Dressage Canada has announced the 2013 Dressage Canada Achievement Award (Horse, Rider, and Freestyle) and Lauren Dilanni Freestyle Award recipients.
Each year, Dressage Canada offers an awards program for both riders and horses. DC members competing at Equine Canada sanctioned silver, gold and platinum or international equivalent events are invited to register for the awards program by submitting a one-time fee for lifetime registration. Once registered, riders and owners are eligible to earn awards by meeting score requirements at EC Silver or Gold-level competitions within Canada, or international competitions.
The following levels are available:
Gold
• Open to riders and horses competing at the Prix St Georges, Intermediaire I, Intermediaire II, and Grand Prix levels.
• Requires a minimum of four scores of 60% or more from two judges
Silver
• Open to riders and horses competing at the Second, Third, and Fourth levels.
• At the Second and Third levels, a minimum of four scores of 60% or more from two judges is required.
• At the Fourth level, a minimum of four scores of 60% or more from three judges is required.
Bronze
• Open to riders and horses competing at the Training and First levels.
• Requires a minimum of four scores of 63% or more from three judges.
A full list of the 2013 Dressage Canada Horse Award recipients can be viewed here.
A full list of the 2013 Dressage Canada Rider Award recipients can be viewed here.
More information on the Dressage Canada Awards Program can be found on the Dressage Canada website.
Dressage Canada is honoured to provide the Lauren Dilanni Freestyle Rider Award to riders who demonstrate freestyle excellence in competition by achieving at least three scores of 67% or more in freestyle classes at the Second level or higher.
Recipients receive a cash award generously donated by the Board of the Lauren Dilanni Memorial Fund in memory of Dilanni, a passionate advocate of dressage who passed away suddenly at the age of 40. Three of Dilanni’s friends established the fund in her honour with the goal of developing interest in freestyle competition and therefore attracting competitors, owners, and sponsors to the sport of dressage.
The fund is administered through the Community Foundation of Ottawa under the direction of board members Irene Greenberg, Joanna Crilly, and Joan Johnston.
2013 recipients of the Lauren Dilanni Freestyle Award:
Rider/Level/Hometown
Maya Markowski/Intermediaire I Freestyle/St.Clemens, ON
Contessa Wise/Second Level Freestyle/Calgary, AB
“I am very excited to have received this great award. This is my first year doing a freestyle with Lumiere so I’m thrilled with our results. I love riding this freestyle and it’s a lot of fun. I am so happy with the music and how well it suits Lumiere and myself. I owe a lot to Nicholas Fyffe for putting the music together. Thank you to the Board of the Lauren DiIanni Memorial Fund and Dressage Canada for offering this great award!,” said Markowski, who had a successful 2013 season with her 11-year-old Canadian Warmblood gelding, Lumiere. Some of her freestyle highlights from the year include a win in the Intermediate Freestyle at the CDI1* Saugerties last August, as well as a third place finish in the FEI Intermediaire I Open Freestyle at the CDI-W Devon later in the fall.
Wise also had a solid season. In addition to her success at the Second level, she placed second in the FEI Junior Freestyle at the CDI2*/Y/J Calgary in June, before moving on to represent Canada at the 2013 Adequan FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC) in July, where she finished 22nd individually. “My coach Janet Adams and I worked very hard this past year to qualify for NAJYRC and I am very pleased to receive this award. The freestyle is great fun to work on and present because the audience really enjoys them. The horses seem to as well! It was a pleasure to work with Karen Robinson and she created a beautiful freestyle with music that suited my horse perfectly,” said Wise.
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