The 2020 Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida, has added a Developing Prix St Georges Horse and Developing Grand Prix Horse show series to its action packed programme, which runs 8 January through 29 March 2019.
The Developing PSG Horse series will boast a purse of $10,000 euro sponsored by Summit Farm.
The Developing Grand Prix Horse series boasts a purse of $15,000 euro sponsored by Lovsta Stuteri. It recreates the Lövsta Future Challenge concept held in Sweden.
Both series will have qualifiers throughout the circuit, which runs January 8 through March 29 at Equestrian Village at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL.
Lovsta Future Challenge, From Sweden to Florida
The Lövsta Future Challenge/Developing Grand Prix Horse series was organized with the help of seven-time Olympian Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén, who is the professional rider and trainer for Lövsta Stuteri, based in Sweden and Wellington, FL.
The original Lövsta Future Challenge, created in 2011, was set up by Vilhelmson Silfvén and Louise Nathhorst in Sweden as a talent development program in both dressage and show jumping for young grand prix horses and Under 25 riders, giving them the arena and the conditions to advance toward the top level of international sport.
“We not only promote the horses and riders but also the teams behind them, including grooms, trainers, breeders, horse owners, and sponsors,” said Vilhelmson Silfvén. “All are incredibly important for developing talent. Lövsta Future Challenge also strives to create forums where riders and equestrian professionals can exchange knowledge and work together towards a sport where the environment and horsemanship are central themes.”
She continued: “we want to give them a platform to develop and with this series help them take the step towards the highest grand prix level. We hope that the interest for educating and producing young grand prix horses will grow. Our goal is that this series will be successful so we can take it to an international level in the future.”
Eight Qualifiers For Both Series
The Lövsta Future Challenge series will hold qualifiers for horses age eight to ten years old at AGDF 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, with the final held during AGDF 12 for $15,000 in prize money. The best horse/rider combination of each qualifying week will qualify for the final, plus two wild cards will be determined for the final. If a horse/rider combination who is already qualified wins more than once, the next placed horse/rider combination of that week will go forward to the final. The test used in the qualifiers is the FEI Intermediate II.
“The series will give them the routine and hopefully the confidence to take the last step towards the highest grand prix level,” said Vilhelmson Silfvén. “We at Lövsta also believe a series like this with a goal of becoming an overall winner will boost both riders and horses and the teams behind them. We believe that one of the most important parts to reach success and growth is to set up goals.”
The Developing Prix St. Georges Horse series will have qualifiers in the same weeks for horses age seven to nine years old, with their final also held during AGDF 12, with prize money of $10,000. The two best horse/rider combinations of each qualifying week will qualify for the final, plus two wild cards. The same qualifying applies for those combinations that win more than one qualifier. The test used for the qualifiers and the final is the Prix St. Georges, but in the final, two Prix St. Georges tests will be offered, with one as a warm-up class and the second as the final.
Trainer Scott Hassler said of the Developing PSG Horse Series, “a series like this is important because it’s one of the most exciting group of horses. Germany’s Nürnberger BurgPokal Prix St. Georges has shown us what a championship at this level can do. This is the most critical stage in making a grand prix horse – getting them in good hands, competing, and training well to make a grand prix horse.”
The United States has developed Prix St. Georges as a national program in recent years, said Hassler, who was involved in creating the program. “Now it’s one of our most competitive championships,” he noted. “For GDF to have a prize like this and have a series with a final be available is so exciting and awesome.”
Related Links
Damon's Fantasy and Ferano Win Developing Horse Titles at 2019 U.S. Dressage Championships
Tarjan, Doverspike, and Taylor-Smith Lead Early in 2017 U.S. Young and Developing Horse Championships
Lovsta Future Challenge Cup, a New Initiative to Strengthen the Future of Swedish Dressage