Compiegne, France - Members of the Dressage Squad for European Observation Events will compete this week in the CDIO5*/CDI3* Compiegne in France. The competition is a designated observation event as part of the selection process for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Dressage Team. Led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Dover, The Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Team for the CDIO5* will include Allison Brock, Shelly Francis, Laura Graves, and Kasey Perry-Glass. Francis and Arlene “Tuny” Page will compete in the CDI3*. Barbara “Bebe” Davis will compete in the CDI-U25 and CDI-Y. Also competing in the CDI-Y will be Lauren Asher and Kerrigan Gluch.
“I am very excited to see many of our U.S. squad riders, as well as our Young Riders showing this week in Compiegne,” said Dover. “It is a strong competition at all levels and I feel confident our athletes will do very well and make us all proud.”
Brock (Loxahatchee, Fla.) will ride Claudine and Fritz Kundrun’s Rosevelt, a 2002 Hanoverian stallion. This budding partnership has been developing at the Grand Prix level over the past three years with consistent successes in the U.S. and in Europe. This winter at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, the pair capped off the season by winning the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special in the CDI3* presented by Stillpoint Farm.
The veteran pair of Francis (Loxahatchee, Fla.) and Patricia Stempel’s Doktor, a 2003 Oldenburg gelding, will go next in the order for the U.S. The pair earned top-10 placings throughout the 2016 Adequan Global Dressage Festival, including a win in the Grand Prix Special at the CDI-W presented by The Axel Johnson Group and in the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special at the CDI3* presented by Havensafe Farm. They were also members of the winning The Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Team at CDIO3* Wellington presented by Stillpoint Farm.
Graves (Geneva, Fla.) will ride her own Verdades, a 2002 KWPN gelding. Continuing to add to their impressive record in 2016, the pair spent the winter competing at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, earning multiple top placings. The duo won the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special at the CDI5* presented by Diamante Farms in February, the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle at the CDI4* presented by Havensafe Farm, and were members of the Gold medal-winning The Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Team at CDIO3* Wellington presented by Stillpoint Farm, where they also won Individual Gold.
Perry-Glass (Wellington, Fla.) will ride Diane Perry’s Goerklintgaard’s Dublet, a 2003 Danish Warmblood gelding. Following a solid career at the Small Tour level, the pair moved up to the Grand Prix this winter and has had remarkable success in just a few short months. The pair has placed in the top three in all of their 2016 CDI outings during the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, including as members of the Gold medal-winning The Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Team at CDIO3* Wellington presented by Stillpoint Farm, where they also won Individual Silver.
CDIO5* competition will begin on Saturday with the Grand Prix. On Sunday, two combinations from each nation will contest the Grand Prix Special while the remaining two combinations contest the Grand Prix Freestyle. The Nations Cup results will be based on performances in all three tests.
Representing the U.S. in CDI3* competition, Francis will ride Patricia Stempel’s Danilo, a 2004 Hanoverian gelding. The pair earned multiple top-ten placings during the 2016 Adequan Global Dressage Festival, including second-place finishes in the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle at the CDI3* presented by Wellington Equestrian Realty.
Page (Wellington, Fla.) and her own Woodstock, a 2003 KWPN gelding, will round out the U.S. contingent for the CDI3*. Woodstock has been a rising star in Page’s barn, representing the U.S. last summer on Nations Cup teams at Rotterdam and Hagen. Kicking off the winter season with a highlight, the pair won the Grand Prix Special and placed second in the Grand Prix during the CDI-W presented by Yeguada de Ymas in week one of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. They were also members of the Gold medal-winning The Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Team at CDIO3* Wellington presented by Stillpoint Farm.
Competition in the CDI3* begins Thursday with the Grand Prix. The Grand Prix Special will take place on Friday and the Grand Prix Freestyle on Saturday.
Competing in the CDI-U25, Davis (Wellington, Fla.) will ride Michael Davis’ Equestricon’s Carrera, a 2000 Hungarian Warmblood mare. This competition is the first of two that Davis will contest as part of her USEF Developing Dressage Program European Competition Grant. This mare is a new partner for Davis, having taken over the ride in December. The developing partnership has proven to be a promising one, as the pair took home two wins in CDI-U25 Intermediate II 16-25 classes during the 2016 Adequan Global Dressage Festival.
Competition in the CDI-U25 will be held Friday and Saturday.
Rounding out the U.S. contingent in the CDI-Y will be the three athletes participating in the USEF Dressage Young Rider European Tour: Lauren Asher (San Diego, Calif.) with her own De Noir 3, a 2000 Hanoverian gelding, Davis with Michael Davis’ Feivel Mousekewitz, a 2001 Hanoverian gelding, and Kerrigan Gluch (Wellington, Fla.) with Hampton Green Farm’s Vaquero HGF, a 2007 Andalusian stallion.
Competition in the CDI-Y will be held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Watch the competition live on tv-grandprix.com.
Find out more about CDI Compiegne, including results
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