Contact Name: Heather Petersen
Phone:
719-338-0854
January 10, 2022
**For Immediate Release**
The Virginia Horse Center Foundation Launches New Dressage Festival and CDI2*
Lexington, VA.- The Virginia Horse Center Foundation (VHCF) is pleased to announce the inaugural Mid-Atlantic Dressage Festival & Lexington CDI2* will take place at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, Virginia May 19 – May 22, 2022. The Festival will include both a national USEF licensed dressage competition and a new, international FEI CDI, or International Dressage Competition.
The facility has hosted Lexington Spring Dressage, a national USEF licensed show which was successfully owned and managed by Rosinburg Events, LLC and Janine Malone from 2012 through 2021. Once Janine decided to scale-back her scope of operations to North Carolina, former VHC President of the Board, Gardy Bloemers, led the effort to have the VHC take on the national show and add a CDI. The competition will include the following FEI levels: CDI2*, CDI1*, CDIY, CDIJ, CDIU25, CDICh, CDIAm, CDIP, CDIYH. Janine Malone will remain involved in these shows and stated: "I am so pleased that the Virginia Horse Center Foundation, with support from Gardy Bloemers, will expand the Lexington Spring Dressage show to include a CDI and grow it to attract more dressage competitors from throughout the eastern part of the U.S. It will be an exciting opportunity for all of the riders in our CDI divisions to get feedback from a panel of three judges".
The central location of the Virginia Horse Center, equidistant between Atlanta and NYC, provides much needed accessibility for those seeking competition experience at the CDI level. “Providing international caliber competition that is geographically accessible to dressage riders from Georgia to New Jersey and west to Ohio, encourages greater participation in and development of our sport, and that benefits everyone involved” commented George Williams, VHCF Board member, USDF President and USEF High Performance and Pathway Development Advisor.
The VHCF has invested in significant facility improvements in recent years, which has enabled it to meet the requirements to host this level of international dressage competition. The newly completed Isabel de Szinay Complex is an ideal venue for the CDI classes because of its excellent Atwood Equestrian footing, renovated permanent stabling, accessibility to spectators and central location at the facility itself. Gardy Bloemers believes “the time is right to add the next level of dressage competition to our calendar of events at the Virginia Horse Center. I’m particularly excited about the inclusion of the CDI-Am division which is open to up-and-coming riders not yet on the FEI World Ranking List and gives them the opportunity to get feedback from the same international judges as those in the CDI’s highly skilled division.”
According to Roxanne Booth, VHCF Board President: “I believe competitors are going to find a world-class, horse-friendly facility awaits them where the number one priority is the health and well-being of horses and riders. Both the Board and Management at the VHCF have worked diligently to improve the exhibitor experience achieving tremendous results thanks to both the operational management efficiencies made as well as unprecedented donor generosity. The VHCF is excited to increase the Festival atmosphere by sharing the facility with the Keswick Horse Show again this coming May".
The VHCF has engaged Heather Petersen of Colorado to manage the Festival and both of its shows. “We have brought together a competent and highly experienced team to run this competition and I look forward to creating something outstanding. Our goal is to build the Mid-Atlantic Dressage Festival into a not-to-be-missed spring event for riders, vendors, sponsors, and spectators.” -Heather Petersen
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The Virginia Horse Center Foundation provides a world-class facility hosting regional, national, and international equestrian events. The Virginia Horse Center Foundation envisions a unique, bucolic landmark to honor and celebrate the timeless, special bond between mankind and the horse through safe, fair, and spirited equestrian competition.
Virginia Horse Center Foundation 487 Maury River Road Lexington, VA 24450
