2003 Dressage in Florida

Dressage In Florida 2003 Winter Season Wrap Up

Text by Mary Hilton - Images copyrighted: Mary Phelps

From January through April, Florida hosted more than a dozen rated dressage shows, including four CDIs. Four dressage series, each hosting three shows, provided riders with a selection of competitions from Miami to Orlando: the Winter Equestrian Festival Dressage Show Series and the Gold Coast Dressage Association Series each presented three shows at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington; the Palm Beach Dressage Derby Series at The Horse Park at Equestrian Estates in Loxahatchee offered three shows, as did the Orlando Dressage Series at Clarcona Horsemen’s Park near Orlando. Tropical Park in Miami hosted two show, and Gainesville and Venice each were the sites of three shows.

The most closely watched classes this year were qualifiers in the ‘small tour’ – the Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire I – as these are the classes that not only will determine which American riders will compete in the Selection Trial for the Pan Ams, but foreign riders also used the classes as qualifiers for their country’s team. Dressage in Florida 2003 showcased Pan Am hopefuls from the US as well as Canada, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East. Florida’s winter shows also provided qualifying classes for the USET Grand Prix Championships, the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Regional Championships, and the North American Young Riders Championships (NAYRC).  

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