by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 7, 2022
The Essex Equestrian Center in West Orange, N.J., where thousands of riders were introduced to horses over the decades, is closing this month.
The stable, built in the early Twentieth Century, has been known by several names over the years, including the Woodland Riding Club, the Montclair Riding Club and the Suburban Essex Equestrian Center.
It also has been run by many different people, among them William Dunn, Marge Francis, Ben Purifoy, Marvin Ruddy and for the last 20 years, the Hall family.
Those who fondly remember their years riding at the facility are wondering what will happen to the property. Larry Hall did not respond to an email request for comment.
Joe Fagan, a spokesman for the township of West Orange, said the Essex Equestrian Center is in an R-1 zone. The minimum lot size is 80,000 square feet “per lot for potential single-family homes. It does not have to be used exclusively for recreational use. There currently are no pending applications for this property.”
In a statement, the Halls said, “We have been the starting place for kids and adults alike to find a passion and form irreplaceable bonds with other riders, trainers, and horses. From the very start of meeting the riders, pairing them together with our amazing horses, and watching the breath-taking growth and success they all achieve, has made our hearts so full. It breaks our hearts to announce that Essex Equestrian Center will be closing its doors for good on Monday December 19th.”
Word of the closing prompted an outpouring of memories from those whose lives had been touched by their time at the unique stable in a densely developed area.
Its location on Woodland Avenue in the heart of urbanized Essex County, just a few miles from Newark, offered an opportunity for people who didn’t live near farms to take their first riding lessons, then go on to improve their skills.
Stephanie Siegel, whose mother, Vicki Siegel, managed the facility for a few years in the 1970s when it was Suburban Essex, recalls riding with her friends to Pal’s Cabin restaurant a few blocks away. While one person held the horses, the others went in to get a take-out order they could enjoy when they were back at the stable.
Limited space meant there was, as she recalled, just one paddock for 100 horses, and access for trail riders to nearby Eagle Rock Reservation came through a concrete tunnel.
Starting in 1981, Ann Sullivan Scher spent nine years at Suburban Essex as a trainer and manager who imported horses from Europe, working with Olympian and former U.S. show jumping team captain Frank Chapot. The stable’s location helped make it very popular.
“We had 40 to 60 boarders at any one time,” she said.
Kim Hewitt Bonstein rode in shows there as a junior in the mid-1970s and as a trainer, gave lessons at the facility during the winter in the days when indoor rings were few and far between in New Jersey, except for private stables.
There was plenty of demand for the ring on cold days, so several lessons would be going on at once and self-defense was foremost in the mind of the trainers.
“We would grab jump standards to stand behind them so you wouldn’t get run over,” she chuckled.
Kim met opera star Luciano Pavarotti, and taught his daughter there. She remembered her trepidation one day as the hefty tenor set out for a trail ride on a questionable mount.
“He’s got two or three bandannas around his neck. He said, `Nothing should be happening to my throat,’” but as she noted, on the horse he was riding, that would be the least of his worries. Happily, he came back in one piece.
As a teen, John Walker III took lessons at the stable with noted instructor Walter White, and his mother, Maryl Walker, ran the Girls Mounted Troop there. The uniformed troop members were part of the Junior Cavalry of America that included the Thomas School of Horsemanship on Long Island and the New Canaan Mounted Troop in Connecticut. The Junior Essex Troop of Cavalry had a farm in West Orange, but it was sold in the 1970s, following the demise of several other stables in the area during an earlier era.
On Facebook, Morgan Jenkins called EEC “my favorite place in the whole world growing up and still holds a special spot in my heart. I remember my first ever lesson on Lots of Dots, school shows, lessons, the sound of melting snow falling in sheets from the roof on a sunny winter day and spending every free weekend moment there with friends as one of the resident barn rats.”
Bridget Eklund Carlson termed the closure “Just devastating…this place and the people here are so special, with so much history… a huge loss to the community and suburban kids who will no longer have a place to connect with horses.”
EEC offered everything from camp to showing and an Interscholastic Equestrian Association team. Lola Fennimore, managing director of Rocking Horse Rehab, which is based at the stable, said her equine therapy organization will be moving after Jan. 1, but she could not reveal the new location at this time.
The Halls’ statement emphasized that, “All of our horses will be rehomed to only the best of homes and our older herd of ponies and horses will be going to retirement to enjoy a big grass field that they so deserve.
“Although this era is ending, we look forward to following and watching all the success of our trainers, staff, riders, horses, and lifelong friends that we have met over the years.”
The family thanked its staff and clients, while saying, “We owe the utmost of thanks and love first and foremost to our cherished horses, as we would not be able to make Essex such a special place without them. We owe them everything for all they have done for so many of us, what they have taught us in and out of the saddle, and for the love and healing they provide us every day.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 30, 2022
A true horsewoman with high standards and a generous soul, Judy Hofmann Richter always did whatever she could for those who crossed her path, whether they were people or animals. A great deal was lost when she died today, because, as her longtime friend Jimmy Lee said “There will not be another.”
Judy, 83, was hospitalized in Greenwich, Conn., after complaining about trouble breathing and double vision, dying peacefully a week later, November. 30.
On her Facebook page, she described herself as “author,” and indeed, she wrote several popular books, including the wistful memoir, “Some Favorite Days.” Judy also shared her vast equestrian expertise in “Horse and Rider: From Basics to Show Competition” (1979) and “Pony Talk: A Complete Learning Guide for Young Riders” (1993).
Judy was recognized by the horse industry many times. She was named American Horse Shows Association Horseperson of the Year in 1974 and in 2020, she received the U.S. Equestrian Federation Pegasus Medal of Honor from the AHSA’s successor organization.
Judy was multi-faceted, a USEF judge and successful trainer who had been a private school teacher after graduating from Smith College.
Andre Dignelli, a star student of Judy’s who won the 1985 U.S. Equestrian Team Talent Search Finals and a team bronze in the 1991 Pan American Games, described his mentor as “a strong person, a tall woman with real presence about her. She exuded strength and was giving of her time.”
Judy Richter with her son, Philip, left and former student Andre Dignelli. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Both Andre and his brother, Michael, who runs Heritage Farm in New York with him, considered Judy “very special.”
Judy and her late sister, U.S. Equestrian Team member Carol Hofmann Thompson, grew up in New Jersey and attended Kent Place School in Summit, where Jimmy was Judy’s prom date. He recalled that after the prom, he and Judy and their friends went down to Union County’s Watchung Stables a few miles away “because I had just gotten a new horse, and of course, we had to ride him in the dark. Judy mentioned that so many times over the years.”
Of course, Judy rode the horse in her prom dress.
Judy on her induction to the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame with her sister, Carol. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
The Hofmann family was very involved with horses, not only hunting with the Essex Fox Hounds, but also competing in top-level showing. The girls’ mother, Mary, was joint District Commissioner of the Somerset Hills, N.J., Pony Club and their father, Philip, the CEO of Johnson & Johnson, drove a four-in-hand.
Judy married Max Richter and the two bought Coker Farm in Bedford, N.Y., named after Mr. Coker, the horse who brought the couple together. (Max was invited to ride Mr. Coker by Judy’s mother, and then asked Judy out on a date.) Judy lived at the farm until her death.
Over the years, she had a number of famous horses, including American Invitational winner Glasgow, ridden to great success by Olympic medalist Norman Dello Joio and subsequently by Judy’s son, Philip.
Judy and Philip Richter with Glasgow at the Hampton Classic. (Photo © 2011 by Nancy Jaffer)
Ellie Raidt, who rode with Judy as a junior, went on to become at trainer at Coker and compete on such wonderful horses as Johnny’s Pocket.
Among the other riders who excelled as juniors at the highest level under Judy’s tutelage were Alex Dunaif, Peter Lutz and Kara Hanley. Judy had a great deal of influence on many lives, including Ellie’s
“She was so encouraging and loyal. I wouldn’t be anything without her,” Ellie said. She recalled how Judy “insisted I learn to become a judge.” When Ellie received a pin from USEF commemorating her 40th year as a judge, she sent the photo to Judy.
Johnny’s Pocket was ridden to fame in jumper competition by Norman Dello Joio, who knew Judy.for half a century.
Judy Richter collected another honor as Norman Dello Joio gave a presentation speech in 2004. (Photo © 2004 by Nancy Jaffer)
“When she picked me to ride her horse, there were a lot more well-known, qualified riders,” said Norman, who went on to become an Olympic individual medalist..
“She stuck with me and believed in me and that was a game changer for me,” he continued, noting how they had interacted over the years.
“I’m going to miss that more than anything. She always said what she thought, and so do I. Sometimes it was great, sometimes there were fireworks,” he chuckled then added what so many knew about Judy, “She was one of a kind, that’s for sure.”
Expressing many common sense and thoughtful opinions made Judy an interesting conversationalist. Judy definitely was a person of character, as Jimmy remembers her.
“Judy stood up for what she thought was right, regardless of whether it was popular at the moment or not,” he said.
“Above all that, she was a good, good person. We’re very lucky to have known her.”
In addition to Philip, Judy is survived by another son, Hans (Jennifer), and two granddaughters, Maxine and Margot, as well as Richard Ten Dyke, her loving partner of the last few years.
A celebration of her life will be held at Coker Farm at a date to be announced in May.
Contributions in Judy’s memory may be made to the U.S. Equestrian Team and the American Cancer Society, because she was a cancer survivor.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 24, 2022
All across the country, friends and families bond in several ways at Thanksgiving, whether it’s over football, watching the Macy’s parade or of course, sharing a turkey.
But in New Jersey’s peaceful Somerset Hills, hundreds have adopted a different tradition–seeing the Essex Fox Hounds off on their holiday hunt.
The Essex foxhounds head out across their country. (Photo © 2022 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
It started when Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was a member of Essex, and the public would come to the gathering at Ellistan in Peapack for a glimpse of the former first lady and her family.
Even after she was no longer part of the hunt field, however, more and more people would return each Thanksgiving, so they could enjoy the sight of horses and riders at their festive best, watching with interest as they gather, then take off behind the huntsman over green fields.
There was a time when you had to know someone to discover the Thanksgiving meet, but these days, Essex is reaching out to the community. The club invited friends of the hunt to attend, and enjoy a stirrup cup, courtesy of Sarah and Hank Slack, Ellistan’s owners.
Huntsman Bart Poole enjoys a stirrup cup and a greeting from Chris Nelson and Jim Gordon. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
The Slacks’ front pasture seemed even more crowded today, as hundreds turned out for the occasion, with their stately stone manor providing the perfect backdrop.
Many arrived early to tailgate and enjoy socializing on the grounds of the estate. One group, families that met when they were neighbors in Temple, Texas, nearly a half-century ago, came from as far away as Atlanta and Virginia for a reunion, something they have been doing for 40 years or so.
They had never seen the hunt before, but were eager to try something new. Their menu included champagne (the choice of most people who brought a spread), cider doughnuts and pumpkin muffins. After the riders set off, the friends were heading to Robin Hoffman’s house in nearby Mendham for dinner, with everyone pitching in on the cooking.
Scott Hoffman, Kara Gullo, Meg Trammell, Michele Lafrance, Robin Hoffman, John Francis Gullo II and Dick Lafrance start their day tailgating. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Also tailgating were regulars Dana Sendro of Fox River Farm and her daughter, Lexi Sendro, of Trouvaille Equestrian, both in Stockton. Their table was set with roses, candelabra and the same hunt-themed tablecloth they used at the steeplechase races, held in October down the road at Moorland Farm in Far Hills.
Dana and Lexi Sendro were into the festive look. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
They were enjoying spinach and goat cheese fritatas, blueberry muffins and a charcuterie board. After the hunt, Dana was going home to clean stalls while her father, Bill Kendzulak, handled the cooking.
Donna Durling, who fractured her sacrum while out with Essex six weeks ago, understandably couldn’t be on horseback today, but she wasn’t about to let them take off without being on hand and bringing some champagne. Her partner, Ed Johnson, was mounted, and she was riding with him in spirit.
A carriage always appears at the Thanksgiving meet. Jeromy Smith drove the Johnsons’ carriage to add an extra note of interest. (Photo © 2022 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
As the members of the hunt came together prior to moving off, Jazz Johnson, one of the four Essex masters of foxhounds, walked around to personally greet those who had come out to be part of the scene. She thanked the Slacks for hosting the occasion, then invited the crowd to have a drink and sign up to become a Friend of Essex, so they could be notified of future events.
The Essex masters of foxhounds, Sarah Slack, Dennis Sargenti, Lynn Jones and Jazz Johnson. (Photo © 2022 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
“I’m just trying to take every opportunity to remind people that there’s this huge connection between fox hunting and the land, open space and the countryside,” she told those with whom she chatted.
“It means so much to us to try to preserve this tradition and keep everybody thinking about the beauty of this natural sport.”
To find out more about Jacqueliine Kennedy Onassis’ connection with Essex, click here to read a story I wrote last year.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 18, 2022
A horrific fall in a jump-off tragically put the brakes on professional rider Cassandra Kahle’s promising career last January. The following nine months have tested her, as she works to recover from a traumatic brain injury, focusing on therapy with the same determination she once applied to winning in competition.
Cass has never stopped pointing toward a comeback since she came out of a coma..
There was a moment while Cass was still in the hospital when her mother, Natasha Brash, tactfully asked, “What do you want to do, other than riding?”
Cass didn’t hesitate to respond.
“I don’t really know anything other than riding, I’ve done it my whole life,” she pointed out.
“I couldn’t come up with something else I felt as passionate about. I just knew I had to work at getting back to it.”
Cass and her physical therapist, Pete Marsicano, joined her mother on Zoom last night to fill in friends and relatives on how her recovery is going.
Cass can smile as she discusses her progress.
Pete, based at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in Flanders, N.J., originally was working with Cass five days a week.
The sessions have been cut to three days a week as Cass gets better. She is back to riding at Redfields in Tewksbury Township, N.J., where she works for Emil Spadone, but notes it’s a slow process.
“There wasn’t really a thought about not getting back on,” she mentioned, while at the same time admitting, “I was nervous about getting back on.”
That was only the beginning. It was a start, yet the challenges continue.
“I can’t see a distance to a rail anymore,” she said with a smile.
“Any chance of seeing my spot like I used to; it’s gone.”
But just being on top of a horse is huge step for Cass, who was in a coma after her accident. Since she doesn’t remember the accident, or even the week before it, “In one way, I’m really fortunate,” she said. “because I have no actual fear.”
Progress has been slow, yet steady.
At the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, where Cass underwent therapy after getting out of the hospital, she learned how to stand and walk again.
When she came back to New Jersey and started going to Kessler at the end of May, it “jump-started my progress,” Cass recalled.
Knowing his patient was set on riding again, Pete set up a bolster in therapy, to simulate something that would have a relationship to a horse’s back. That enabled her to practice regaining her balance before getting into the saddle again. Pete even figured out a way for her to use an overhead weight bar, making the move equivalent to holding the reins on a strong horse without getting pulled out of the saddle.
Cass’s physical therapist at Kessler, Pete Mariscano.
“I’d have to hold my balance with my feet off the floor, so it was really like riding a strong horse with no stirrups. That really resonated with the feeling of riding and being able to hold my core and my balance and not get pulled over the fence. That was a big confidence booster,” said Cass.
“An exercise being as close to the actual task is beneficial,” Pete observed.
Natasha showed Pete how to give Cass a leg up on the bolster, because “mounting seemed like the biggest question.”
Once that got answered, it eased one of Cass’s worries.
“I hadn’t been emotional at all this whole time,” said Cass, but “just that feeling I was getting a leg up and swinging my leg over–oh my gosh, I just about broke down into tears. That was the closest I felt to getting back on a horse. And I was like, oh my goodness, this is actually real. I guess it’s going to happen.”
As Pete noted, “She’s been game for all of it, and that makes the whole PT process that much more effective.”
It was his experience working with stroke patients when he was in school the made him realize it was his life’s calling. With Cass, he is learning about horses, and on occasion he has even been spotted neighing and cantering around the clinic. They both believe a sense of humor and few laughs are a good way to smooth the journey.
Meanwhile, actually riding is a form of therapy in itself, Pete observed.
Cass at Devon when she was competing. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Cass has started to talk to a sports psychologist, who advised her to go from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.
“That has helped me keep my positive attitude, because it’s easy to get hard on yourself and you’re learning to post all over again and you can’t keep your stirrups. It’s a rough road.”
Added Cass, “She has helped me see the other side of how hopefully I can learn from it and grow from it. Something that may have held me back before the accident, now is a good time to work on it and get down to the basics and overcome some of those issues.”
Sometimes, though, that’s easier said than done.
“It’s hard to keep a positive attitude at this stage. I’m ready to be right back to normal. I think I should be jumping and competing.”
Realistically, she added, “I’m a few months away from that. It’s time to dig in and push through and try to get back to feeling confident in my riding again. It’s a process.”
Her situation has helped her understand what her amateur students go through, “the issues and struggles they have,” and she hopes what she has gone through will help with the way she teaches them.
As she becomes fitter, things become easier. She is still working on posting trot with no stirrups.
“At first, it was half a lap each way and walk in between. Now I can trot for five minutes. That’s enough to keep you motivated and going the right way.”
Knowing that so many people care about her is crucial to her improvement, and looking ahead, she would like to find a way to help people in her position who don’t have that kind of support.
“It has made such a difference and given me comfort,” she explained.
“There could be dark times, you have to watch where you let your mind go. When I was in the hospital, coming in and seeing a new bouquet of flowers and a card really gave me the confidence that, `Okay, I can do this.’ There are no words how grateful I am for that support. It really made the difference.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 17, 2022
When you are spending time with your horses, it’s quite possible you are being watched, whether you’re showing, grooming, riding, training or engaged in some other activity. That’s the way it is when everyone has access to a digital video camera, and it can cause an issue with animal welfare.
For all the wonderful photos and videos of riders demonstrating their love and appreciation of their horse with a pat or a hug, it only takes one negative picture to set off critics of horse sport.
A rider showing appreciation for her horse helps the image of the sport. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Although you may be doing nothing wrong, a lot depends on how your actions are interpreted. There is great concern these days about “social license,” which means the way those who are exposed to equestrian sport–even if they know nothing about it–perceive and accept how animals are being treated.
It’s something that can go viral fast. Remember the outcry over what happened in the pentathlon at the Tokyo Olympics, when a coach punched a horse who had refused a jump? Pentathlon moved quickly to eliminate the equestrian portion of the five-part event (which also includes swimming, shooting, running and fencing) after it is held at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
But the incident also sparked comments from those with no knowledge of horse sport about how horses were treated in other disciplines at the Games. In today’s world, fewer people than ever are connected with horses, or in the larger picture, agriculture, as we grow increasingly urbanized and suburbanized.
At last weekend’s FEI General Assembly in South Africa, social license was a hot topic.
Roly Owers, CEO of the World Horse Welfare organization, explained “The idea behind social license is that we must be transparent, ethical and accountable for what we do. We must do right by our horses–and be seen to be doing so.
“If we are not,” he warned, “we risk losing our social license and face dwindling support, and potential intervention by outside regulation.”
The European Equestrian Federation, which participated in the meeting, cited “the importance for all stakeholders to understand the pressing needs for our sport to adapt and monitor the opinions of those around us.”
When remembering the need to do right by our horses, it is also important to keep in mind the omnipresence of digital cameras.
FEI President Ingmar de Vos stated, “There can be no complacency or reticence to change, to keep things as they are. Because the world is changing, the sporting, media and sponsorship landscapes are changing. And as a result, the way we present and manage our sports also have to change.”
That obviously will mean some new rules, sooner rather than later.
Dr. Natalie Waran, chair of the new FEI Equine Ethics and Welfare Commission, said, “there is change that needs to happen and we are here to develop a strategy, provide objective advice, make recommendations and then see how these recommendations can be put into operation.”
The commission’s first task was to obtain research about the current views of stakeholders and the wider public.
A survey involving research by the independent Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission had 27,710 people involved with horses responding. The most were from France, followed by the USA and Germany, but residents of 116 countries were queried.
Seventy eight percent of those answering the survey believed believed that welfare standards need improving, while 6 percent felt it is impossible to provide adequate welfare protection. Only 16 percent believed welfare standards are high.The majority of the respondents contend that horses frequently (46 percent) or sometimes (45 percent) enjoy being used in sports. The most respondents concerned about the welfare of horses in sport were veterinarians (87 percent) and leisure riders or drivers (84 percent.) Those least concerned were FEI board members (53 percent).
Key concerns were what happens in “the other 23 hours” that horses don’t spend competing, as well as tack/equipment, and training and riding practices.
Respondents indicated that in order for the future of the horse sport to be protected, it will be
important that above all, there is improved enforcement of existing welfare rules, as well as new welfare rules developed with an eye toward science and a required level of knowledge about equine welfare by those involved with horses.
A companion survey of the general public’s opinions about horses being used in sport had 14,273 respondents from 14 countries, but the numbers were scaled, so they could be weighted as 1,000 respondents per country. Nearly half of the respondents had had some experience with horses in the past (47 percent), while 27 percent had no experience with horses.
Asked whether they though horses enjoyed being used in sport, 47 percent believed they did sometimes, while 20 percent thought they never enjoy sports. The more experienced the respondents were with horses, the more they believed that they enjoyed being used in sport.
Those who have no experience with horses would have no way of knowing what equines do or do not enjoy, but again, this is simply a matter of how they perceive things–rather than being based on actual knowledge.
While 65 percent of the respondents were concerned about the use of horses in sport, only
35 percent had no concerns. Respondents were most concerned about endurance,
followed by eventing and carriage driving. They were the least concerned about
dressage.
Their biggest areas of concern were horse welfare (34 percent), followed by horse safety (32 percent) and then, at 9 percent, human safety and sustainability (8 percent). In terms of use of horses for leisure, 62 percent of the public had concerns.
To improve their confidence in sport horse welfare, 19 percent of the respondents would like to see or hear more about the daily care the horses receive. Another 18 percent wants
to know what happens to horses when they leave sport.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 28, 2022
Wellington International, which took over the former Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, has reached an agreement with Wellington Equestrian Partners to run the 2023 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival at the Equestrian Village facility down the road from the Winter Equestrian Festival of jumpers and hunters.
Despite having less than three months before the first dressage show Jan. 11-15, the Wellington International team intends to “work diligently to provide an enhanced experience for all participants, guests, and fans.”
Michael Stone, the president of Wellington International who previously was president of Equestrian Sport Productions, announced, “We know that dressage competitors and spectators have been eagerly awaiting news of the 2023 AGDF season, and we are happy to report that our team will once again be working hard to put forth an exciting, memorable, and safe event.
“Our staff is very familiar with the competition, hospitality, and other logistics of AGDF at the Equestrian Village venue, so we expect to be able to continue the tradition of excellence this upcoming winter.”
Wellington Equestrian Partners is applying for residential rezoning of the Equestrian Village, which would involve an arrangement to move dressage adjacent to the former PBIEC property, but that project is still in the process of seeking approval from the Village of Wellington.
In the meantime, said Mark Bellissimo, managing partner of WEP, that organization “has every confidence in the team at Wellington International to effectively operate the 2023 AGDF, and we are happy to be working with such a well-established partner in the equestrian and events industry.
“Our organizations will work together to ensure the success of the 2023 show, as well as continue to discuss and plan for long-term enhancements in order to elevate AGDF to an even greater level in the future.”
The 2023 AGDF will operate through March 31. If will offer eight weeks of international dressage competition and two weeks of international para-dressage competition. There will be eight Friday Night Stars freestyles under the lights held during AGDF, including two qualifiers for the FEI World Cup Finals to be held in Omaha during April. Another will be held Dec. 8-12 2022.
Anders Bjørnstrup, commercial director of Global Equestrian Group, the parent company of Wellington International, noted, “The founder and CEO of the Global Equestrian Group, Andreas Helgstrand, is a household name in the dressage world and has a passion for the discipline, so we are thrilled to finally have an opportunity to explore and promote a world-renowned dressage event.
“The AGDF is a respected brand with a storied history, and we are pleased to be able to play a role in the development of the event.”
For the second year, CDI5* dressage competition will be held for one week, March 15-19, at the Wellington International showgrounds, a short canter down the road from the Equestrian Village. A change of venue offers the opportunity for horses and riders to experience a different atmosphere during the winter season.
Here is the schedule for the 2023 winter dressage season:
January 11-15,
CDI4* & CDI-W
Lloyd Landkamer Memorial
January 25-29
CDI4*/CDI3*/CPEDI3*
February 8-12
CDI4* & CDI-W
February 15-19
NATIONAL
February 22-26
CDIO3* & CDI3*
March 1-5
CDI-W & CDI3*
Palm Beach Derby
March 8-12
CPEDI3*
March 15-19
CDI5* & CDI3*
March 22-26
CDI4* & CDI3*
March 29-31
NATIONAL
