AGDF TIMES. Boyd Martin and Trading Aces Take Home the Win in the Inaugural $50,000 Wellington Eventing Showcase

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1 AGDF TIMES Issue 3, February 4-8, 2015 Petersen Does a Double with Mariett to Top AGDF 3 CDI-W Competition Boyd Martin and Trading Aces Take Home the Win in the Inaugural $50,000 Wellington Eventing Showcase Lars Petersen and Mariett made it two in a row at the Friday Night Stars FEI Grand Prix Freestyle at AGDF 3. SusanJStickle.com For the second time early in the 2015 season, Lars Petersen (DEN) and Mariett, a 1998 Danish Warmblood mare, rose to the top of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) Friday Night Stars FEI Grand Prix Freestyle class presented this week by US P.R.E. Association. The duo scored a % to take the class, with Shelly Francis (USA) placing second on a % aboard Doktor, and fellow Danish rider Mikala Gundersen (DEN) and My Lady coming in third with a %. More than 1,400 people filled the stands, a record high this early in the season. I was very happy with her. She is feeling great and scored very well today, stated Petersen. I thought her changes were very good and her piaffes as well. For me, it is not so much about the movements, but the Boyd Martin (USA) and Trading Holland, U.S., France, England, and Aces proved to be unbeatable this this is by far the best competition I weekend at the first-ever $50,000 have ever been to, he expressed. The Wellington Eventing Showcase organizers have put on something I presented by Asheville Regional have never see before, and I am just Airport. Martin and Trading Aces led so proud to be here. the competition from start to finish, Martin concluded a wonderful completing the weekend on their weekend aboard Trading Aces, original dressage score of piloting the 2004 Irish Sport Horse Michael Pollard (USA) and Cyrano gelding, to his first big win of the 2015 Z finished in second place on a 25.7 season. The two performed a lovely with Laine Ashker (USA) and her dressage test yesterday late in the own Anthony Patch in third, ending afternoon to take the lead in the large the weekend with their original score, class on a 24.80, the score on which they would finish. Martin was ecstatic The Derby Field at Palm Beach to take home the win this weekend International Equestrian Center and felt the course was perfectly was packed with more than 2,000 suited for Trading Aces. He said, It spectators on a beautiful Saturday was spot on for this time in the year. afternoon as visitors from around the Ashker agreed with Martin s country came to see the first-ever comments, adding that the course eventing competition in Wellington had every type of question you need unfold. Martin commented that the to be asked when going out at the entire competition was first-class, and Advanced level. I was nervous it was a privilege to be a part of such before we left the start box. It had all a unique competition. I ve been lucky of the questions you need: water, a enough, I m 35 and I ve competed Continued on page 3 in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Continued on page 5 rideability and the basics. She is really starting to get better there. My Lady also performed a lovely test, and Gundersen only hopes to see her scores improve as they aim for FEI World Cup qualifications. She was very tense in the warm-up and was scared of everything. She was not very focused, but as soon as her music comes on she knows exactly what to do, smiled Gundersen. She has the music memorized, and I think it is very cool that she is so in-tune with what is going on. Lars Petersen (DEN) and Mariett also topped the FEI Grand Prix CDI-W class sponsored by the U.S. P.R.E. Association on the first day of competition. The duo scored a % to take the win, followed closely by Jose Daniel Martin Dockx Boyd Martin (USA) celebrates a wire-to-wire win through three phases on Trading Aces for the inaugural Wellington Eventing Showcase, presented by Asheville Regional Airport. SusanJStickle.com

2 Diamante Farms, a founding sponsor of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, will once again act as presenting sponsor for the CDI5* competition, held during week five of the show series. At this year s CDI5* event, Diamante Farms will host an Olympian salute honoring each past Olympic competitor who is present. The Olympian Salute, which will take place on February 6, will open the $200,000 FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI5* for Friday Night Stars. Young flag bearers from the non-profit organization Dressage4Kids will lead Olympian riders from each nation into The Stadium, and mother-daughter team Terri and Devon Kane of Diamante Farms will present the Olympians with flowers. More than twenty-five Olympians from at least eight nations will be present and invited to participate, including Olympian Team Gold Medalist Carl Hester of the UK; legendary dressage rider Robert Dover, who competed in six consecutive Olympic Games with the United States Equestrian Team; six-time Olympian Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfvén of Sweden; and Canada s Christilot Boylen, who has also competed in six Games. Germany s Olympic Gold Medalist Hubertus Schmidt, Devon Kane s trainer, will also take part in the salute. At the end of the exciting Friday night of dressage, Terri Kane and Kevin Kohmann co-trainer at Diamante Farms will present the highest-scoring competitors from the CDI Grand Prix Freestyle with their awards. Having settled permanently in Wellington with the intent of helping Diamante Farms Hosts A Salute to The Olympians at The Adequan Global Dressage Festival CDI 5* to grow the United States dressage community, the owners of Diamante Farms USDF Gold Medalist and 2014 USDF Dressage Finals Grand Prix Champion Devon Kane, along with her parents are proud to be some of the longest supporting sponsors of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. We feel it is very important to our sport to have a first-class facility in order to bring top competitors from all over the world, says Terri Kane. The only way we will be able to be truly competitive is to compete against the best. At one time, the only way our competitors could do that was to go to Europe. Now, with this facility we are seeing the Europeans come here. Diamante Farms is extremely proud to have been an inaugural part of the Global Dressage Festival, and plans to be a part of it for many years to come. In addition to sponsoring the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, Diamante Farms also actively supports the Florida International Youth Dressage Championships, the Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center, and the Challenge of the Americas fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The beautiful ten-acre, twenty-stall estate of Diamante Farms complete with one indoor and several outdoor arenas currently houses twenty-seven horses, most of which are currently competing with Kane, Kohmann and their students. There is an air of excitement around the farm, especially on the CDI 5* week, Kane explains. For more information about Diamante Farms, visit or call Join us on Social Media Facebook facebook.com/globaldressagefestival YouTube Palm Beach International Equestrian Center STAY CONNECTED Devon Kane and Destiny schooling at home. ManciniPhotos Devon and Terri Kane of Diamante Farms. ManciniPhotos Get the facts at PBIEC 5 Upcoming Events: Lunch & Learn The 2015 Lunch & Learn weekly educational series will take place each Thursday during WEF from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in The Wellington Club at PBIEC. The WEF five Lunch & Learn will be held on Thursday, February 5 with a presentation on Cryotherapy for the Equine Athlete Not Only Laminitis Prevention! With Robert P. Boswell, DVM and James A. Orsini, DVM, Dipl ACVS, New Bolton Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, sponsored by Merial and TERF - Thoroughbred Education and Research Foundation. Admission is free for riders, trainers, and owners. All others $ Register at the door for a chance to win exciting prizes. Season finale door prizes to include a custom trunk provided by Clever Jumps & Trunks and a TheraPlate. For more information please contact Laura Bostwick, Sponsorship Events Coordinator or laura@ equestriansport.com. Friday Night Stars at AGDF Week five at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival features large tour CDI-5* competition, sponsored by Diamante Farm, large tour CDI 3* competition sponsored by Wellington Equestrian Realty, and small tour CDI 1* competition sponsored by Mission Control. The Friday Night Stars series showcases some of the world s best dressage riders as they perform grand prix musicals freestyles under the lights. Competition will be held on Friday, February 6, at The Stadium at PBIEC beginning at 7 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. General admission and parking are free. Don t miss the chance to see some of the top dressage riders in the world! 6th Annual Great Charity Challenge presented by Fidelity Investments Heading into its sixth annual event, the Great Charity Challenge, presented like us on facebook by Fidelity Investments (GCC), returns to WEF on Saturday, February 7. The pro-am team competition has distributed more than $6.2 million to over 100 nonprofits in Palm Beach County over the last five years. This year the event has a goal of raising at least $1.5 million to add to its already incredible fundraising amount. The theme for this year s event: Superheroes! There is free General Admission and will be held under the bright lights of the International Arena at PBIEC. For more information, including a list of the participating charities and sponsorship opportunities, please visit $127,000 Ariat Grand Prix CSI 3* The $127,000 Ariat Grand Prix CSI 3* will be held on the beautiful grass derby field at the Stadium at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center on Sunday afternoon, February 8, at 2 p.m. The track will be set by international Olympic course designer Robert Ellis of Great Britain. The Suites at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center During WEF Saturday Night Lights Series, The Suites in the Special Events Pavilion offer prime viewing of world-renowned equestrian competition, full buffet and premium bar options in a semi-private suite catered by White Horse Tavern Catering. Each suite accommodates up to 22 persons with a minimum of 14 persons. $200 per person includes buffet and premium bar. $125 per person includes buffet and cash bar. Reservations must be made at east 48 hours in advance of your booking date. The Suites are available for the Saturday nights of: 3/21/2015 For additional information and reservations, please contact Patti Miele at or pmiele@ whitehorsetavernflorida.com Petersen Does a Double with Mariett to Top AGDF 3 CDI-W Competition Continued from Page 1 (ESP) aboard the beautiful P.R.E. stallion Grandioso, scoring a %, and Shelly Francis (USA) and Doktor coming in third on a %. They performed a lovely test late in afternoon, as they were in the latter half of the class, which boasted 33 competitors. A crowd favorite, Petersen plans to take Mariett out a few more times this season at AGDF, aiming her towards the FEI World Cup Finals in Las Vegas this April. We will be doing a total of five shows throughout the season. I know what to do in-between the shows. I don t need to push her any harder just because she is competing. It actually works very well for her, commented Petersen. I will be doing the CDI 5* in a few weeks and a couple more after that. My ultimate goal is to aim her for the World Cup Finals. On Friday, the FEI Prix St. Georges class sponsored by the Chesapeake Dressage Institute concluded, as it continued over two days due to the large number of entries. Sabine Schut- Kery (USA) topped the large class of 48 aboard 2006 Hanoverian stallion Sanceo, scoring a %. She was followed by Kasey Perry (USA) riding Goerklintgaards Dublet receiving a % and Tina Konyot (USA) taking third aboard Wyoming with a %. Jose Daniel Martin Dockx (ESP) performed a lovely test with Grandioso, a 1999 P.R.E. stallion, in the Week 3 FEI Grand Prix Special presented by the US P.R.E. Association. The duo scored a % to take home the win in the class that was held beneath the lights at the International Ring due to the number of entries that day. Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven (SWE) and Divertimento placed second on a score of % with Christoph Koschel (GER) and Tiesto coming in third scoring a %. Dockx was very pleased with the way Grandioso handled the atmosphere under the lights, an unusual circumstance for the class. The large number of entries in the Intermediaire 1 class forced the FEI Grand Prix Special to run later in the day Thursday, February 5, 2015 than usual. I have a horse with great character, and he didn t seem to care, commented Dockx on riding underneath the lights. Sabine Schut-Kery (USA) also had a great day, topping another large class in Week 3 at AGDF, taking home the win aboard Sanceo, a 2006 Hanoverian stallion, in the FEI Intermediaire 1, presented by Chesapeake Dressage Institute, scoring a %. Tina Konyot (USA) placed second on a % with Wyoming, followed by Kimberly Herslow and Rosmarin in third scoring a %. The top five riders in the class were all U.S. riders. Kasey Perry (USA), coming off of a fantastic week of performances at Week 3, topped the FEI Intermediaire 1 Freestyle class, presented by Chesapeake Dressage Institute. Perry aboard Goerklintgaards Dublet scored a %, followed by Christoph Koschel (GER) on Leuchtfeuer DE finishing on a %, and Kimberly Herslow (USA) and Rosmarin placing third with a score of %. Several awards highlighted the commitment of owners and recognized high scoring performances throughout the week at AGDF. The Best Owner Award for Overall Highest Score in the National Show was presented by Jill Irving and awarded to Farah Rizvi (USA) for her outstanding performance at the National competition in the USEF First Level Pony JR/YR classes aboard Prince Z. Jill Irving also presented the FEI Prix St. Georges Owner Award to the winner of the class, which was awarded to Alice Womble-Heitman and Dr. Mike Heitman, as their 2006 Hanoverian stallion, Sanceo. Marcia Pepper, owner of Mariett, took home the Best Owner Award presented by Wellington Equestrian Realty for the second time after her horse Mariett took another FEI Grand Prix Freestyle victory. Lars Petersen and Mariett also were awarded that Adequan High Score Award for the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle. 11:30am to 1:00pm in the Wellington Club. CRYOTHERAPY FOR THE EQUINE ATHLETE NOT ONLY LAMINITIS PREVENTION! Robert P. Boswell, DVM and James A. Orsini, DVM, Dipl ACVS, New Bolton Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Sponsored by Merial, TERF- Thoroughbred Education and Research Foundation, and IceHorse For more information please contact (561) Admission is free for riders, trainers, and owners. Page 2 ISSUE 3 February 4-8, 2015 Page 3 ISSUE 3 February 4-8, 2015

3 AGDF 5 Sponsors: Wellington Equestrian Realty The Horse Farm Experts Rob and Chris Desino, Craig Martin and Matt Varney of Wellington Equestrian Realty have become a valuable ally for buyers and sellers to help navigate the new real estate reality. Wellington Equestrian Realty always brings their A game, whether it s a $400,000 property or one for $50 million. Matt Varney states, All of us at WER live and breathe this lifestyle and understand it on a deep level, helping buyers, especially if they are in Wellington for the first time. One of the first founding sponsors of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, Wellington Equestrian Realty continues grow their dedication and support of AGDF each year. This cohesive relationship has been a productive one and Wellington Equestrian Realty has become the top contact when searching for premier Wellington properties for many clients competing at AGDF throughout the winter season. The Wellington Equestrian Realty Team established a new award for the 2015 season presented to the owners of winning combinations at each Friday Night Stars FEI Grand Prix Freestyle competition throughout the season. The Wellington Equestrian Realty Owner Award gives $5,000 to the owner/s of winning combinations that they may then donate to a charity of their choice. This award gives us an opportunity to recognize the owners that make this sport possible. We thought this was a great way to highlight their importance while also providing them with a way to give back, said Matt Varney of Wellington Equestrian Realty. The perfect Wellington property is not only a home for you and your horses, but also a major investment. With backgrounds in the equestrian sport as well as business and property development, Wellington Equestrian Realty brings a unique ability to understand their clients needs and goals. We will do anything we can to close a deal that s going to make our seller or our buyer happy, no matter what the obstacles are, states Varney. That s where their relationship with lenders and the Village of Wellington are important, as well as understanding contractual nuances, especially when it comes to local and international buyers. And for Wellington Equestrian Realty, they don t just talk the horse farm talk, they walk the walk, investing themselves in Wellington equestrian properties. Varney observes, It builds the confidence in a consumer that what we re telling them is not just rhetoric. They feel a lot During AGDF 3, Craig Martin and Matt Varney presented the Wellington Equestrian Realty Owner s Award for the second time to Marcia Pepper, owner of Mariett. SusanJStickle.com more confident when we show them what we ve invested in our sponsorship, our company, office space, and our own projects here in Wellington. That investment also extends to marketing, where Wellington Equestrian Realty spends an enormous amount on exposing their properties around the world, giving sellers every opportunity for their property to be seen. The entire team at Wellington Equestrian Realty is simply known as being world-class business professionals. Wellington Equestrian Realty invites everyone to visit them at their office between the Welli Deli and Tackeria. Walk in and say hi and ask us questions, says Craig. We make ourselves extremely accessible even if you just want information on Wellington. We love talking real estate and horses and the investment side more than ever. For more information: www. wellingtonequestrianrealty.com, , South Shore Blvd., Suite 108, Wellington FL. Mission Control Announces Sponsorship of CDI 1* at Week 5 of AGDF Mission Control, an award winning persuasive print firm with offices in Connecticut and Washington D.C., is proud to announce their sponsorship of the CDI1* at Week 5 of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF). Mission Control, a first year sponsor of the event, is looking forward to helping grow the AGDF competition and provide an ever-expanding platform for dressage riders, both national and international, to compete in Wellington. Ed Peavy, a founding partner of Mission Control, has close ties with AGDF, as his daughter, Angela Peavy, is a successful para-equestrian who has competed at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center for many years. Angela rode as an individual rider for the U.S. at FEI World Equestrian Games last summer in Caen, he said. Through her riding we have met so many amazing people: riders, trainers, and horse owners. We realized how important sponsors are to events like AGDF and how crucial they are to ensuring the success of all of the riders. Week 5 of AGDF will be the biggest so far this season, boasting the most entries in the history of the competition. Peavy is thrilled to see the show growing at this incredible rate and looks forward to contributing to that growth in the future. The motivation to provide sponsorship for AGDF was founded in Mission Control s core values of commitment, creativity, and a passion for success, all of which Peavy believes are encompassed by the AGDF circuit, We are very excited for the sport of dressage, not only for paraequestrians, but for the sport as a whole. Any way that we can contribute to that, we feel is a huge success for us. AGDF has played host to CPEDI para-competition for many years and Peavy felt the need to give back to the competition and venue that has given so much opportunity to his daughter. We ve been so grateful to AGDF for hosting the CPEDI 3* each winter and we are looking forward to many more in Wellington in the future, commented Peavy. Boyd Martin and Trading Aces Take Home the Win Continued from Page 1 ditch, corners, and skinnies. I definitely respected it and felt like I had a horse who was super happy and healthy coming off when we finished. Captain Mark Phillips, the designer of the cross-country course, was also pleased with the way the course rode for the riders this early in the season. A lot of the infrastructure was already here. We tried to put together a 3* test that was appropriate for the time of year and the fitness of the horses. When we talk about the future of the sport in this sense, I think we will see a lot more of these types of events as build-ups to Rolex and other large international competitions, he continued to explain. It is a huge benefit to the riders, the horses and in particular the owners and the sponsors. When everyone is happy we have a good sport to look forward too. Cyrano Z arrived in Pollard s barn only a few weeks ago from his father-in-law Carl Bouckaert, who rode the horse in the 2012 London Olympics. The pair, who has only had a few weeks to familiarize with each other, had a stellar performance across the board, and Pollard was thrilled. He was perfect today. I don t know him that well, but it couldn t have gone a whole lot better. Carl has had a lot of clear rounds on this horse and I thought I d better do a good job so I just held on and let the horse do his job, which he did quite well, he said. Mark Bellissimo, CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions, was excited and grateful to the competitors, sponsors, and owners for coming together to be a part of such a unique opportunity for the sport. Equestrian Sport Productions and the Bellissimo family, who now own both the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Tryon, North Carolina, as well as the Colorado Horse Park in Parker, Colorado, are looking to help grow and elevate the stature of eventing in the United States. Bellissimo stated, When we threw out the idea of doing an event, we talked about what it would take to get people to come down here and my colleague, Jim Wolf, said maybe $25,000 (in prize money). So we decided to double it, and I didn t realize that it would turn into the second largest event in terms of prize money in the country, which really is a shame. The athletes are spectacular and the owners are amazing in this sport. It is a great group of people, and we are encouraged and inspired to take this sport to the next level. As for the fantastic turnout for a firsttime event, Bellissimo said this is just the beginning of the vision to bring the sport to the forefront of equestrian competition. We want to make eventing a major force at all of our venues. We re talking to a number of different sponsors and we really want to elevate the sport. We re fired up to take this sport to the next level and are excited to work with other organizers and organizations so that we can make something really interesting here, continued Bellissimo. Bellissimo was proud to award the owners of the top three placed horses large charitable donations. Aside from their earned prize money, they will be able to donate to any 501c3 charity of their choice. We are so thankful to the sponsors for giving us an opportunity to host an event like this. Asheville Regional Airport stepped up in a very big way very quickly, and Land Rover is always a great partner of ours. Allyn Mann and Adequan have been spectacular, as has our longtime partner Rolex, Bellissimo said. As for the future, there are big plans on the horizon to host fully recognized FEI events, with a CCI3* being held in Tryon in August and the hopes of hosting the country s second CCI4* event, aside from Rolex Kentucky CCI4*, at Tryon International Equestrian Center as well. Mission Control s founding partner, Ed Peavy, is a new sponsor of AGDF. His daughter, Angela Peavy, competed in the CPEDI 3* at AGDF this year. Photo Lindsay McCall Page 4 ISSUE 3 February 4-8, 2015 Page 5 ISSUE 3 February 4-8, 2015 Candid photos SusanJStickle.com. Find yours at

4 Vendor Spotlight: Gestüt Peterhof Gestüt Peterhof is going global with pride and great excitement to present the stud the first time at the AGDF in Wellington. Besides promoting the worldclass stallions, Arlette Jasper-Kohl designed the Peterhof Collection with the highest standard of quality and innovation, available on or directly at our vendor tent at AGDF. Hans- Georg Linsenmeyer. AGDF 3 Awards and Candids Located in Perl-Borg (Germany) and also situated at the border to Luxembourg and France, the designer and advanced dressage rider Arlette Jasper-Kohl and her husband Prof. Edwin Kohl have fulfilled their dream of living with horses by creating Gestüt Peterhof and they have built up one of the most beautiful estates ever. The 75-acre stud farm has hosted three completely sold out CDI4* events with top competitors all over the world. We are very proud that Michael Stone and Mark Bellissimo have been interested in Gestüt Peterhof. A lot of sponsors, riders, breeders and horse friends were impressed by the presentation and atmosphere at our vendor tent. Stop by and join us this week! Hans-Georg Linsenmeyer. Gestüt Peterhof is the home of the World Champion Sezuan, who won the final of the 5-year-old dressage horses at the 2014 World Championships in Verden. He is one of the most successful stallions in the world. One of the most successful horses in the US, Verdades by Laura Graves, comes from the Peterhof stallion Florett As. Dr. Tanja Becker. Winner of the Omega Alpha Healthy Horse Award at AGDF3 CDI Mikala Gundersen on Janne Rumbough s My Lady with Patti Hanco of Omega Alpha presenting. Photo L to R: Show Chic s Krystalnn Shingler, Show Chic Jog sponsored by Equiline winner Kristy Lund, Michele Hundt Show Chic Owner, and Kelly Molinari representing Equiline. Candid photos SusanJStickle.com. Find yours at Page 6 ISSUE 3 February 4-8, 2015 Page 7 ISSUE 3 February 4-8, 2015

5 Lövsta Stuteri Continues to Influence the Success of Equestrian Sport in Sweden With more than half a million Swedes involved in the equestrian industry and more than 125,000 pupils enrolled in riding schools, equestrian sport in Sweden continues to cement itself as one of the country s most popular past times. The commitment of the Swedish community to support and participate in the sport is based on the dedication of equestrian professionals and riders who have helped to expand riding opportunities for Swedes. Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven and her core team are many of the professionals who have dedicated their lives to ensuring the continued success of Swedish equestrianism. Vilhelmson-Silfven has enjoyed a strong start to her 2015 season here at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival with her two Grand Prix mounts Divertimento and Benetton Dream, as she bases in Wellington, FL for the winter. Her real focus throughout the year though, is on Lövsta Stuteri, the stable and breeding operation she runs with her employer, long-time supporter, and good friend Antonia Ax:son Johnson in Sweden. The Axel Johnson Group are dedicated sponsors of AGDF and continue to contribute to the success of a variety of equestrian sports throughout Sweden. The popularity of equestrian sport in Sweden follows just behind the number one sport, soccer, in terms of youth participation rates. Riding schools provide children with the opportunity to learn the basics of the sport in terms of technique and also barn management and proper horse care. The success of riding school programs is very important to us and all of the Swedes. It s good quality and it s not just about riding, but teaching maintenance. Children are brought up to care for horses. They get the knowledge for it at a very young age too, elaborated Vilhelmson-Silfven. With more than 450 riding clubs associated with the Swedish Equestrian Federation, these schools are easily accessible to most families, a major contributing factor to increasing participation rates. Caroline Darcourt, who has also had great success at AGDF this season, is a prime example of the success of the Swedish riding school system. A reformed jumper, Darcourt has learned and flourished under the watchful eye of Vilhelmson-Silfven and Ax:son Johnson. She also has taken part in the Lövsta Future Challenge; a series of competitions with classes specifically designed for U25 riders and also provides separate divisions for young horses. The competition, which has become very popular, has been very beneficial for Swedish riders. These are classes designed to help riders experience top level classes in large venues. It is both the Intermediaire II and the short Grand Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven and Caroline Darcourt. Photo courtesy of Lövsta Stuteri. Prix tests. We knew that we had a gap in our programs here in Sweden, so we decided to incorporate it and it has been a huge success, she smiled. Originally meant to be a dressage competition, this year, Lövsta Stuteri will sponsor a jumping portion of the competition as well, which will provide the similar opportunities for U25 jumper riders and young jumper prospects. Lövsta Stuteri continues to be one of the premier riding facilities in Sweden, with many of its employees and riders reaching elite levels of their respective sports, whether that be dressage or show jumping. Vilhelmson-Silfven says that hard work and commitment are necessary when it comes to succeeding in the industry. We have a lot of very hardworking and dedicated people at Lövsta. It is really important to appreciate the motivation of people who want to be successful, she continued. You have to really love the horses and that s what is key. It is a very valuable message that we are always sending to our kids at home. Lövsta Stuteri is not only proud to have established many quality riders, but the farm also takes pride in producing quality horses. They run a large breeding insemination station that has become one of the most successful in Sweden. The scope of the breeding program is something we re looking to grow this year. Benetton Dream has been our topproducing sire, but we also have many younger quality studs that continue to strengthen the program. We re very excited for the future of the insemination station. To learn more about Lövsta Stuteri and the Axel Johnson Group please visit Talento, Lövsta. Photo: Helene Schmitz A passion for business and a passion for horses. Part of the same family legacy since WEF Sport Horse Auction Thursday, February 26, 2015 at 7:00 pm Select Dressage Horses Sponsored by Westphalian Studbook Scan here for more information. Page 8 ISSUE 3 February 4-8, 2015