Phelpssports.com Palm Beach Dressage Derby Broadcast Will Be Available Online
RELEASE: February 22, 2008
AUTHOR/ADMINISTRATOR: By Christine DeHerrera
Can’t make it to the 25th annual Phelpssports.com Palm Beach Dressage Derby this year? You can still enjoy watching the likes of Lisa Wilcox, Lars Petersen, Courtney King, George Williams and Dorothy Morkis, along with dozens of other top competitors from around the world, as they dance down centerline with their partners, from the comfort of your own home. For the first time in the history of this prestigious event, broadcasts of the FEI level rides, including the musical freestyles, will be available at
www.dressageclinic.com beginning March 5.
Slated for February 28–March 2, the Derby is a four-day dressage extravaganza unlike any other event of its kind in the United States, drawing the top competitors from around the globe. Sharing the event with dressage enthusiasts far and wide is an exciting new element for event organizers. “We are delighted that the world will be able to view the Phelpssports.com Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI on
www.dressageclinic.com this year. This 25th anniversary year is truly a special milestone for us and to have our fans from around the world be able to enjoy the footage via the Internet is great,” said show manager Evelyn O’Sullivan.
Besides its reputation for drawing the depth of competitors usually only seen in Europe, the Phelpssports.com Palm Beach Dressage Derby promises to be particularly exciting this year as time draws near for the selection of the U.S. riders that will travel to the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong. In addition to being a USEF High Performance Qualifier for the USEF National Grand Prix Championship/Olympic Games Selection Trials, the Derby also serves as a qualifying event for: the USEF National Intermediaire I Championship; FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final; FEI North American Junior and Young Riders’ Championships; USEF National Junior, Young Rider, and Brentina Cup Championships; Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Program; and USEF National Developing Horse Dressage Championships.
The show’s status as a qualifying event for those numerous championships has drawn competitors in record numbers, with nearly 50 entered in the CDI Grand Prix alone. Andreas Stano, President of
www.dressageclinic.com, said the show is also a high point of the entire season. “The Palm Beach Dressage Derby is a climax of the winter show season,” he said. “You have four days of the highest quality dressage competition in the United States, and this year is very special with the anniversary and being a high-performance qualifier. It is a wonderful opportunity to bring such amazing dressage to our members and viewers around the world.”
Those at the show will be able to enjoy a special anniversary event, the once-in-a-lifetime Olympic Tribute. Scheduled for Saturday, March 1, during the lunch break, this event will feature former Olympic riders posing for a group photo and signing autographs. With the large number of Olympic riders scheduled to compete at the Derby, the tribute will serve as a way to honor them and wish them luck at the 2008 Olympics.
For more information about viewing the PhelpsSports.com Palm Beach Dressage Derby, go to
www.dressageclinic.com. For scheduling information and a complete calendar of Derby events, visit
www.pbderby.com. The Palm Beach Dressage Derby is located at the Horse Park at Equestrian Estates in Loxahatchee and is the main event in a two-show series that includes Dressage at Equestrian Estates March 28-30, 2008, as well as educational programs.
The Palm Beach Dressage Derby is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. The show attracts the best riders from around the globe, including Betsy Steiner, Leslie Morse, Robert Dover, Cesar Parra, Lars Peterson, Arlene Page, Ashley Ho