Ermelo, The Netherlands –Endel Ots and David Wightman will represent the United States at the 2016 Longines FEI/WBFSH World Breeding Dressage Championships for Young Horses, July 28-31, at the National Equestrian Center in Ermelo, The Netherlands. Since 1992, young dressage horses have converged at the World Breeding Dressage Championships to gauge their development among the world’s elite. A total of 112 combinations from 26 countries will perform individual tests in the five-, six-, and seven-year-old divisions. Judges will evaluate the horses on overall impression as a dressage horse. Ots and Wightman will compete in the six-year-old division.
Ots (Wellington, Fla.) returns to the World Breeding Dressage Championships for Young Horses with his and Max Ots’ Lucky Strike (Lord Laurie x Heidi/His Highness). Last year, he and the 2010 Hanoverian gelding placed 11th in the Five-Year-Old Final. They qualified to return to the World Breeding Dressage Championships in the six-year-old division with personal-best scores they received during week 12 of the 2016 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival. They earned an 8.760 in the Six-Year-Old Final and an 8.720 in the Preliminary Test. Ots has put together a successful resume with developing and young horses. He earned the 2012 USEF Developing Horse Grand Prix Reserve Championship and the 2014 Markel/USEF Developing Grand Prix Horse National Championship.
Wightman (Murrieta, Calif.) makes his debut at the World Breeding Dressage Championships with his and Kathleen Raine's Silberpfeil (Silberschmied x Barcelona/Boss), a 2010 Hanoverian gelding. They recently posted scores of 8.2 in the Six-Year-Old Preliminary Test and 8.320 Six-Year-Old Final at the 2016 Del Mar National Horse Show. They placed fourth in the five-year-old division at the 2015 Markel/USEF Young and Developing Horse Dressage National Championships.
Competition begins on Friday with the FEI Preliminary Test for six-year-old horses beginning at 9:00 a.m. EST.
Watch the competition live at ClipMyHorse.TV.
Complete schedule and results