.

Within about 45 minutes of the venue are more than 35,000 hotel/motel rooms, plus, a significant number of college dorm rooms available nearby for officials and the media at relatively low cost.

A photo slide show of the Tryon facility–http://tryon.coth.com/gallery/venue-photos#prettyPhoto

USA Dressage Team Horses Arrive Safely in Rio de Janeiro for Olympic Games

USA dressage team horses arriving in Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic Games after flying from Europe. Photo courtesy of © 2016 Eddie Garcia who flew with the horses.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 1, 2016–United States team dressage horses arrived here safely Monday night after a trans-Atantic flight from Belgium.

Eddie Garcia, the groom for Steffen Peters, accompanied the American horses on the Boeing 777 flight. Only one groom per team was allowed.

The horses for several teams that were on the flight were taken from Rio's international airport to the Olympic equestrian venue in Deodoro about an hour away.

Dressage horses in containers ready to be unloaded in Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic Games after the flight from Europe. Photo courtesy © 2016 Eddie Garcia

The USA team:

Steffen Peters, 51, of San Diego, California, and Legolas, a 14-year-old Westfalen gelding owned by Four Winds Farm and ranked No. 7 in the world;

Allison Brock, 36, of Wellington, Florida and Rosevelt, 14-year-old Hanoverian stallion owned by Claudine and Fritz Kundrun, ranked 33rd in the world.

Laura Graves, 28, of Geneva, Florida and her Verdades, 14-year-old KWPN gelding, ranked 11th in the world, and

Kasey Perry Glass, also 28 years old but youngest team member and her mother's Dublet, 13-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding ranked 21st in the world.

New Yorker Magazine Profile of Charlotte Dujardin & Valegro

Charlotte Dujardin riding Valegro to new Freestyle for Rio Olympics with coach Carl Hester (in yellow jacket in background) looking on at Hartpury CDI3*. © 2016 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/08/08/charlotte-dujardin-dominates-dressage