Adequan Global Dressage Festival’s 2018 Season Expected To Be Largest Yet
Since launching in 2012, the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) has matured into one of the largest dressage circuits in the world. The festival will rise to the occasion once again in 2018, setting the stage for top horse and rider combinations, and laying the stepping stones leading up to the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, N.C., next September.
The 2018 AGDF will once again take place at the Stadium at Equestrian Village in Wellington, from Jan. 4 through March 31, 2018. The winter circuit will provide indispensable opportunities for riders seeking scores for the World Equestrian Games (WEG). The festival will host four qualifying events throughout the circuit.
“We are incredibly excited for this upcoming dressage season,” AGDF Director of Sport Thomas Baur said. “This year, we will see riders from all over the world coming to Wellington to prepare for the World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018. We are presenting a new structure of classes at the Grand Prix level as well as Small Tour levels, and will welcome top judges that will also be featured at the WEG.”
The 2018 AGDF season features four CDI-Ws, a CDI 4* and CDI 5*, as well as a CDIO3* and two CPEDI competitions. Local spectators are welcome to come out and enjoy world-renowned competition. The show is always open to the public with free general admission. The weekly Friday Night Stars events take place every Friday evening during CDI events and present the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle class, where combinations ride to choreographed musical routines. The nights also bring musical acts and various forms of outside entertainment.
The season will begin on Thursday, Jan. 4 with the first Para-Equestrian Dressage CPEDI 3* competition. Week 2 will also play host to a CPEDI 3*, beginning on Thursday, Jan. 18. Para-equestrian sports allow athletes with physical and visual disabilities to excel in equestrian events and competitions designed for the able-bodied, and do so by creating a structured and highly competitive environment. Para-dressage is conducted under the same basic rules as able-bodied dressage, but with riders divided into different competition grades based on their physical abilities. There is no greater evidence of the incredible bond, trust and communication between horse and rider than in para-dressage. This Paralympic sport is a humbling reminder of the strength and determination of the human spirit.
The AGDF will welcome the first CDI-W competition of the season on Thursday, Jan. 11, as well as a national show for competitors looking to fine-tune their skills outside of the FEI arena. AGDF 3 commences on Wednesday, Jan. 24 and will bring the second CDI-W and national competitions.
The circuit takes a break on Friday, Feb. 2, when some of the top event riders in the world are welcomed to Equestrian Village to go head-to-head in the fourth annual Wellington Eventing Showcase. The showcase hosts a two-day format of the sport of eventing, including dressage, show jumping and a condensed cross-country course, designed by renowned course designer Capt. Mark Phillips.
International dressage competition reconvenes on Thursday, Feb. 8 with the season’s only CDI 5*, featuring the very best riders in the world, and producing some of the most thrilling test execution of the season. Week 6 will begin on Friday, Feb. 16 and host three days of national competition. Week 9 also promotes national competition from March 9-11. The third CDI-W will commence during Week 7, on Thursday, Feb. 22.
AGDF Week 8 begins on March 1 and welcomes the final CDI-W and the historic Palm Beach Derby, an exciting event that features riders competing at Small Tour level with unfamiliar horses to see who can ride to the best score.
Week 10 is set to showcase the only CDI 4* of the 2018 season, while the final week of the season plays host to the FEI Nations Cup CDIO 3*, as well as the final Friday Night Stars competition of the circuit. The FEI Nations Cup CDIO 3* is the only non-championships CDIO 3* in the northern hemisphere and is a staple of the season for competitors from around the world.
“We are very excited about the upcoming Adequan Global Dressage Festival,” said Michael Stone, president of Equestrian Sport Productions. “With the FEI World Equestrian Games coming to Tryon, N.C., in September 2018, there will be many talented riders from all over the world attending, with the main focus being qualification for the biggest equestrian event in the world. This year will truly be a chance for everyone in Wellington to see the world’s best, and we are looking forward to seeing these equestrian athletes preform on our global stage.”
With the 2018 WEG looming on the horizon, the 2018 AGDF is sure to be the most exceptional one to date.
For more information about the AGDF, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.
ADEQUAN GLOBAL DRESSAGE FESTIVAL
2018 WEEKLY SCHEDULE
AGDF 0 – January 4-7
CPEDI 3*
AGDF 1 – January 11-14
CDI-W and National Show
AGDF 2 – January 18-21
CPEDI 3* and National Show
AGDF 3 – January 24-28
CDI-W and National Show
AGDF 4 – February 2-3
Wellington Eventing Showcase
and National Show
AGDF 5 – February 8-11
CDI 5*/3*/1* and National Show
AGDF 6 – February 16-17
National Show
AGDF 7 – February 22-25
CDI-W and National Show
AGDF 8 – March 1-4
Palm Beach Derby CDI-W/1*
and National Show
AGDF 9 – March 9-11
National Show
AGDF 10 – March 15-18
CDI 4*/3*/1* and National Show
AGDF 12 – March 27-3
CDIO 3*/3*/1* and National Show
Tentative schedule, subject to change. Sponsors listed at time of print. Friday Night Stars freestyles are held on Friday nights of CDI competition with the exception of AGDF 8.
The Palm Beach International Equestrian Center Stadium is located at 13500 South Shore
Blvd. in Wellington. For more info., call (561) 793-5867 or visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.
