Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 look to earn final World Cup qualifying scores during this week's California Dreaming Productions' CDI competition. (Terri Miller)
Competition in the Grand Prix division will be intense as the Capistrano Dressage International CDI-W is the final U.S. qualifier for the 2015 Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final, which returns in spectacular fashion to Las Vegas, Nev. on April 15 - 19 with the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final. Peters and Four Winds Farm's Legolas 92 have the highest single score (and the only score over 80%) in the North American League rankings after a personal-best performance at last month's Mid-Winter Dressage CDI in Burbank, but the pair must earn a second freestyle score of at least 77.700% to remain atop the leaderboard and guarantee an invitation to return to the Thomas & Mack Arena where Peters found glory as the 2009 World Cup Champion aboard Ravel. Also in pursuit of a possible ticket to Vegas following strong showings at Mid-Winter are Olympians Jan Ebeling and the impressive stallion FRH Rassolini and Guenter Seidel with promising new mount Zero Gravity. And fans don't have to miss a minute of the excitement - with expanded live streaming coverage, CDP Live will feature all of the CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyles on Sunday, March 22.
While more than 20 international entries will contest the Grand Prix division, competitors in the small tour are not to be outdone as almost 30 combinations will also be seeking valuable qualifying scores for a possible team berth for this summer's Pan American Games in Toronto. Both big winners from Mid-Winter, Sabine Schut-Kery with Sanceo and Elizabeth Ball aboard Avanti will return in pursuit of additional victories, but they will have to contend with the likes of top combinations Mette Rosencrantz with De Noir 3, Leslie Webb with Harmony's Armani, and Guenter Seidel and Rey del Mundo, as well as Dawn White-O'Connor on Aristo and Charlotte Jorst with Fraktura, who return home to California after finding success in Florida.
Immediately following the Capistrano Dressage International, California Dreaming Productions will once again host the Festival of the Horse CDI 3*/Y/J/U-25, March 25 - 28 to be held in conjunction with the Blenheim Spring Classic I & II hunter/jumper show as well as host of the KWPN-NA Annual Meeting, an event popular with breeders, riders, trainers, and sport horse enthusiasts. For both of these back-to-back CDI's, an overwhelming number of entries meant that both shows had to close weeks prior to closing dates and resulted in classes in both the FEI and national competition so large they necessitated the addition of an extra day of competition. "Last year our idea of creating two elite dressage shows on consecutive weekends in the same location was a little bit of an experiment, but it's proven to be an incredibly popular concept," explained Alisa Wilson, co-founder of California Dreaming Productions. "The response from the West Coast dressage community has been even more incredible than last year, and we have devoted every available resource of our staff and the facility to accommodate as many horses and riders as possible, all while striving to keep the special atmosphere and amenities that we pride ourselves in offering at our shows, including our VIP and competitor hospitality, special arenas and footing, lovely awards for all divisions, and our terrific live streaming service. We welcome everyone, whether in person or online, to join us!"
General spectator admission to the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park, located at 30753 La Pata Avenue, San Juan Capistrano, CA is free. For more information about California Dreaming Productions' Capistrano Dressage International and the Festival of the Horse, please visit their website http://www.californiadreamingproductions.com.