FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
SIDELINES MARCH 2012 99
Changing Stars
A last minute decision to downgrade the World Dressage
Masters from a CDI5* to a CDI4* allowed several top pairs to
compete in the highly promoted, top billed event who otherwise
would have been shut out due to a technicality. On Thursday,
January 26th, stewards’ discovered that three riders did not
hold two Grand Prix scores above 64% at two different CDIs,
the requirement to qualify for a CDI5*.
Those riders just happened to be Carl Hester, a rising celebrity
who was fresh off a frst-ever gold medal for Great Britain at the
2011 European Championships, Heather Blitz and Paragon,
who won team gold and individual silver at the Pan Ams in
October at the Intermediare level, and Ashley Holzer, who was
qualifed to compete as the winner of Thursday’s Grand Prix
with Pop Art, but was already entered with new mount Breaking
Dawn, and could only enter with one horse.
The disqualifcation of those riders would have spelled
disaster for Wellington Classic Dressage, who had billed the
top riders as star attractions while promoting the event. But
dropping the event to a CDI4* would not affect the prize money
or ranking points, and riders unanimously agreed with the
ground jury and FEI representatives to support the change at a
meeting late Thursday night, and the show went on as a CDI4*.
One interesting outcome - the hasty change meant that North
America’s only CDI5* ranked event will be during a $125,000
competition scheduled for March 29 - April 1, to be held at the
new Global Dressage Festival grounds in Wellington.
Continued on page 100
Top three Freestyle riders celebrate
All lined up for the CDI4* Grand
Prix awards ceremony