The first week of competition at the 2015 Vidauban Dressage Festival on 4 - 8 March 2015 promises to be big! A huge field of competitors from across the world is gathering at Bernadette Brune's Domaine Equestre des Grands Pins in the South of France for this exciting CDIO 1*/3* event.
The Vidauban Dressage Festival provides the most complete programme of all shows in Europe with classes throughout the levels: from young horses, to pony and chilren's classes, to junior and young riders. There is a small tour, a medium tour, a developing Prix St Georges and Grand Prix horse class, the Under 25 Grand Prix level tests and a big tour for senior Grand Prix riders.
Many riders travel to the south of France for the good weather to make an ideal start of the outdoor show season. The 2015 FEI Nations' Cup series will have its first global instalment in Vidauban, where the show circuit kicks off, followed by Wellington, Rotterdam, Aalborg, Hagen, Falsterbo and Hickstead.
The entry list for the first week of competition is a very impressive one. For the youth divisions, top dressage riders from all across Europe will come to Vidauban, including the 2014 European Junior Riders Champion Anna Christina Abbelen with three of her horses, and 2014 European Pony Champion Semmieke Rothenberger with her champion pony Deinhard B as well as her second FEI pony Paso Double and her junior rider's horse Geisha.
The Grand Prix division boasts plenty of big names. Former British team rider Anna Ross Davies returns to the international stage on her new Grand Prix horse, Die Callas. Italy's number one Valentina Truppa is still giving Eremo del Castegno time to recover from his injury and is bringing routinier Chablis to France alongside her new rising star Ranieri. Luxembourg's Sascha Schulz has entered no less than five horses to compete: Camerino B, Diamond's Diva, Atomic and Grand Prix horses Sacre Coeur and Wito Corleone. Portuguese Gonçalo Carvalho will be competing the shooting star Grand Prix mare Batuta. Australian WEG Team listed rider Briana Burgess will make her CDI Debut again on La Scala after missing out on the 2014 World Equestrian Games due to an injury.
From outside Europe, two Brazilians are set to compete in Vidauban, Joao Victor and Renata Rabella Costa.
Check out the complete entry list for week 1 of the 2015 Vidauban Dressage Festival
For more information, visit www.domaine-equestre.com
Photos © Astrid Appels
Related Link
Eurodressage On the Scene at the 2015 Vidauban Dressage Festival