Dressage Canada Announces 2006 Officials’ Clinics

As part of Dressage Canada’s mandate to provide officials’ education and programs, Dressage Canada is pleased to announce a 2006 calendar of officials’ clinics that provides educational opportunities across the country. The following is a list of scheduled events and registration forms can be downloaded at www.dressagecanada.org.

2006 EC/DC Sanctioned Dressage Judges Learners Clinic June 10-11, 2006Atlantic Dressage Development Centre, Mount Unicake, Hants Co. NSClinician: Lorraine MacDonald, FEI "I" Dressage JudgeThis clinic fulfills the requirements for updating purposes and the beginning process for “r” status, and a great opportunity for anyone interested in getting first hand experience in judging during competition.

2006 EC/DC Sanctioned Dressage Judges Clinic July 1 & 2, 2006Amherst Dressage, Southland Riding Club, Vancouver, BCClinician: Jacqueline Oldham, EC Senior Dressage JudgeThis clinic may be used for 2006 mandatory updating for Recorded, Basic or Medium Status and for Learner Judges.

Learner/Develop Your Eye Clinic with Lorraine Stubbs (FEI I) –
July 14-16, 2006 Palgrave, ONThis clinic is open to anyone who wants to see dressage from the judge’s point of view. Get the inside scoop on what judges are looking for when judging a dressage test, and where you can improve your test riding. It is also a great opportunity for those who are interested in becoming a dressage judge.

September 30 - October 1, 2006 - Dressage Canada Steward Clinic with Christine Hickman (FEI) and Linda Miller (EC Senior), Calgary AB.

October 14 & 15, 2006 - 2006 Updating/Upgrading Clinic with Linda Zang (FEI I), King, ONAll judges requiring their 3-year mandatory updating, as well as those planning to apply for upgrading, must attend this clinic so book your calendars now.

November 9-10, 2006 - Dressage Canada Steward Clinic with Margaret Murdoch (FEI Steward General for Canada) and Christine Hickman (FEI). Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Toronto, ON.Participants who attend and successfully complete this clinic will officially be recognized as licensed Dressage Stewards. Learner Stewards will be certified to assist, while Basic, Medium and Senior Stewards will be certified to officiate at all Equine Canada Sanctioned Dressage Competitions.

For more info, please visit: www.dressagequebec.com

Dressage Masters at Gut Aichet/Germany (21-23.4.2006) – Triumph for Olympic Champion Ulla Salzgeber

International dressage stars like Ulla Salzgeber, Olga Klimko and Uwe Schwanz gathered at the prestigious Gut Aichet venue in Thyrnau near Passau/Bavaria last weekend to compete in a series of classes up to Grand Prix.

In the Grand Prix class of Friday, Ulla Salzgeber won with her 11 year old mount Fuerst Finley, competing in what was only his fourth Grand Prix. His rider was so happy with the result that she is now considering the exceptional youngster for the German Championships. She also placed second in the same class, riding the 9 year old Piet.

On Saturday, Frank Freund, riding the Bavarian gelding Wanesco, placed 1st in the Dressage Class S, bringing great joy to his trainer Ulla Salzgeber. 6th place in the same class went to another student of one of the great masters, Dr Tina von Block, who is trained by Uwe Schwanz and rode the 15 year old Hannoverian gelding Weygand. Von Block also placed 4th in Sunday’s Intermediaire I class with the same horse and the former 3-day event champion is becoming a force to be reckoned with on the German dressage scene. Schwanz himself did owner Sissy Max-Theurer proud when he placed 3rd her 9-year old Oldenburg stallion Reve d’Amour 3rd in the Saturday afternoon S-class and the Sunday afternoon Prix St. Georges.

The Grand Prix Freestyle to Music, with a late start of after 9 pm, also went to Ulla Salzgeber, riding Piet again. Despite a minor fault in the changes at every second stride, the pair remained unbeatable. Sunday’s Grand Prix special went to Ulla Salzgeber again, with Fuerst Finley. Fourth came the Australian Matthew Dowsley with his dressage mare Cinderalla, who seems to have profited enormously from the training with Ulla Salzgeber. Olga Klimko, who did not have her best show, placed 6th in the same class with Glenn de Gaugin, followed by Uwe Schwanz, riding Salome, in 7th place.

By Tess Crebbin

Related links:
http://www.gut-aichet.de/
http://www.ulla-salzgeber.de/
http://www.uweschwanz.com/

Canada’s Cindy Ishoy Completes 4th Dressage World Cup Final

Multiple Olympian Cindy Ishoy recently completed her 4th World Cup Finals competition held from April 20-23 in Amsterdam, NED.

Ishoy, of Jerseyville, ON, was Canada’s sole representative at the Finals aboard her 12-year-old Badden Wurttenberg gelding Proton (Patriarch/Rosenkavalier), her mount at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

Despite having several very good moments in both the Grand Prix (GP) and Grand Prix Freestyle (GPF), minor mishaps prevented Ishoy and Proton from realizing their full potential.

“As I entered the arena, Proton was soft in my hands and we were both relaxed. Things felt so harmonious and Proton showed no signs of resistance; I really don’t know what happened,” said Ishoy of her Grand Prix ride. Unfortunately the judges noted the moments of resistance which resulted in an uncharacteristically low score for Proton of 61.291%.

In the Freestyle “B” Finals, Proton seemed to be a little more settled in the electric indoor atmosphere, which can cause even the most seasoned Grand Prix horse to tense and lose their focus.

“I managed to get things organized and had some very nice piaffe and passage down the centre line,” commented Ishoy. “We were ready. Proton is a really great horse and he truly belonged there.” The judges rewarded their freestyle performance, which features contemporary hip hop music by 50 Cent, with a score of 67.525%.

Ishoy and Proton had arrived in Europe in advance of the Finals in order to work with the legendary Siegfried Peilicke, with whom Ishoy has trained since the age of 21.

Before returning home to Canada, Ishoy will take advantage of some additional European exposure by competing in the CDI3* Hagen, Germany from April 27 - May 1.

Ishoy and Proton qualified for the World Cup Final by capturing the Canadian League Finals at Toronto’s Royal Horse Show last November. Ishoy has the distinction of holding Canada’s best finish at a World Cup Final, an accomplishment achieved with her famous mount Dynasty in 1988 in s’Hertogenbosch, Netherlands where they placed second overall.

Canadian Riders Show Promise at Stadl Paura CDI3*

From April 13-16 2006, some of Europe’s top dressage riders gathered together in Stadl Paura, Austria to compete in the Stadl Paura CDI3*. Amongst the competitors were Canada’s Christian Garweg and Daisy Palmer-Kraul.

The two Canadians, who currently reside and train in Germany, both competed in the Prix St-Georges and Intermediaire I divisions, riding against up to 36 riders per class.

In the Prix St-Georges, both riders had very clean and well executed tests. With Jane Haslett’s Gun Woman, Garweg achieved a score of 65.67% for a sixteenth place finish. Gun Woman (Graf Remus/Gimpel) is an 11-year-old dark bay Oldenburg mare. Palmer-Kraul and Dunensand received a score of 63.25%, placing the duo twenty-eighth. Dunensand (Diamo/ Malvarwiese) is a nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Fiona Dimitrieff. Taking top honours in the Prix St. Georges was the host country’s Victoria Max Theuer with a score of 70.08% aboard Salieri.

Intermediaire I saw Garweg, who is currently on Canada’s Canadian Equestrian Team Dressage Long List, finish in twenty-second place on a score of 63.75% with another well ridden test. Not far behind, Palmer-Kraul finished in twenty-fifth place, with a score of 62.58%. This division yet again saw Victoria Max Theuer walk away victorious, this time scoring 73.08% with Romantik.

“As I whole, I am very pleased with the weekend. I train with both Holga Finken and Siegfried Peilicke - Siegfried was very impressed with Dunensand and feels that he is an up and coming horse for Canada,” commented Palmer-Kraul, who is currently ranked on the Canadian Equestrian Team Dressage Short List “B”. “I was able to watch Christian ride. He did nicely with Gun Woman,” continued the 29-year-old.

Dressage Canada Announces Newly Certified Level III Coaches

Dressage Canada’s Coaching Committee is pleased to announce the following newly certified level III Dressage Coaches:

Andrea Bresee (Ontario)
Rebecca Garrard (British Columbia)
Sharon Merkel-Beattie (Alberta)

“Becoming a level III Dressage Coach is a long process and we’re really happy to be able to welcome these fine individuals into the group,” commented Dressage Canada’s Coaching Chair, Wendy Christoff.

In addition to a stringent six part exam, level III candidates require a long list of prerequisites including having successfully competed at the Prix St-Georges level , having practical experience bringing along a horse from the beginning to Fourth level and a minimum of three years experience coaching riders to Third/Fourth levels. A listing of current level III dressage coaches can be obtained at www.dressagecanada.org.