A lovely of field of Spanish and Portuguese star dressage riders is entered to compete at the 2015 CDI 3* in Vilamoura, Portugal on 10 - 12 April 2015. The CDI 3* dresage competition is the closing event of the 2015 Vilamoura Atlantic Tour, a high profile show jumping circuit which has attracted over a 1000 horses to the prestigious sunshine resort town of Vilamoura in the Portuguese Algarve.
Portugal's Elite for the Big and Small Tour
Portuguese riders are rallying en masse at Vilamoura to contest this home show. 2014 Portuguese Dressage Champion Maria Caetano Couceiro has entered four horses to compete: her Grand Prix champion Xiritpiti (by Qualificado x Moscatel), her talented small tour champion Coroado (by Rubi), the FEI horse Vendaval (by Navalheiro x Novilheiro) and youngster Fenix de Tineo (by Rubi).
Portuguese WEG Team riders Filipe Canelas with his number one Der Clou (by De Niro x Matcho AA) and Manuel Veiga with Ben Hur da Broa (by Quinteiro da Broa x Universo) are attending the event as well. They are joined by Portuguese Olympian Gonçalo Carvalho, who will be competing Lusitano sensation Batuta (by Quixote x Icaro) in the Grand Prix, as well as by long time Portuguese competitor Daniel Pinto.
The 28-year old Maria Pais do Amaral is bringing her new FEI ride, Equestricons Gentleman (by Fiderhit x Wolkenstein II) and 34-year old new comer Ricardo Wallenstein can be seen on his grey Lusitano Bem me Quer (by Malmequer x Urco). Wallenstein is continuing his Grand Prix tour after successes at the CDI Jerez de la Frontera last February.
In the young horses division local heroes Maria Caetano, Joao Francisco Castelao, Nuno Chaves de Almeida and Hugo Pereira Custodio will be introducing their young stars to a show environment.
Vilamoura also features the junior and young riders classes to give Iberian riders the opportunity to obtain international qualification scores for team selection for the 2015 European Junior and Young Riders Championships to be held in Vidauban, France, in July. Portuguese juniors Miguel Castelo, Catarina Lopes, Luis Valença Cardoso, Yoann Pinto, Martim Meneres, and Joao Nogueira will join young riders Maria Cancio and Gonçalo Diabinho in the show ring.
Sun Seekers Rallying in Portugal
Preferring to compete in ideal weather circumstances instead of still cold and windy Western European weather, riders deliberately make the journey down south to show their horses at the beginning of the 2015 outdoor show season in a calm, relaxed, warm and professional atmosphere.
The 2015 CDI3* is on the show grounds of the Clube Hípico de Vilamoura and has five arenas with Otto Sport footing, 850 stables, a clinic and spa for horses, as well as a massage facility.
Spain's most beloved Grand Prix team rider Jose Antonio Garcia Mena will be making the short journey from Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, to Vilamoura with his small tour star Dragao de Figueiras (by Unico).
While the starters' list includes mainly Portuguese riders, Brazilian Giovana Pass will be crossing the Atlantic for the event. She will ride Zingaro de Lyw in the Intermediaire A and B and the 5-year old Fantasia PCI in the young horse division. Russian Irina Zakhrabekova, who has a base in Germany as well as in Spain, is bringing Armonioso JF (by Esplendido) and Sandro's Welt (by Sandro Hit x Weltmeyer). Norwegian Ann Sofie von Greiffencrantz will be saddling the PRE stallion Nipon III (by Quisquilloso xx x Romero xxix).
Competition starts on Friday 10 April 2015 with the Prix St Georges and Grand Prix, the Team Tests for Junior and Young Riders and the preliminary tests for the 5 and 6-year old. Vilamoura is also hosting a medium tour and it begins on Friday with the Intermediaire A. There are also national classes going on throughout the weekend.
Late entries for the CDI and CDN Vilamoura are still being accepted. Contact show director Paulo Caetano
For more information, visit the 2015 CDI Vilamoura official website, or its Facebook page
Related Link
Eurodressage "On the Scene" at the 2015 CDI Vilamoura