Karin Reid Offield and Offield Farms are pleased to announce that The Search for America’s Next Equestrian Star: Dressage has been acquired and will air on the Fox Reality Channel. The show was conceived by six-time Olympian Robert Dover and showcases the challenges of riding to the top of the Olympic sport of dressage. More than 400 people auditioned for the show and only six were chosen to compete for the chance to become Robert Dover’s Second Assistant Trainer as well as a variety of other prizes. The show was shot at Dover’s Romance Farm in Wellington, FL, and was developed by New York City-based Brave St. Productions, who has produced shows for numerous networks. Airdates and times will be announced soon.
“We are very excited that Fox Reality Channel has acquired The Search for America’s Next Equestrian Star: Dressage,” said Karin Reid Offield, the Executive Producer of the show. “The goal of the show was two-fold. First, we wanted to assist the contestants in making their riding dreams come true. Second we wanted to bring equestrian sports to a larger audience. This is a wonderful opportunity to do that.”
The Fox Reality Channel is the premier destination for unscripted programming. Among their current offering are Corkscrewed and Rebel Billionaire: Branson’s Quest for the Best. Offield continues, “We will be able to reach a wide audience through the Fox Reality Channel. They were very excited to add The Search for America’s Next Equestrian Star: Dressage to their roster of reality shows.”
The show is a mix of entertainment and an inside view of the quest of the Olympic dream—The Apprentice meets American Idol. Six lucky finalists were chosen to participate, including:
• Jessica (JJ) Tate, 27, Walworth, WI
• Lindy Bowerbank, 18, Thousand Oaks, CA
• Philesha Chandler, 24, Wichita, KA
• Brendan Curtis, 20, Silver Spring, MD
• Rebecca Vick, 25, Southern Pines, NC
• Jamil Kassum, 16, Scottsdale, AZ
Dover and Offield share a passion for expanding the audience for the sport of dressage. “People are very interested in horses, and we try to find ways to make them accessible,” Offield says. She has successfully risen through the ranks from training level competitor to CDI Grand Prix, the sport’s highest classification. Her commitment to dressage has included funding and promoting a variety of educational and promotional projects, including serving as the presenting sponsor of the 2005 FEI World Cup Dressage Finals, a move that ensured North American television coverage of the event. Visit www.offieldfarms.com for more information and for updates on the show.
Executive Producers and Partners at Brave St. Productions, Russell Best and Tammy Leech, have worked with Dover and Offield to bring the show to fruition.