Future Stars Shine Bright at the 2024 Winter Dressage Championships
Source: Horse & Hound
In the equine world, the NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships sets the stage annually for the crème de la crème of dressage horses to show off their remarkable talent. With the shift of venue to Addington Equestrian in 2024, the championships are expected to mark the commencement of an enticing new era.
Tradition Meets Talent
The Winter Dressage Championships have always been a splendid showcase for Britain's future dressage star horses. Even though the venue of the championships has recently changed, the quality of the horses featured maintains incredibly high standards. Here are a few horses that you should definitely keep an eye on in this prestigious event.
MSJ Viva Dannebrog
The six-year-old mare MSJ Viva Dannebrog (Vitalis x Don Schufro) has shown incredible form under experienced rider, Amy Woodhead. The mare secured a win in both the Prestige Novice Gold (74.94%) and the Equi-Trek Elementary Gold (71.15%) at the Bishop Burton regionals. Viva Dannebrog's impressive achievements include securing fourth place in the small final for five-year-olds at the FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championships and winning back-to-back national titles at the LeMieux National Championships.
Forgio Dazzles
Rising star Lewis Carrier and Lizzy Sweet's six-year-old gelding Forgio (For Dance x Sergio Rossi) also show great promise by topping the winter regionals at Little Mill Equestrian (23–25 February) by scoring 74.26%. Notably, Lewis was one of the panel members who declared Viva Dannebrog a winner at the 2023 young horse championships. Despite being a relatively new combination, having joined forces only since October 2023, Lewis and Forgio have displayed a compelling synergy and maintained an impressive record of victories.
St Giles Flamboyant Emerges
Nicola Buchanan and the eight-year-old mare St Giles Flamboyant (Franklin x Fürst Romancier) continues to rise through the ranks. They triumphed in the Equitek Advanced Medium Gold and Magic Prix St Georges (PSG) Gold at the Chard Equestrian winter regionals. With her obvious talent and bright future, the beloved Flamboyant is heralded as "a grand prix horse in the making".
As the winter Dressage Championships approach, it's clear that the field is as competitive as ever. With the likes of MSJ Viva Dannebrog, Forgio, and St Giles Flamboyant taking centre stage, we're set for an exciting championship full of talent and promising future stars.
This article was referenced from Horse & Hound's article "Future stars to look out for at the 2024 Winter Dressage Championships" by Oscar Williams.