$155,000 up for grabs at World Dressage Masters

Steffen Peters and Ravel, Anky van Grunsven and Salinero and Isabell Werth and Satchmo joined 15 other horse and rider combinations Monday to prepare for the Exquis World Dressage Masters Palm Beach this week that kicks off the 2010 lineup of the globe's richest dressage competitions.



Anky van Grunsven watched her first ever polo game Sunday at the International Polo Club Palm Beach, Isabell Werth worked Satchmo at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center while her sister, Claudia, wheeled the baby, Frederik, nearby and Steffen Peters visited the South Florida Fair after a day of teaching.





The top American, Dutch and German pairs that last competed against each other a year ago at the World Cup Final in Las Vegas with Steffen Peters and Ravel coming out on top are among 18 combinations to battle for total prize money of €100,000 (AUS$155,000) at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. WDM is the featured event of the fourth week of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, the world's largest and, at 12 weeks, the longest running horse show.



The Grand Prix kicks off on Thursday (Florida time), the Special will be held on Saturday and the Kur will take place Saturday evening.

A special gala night of equestrian entertainment is scheduled for Friday night, featuring a "ride off" between Steffen Peters and Isabell Werth and more than one hour of the training sessions for the musical freestyle competitors.

Entries for this week's competition are:



Staffen Peters and Ravel, USA; Anky van Grunsven and Salinero, The Netherlands; 
Isabell Werth and Satchmo, Germany
; Ashley Holzer and Pop Art, Canada
; Leslie Morse and Tip Top, USA; 
Ulla Salzgeber and Wakana, Germany; 
Anja Plönzke and Le Mont d'Or, Germany; 
Lauren Sammis and Sagacious HF, USA; 
Tina Konyot and Calecto, USA; 
Michael Barisone and Olympus, USA; 
Elisabeth Austin and Olivier, USA
; Pierre St. Jacques and Lucky Tiger, USA
; Belinda Trussell and Anton, Canada; 
Diane Creech and Devon L, Canada; 
Victoria Winter and Proton, Canada; 
Mikala Munter Gundersen and Leonberg, Denmark; 
Aat van Essen and Premier, The Netherlands; 
Christa Laarakkers and Ovation, The Netherlands

.

Anky and Isabell have won a combined total of 11 World Cup titles and eight Olympic gold medals in the 15 years they have dominated global dressage. Anky won the inaugural Palm Beach Masters last January and at Cannes on the French Riviera last June, while Isabell captured the World Dressage Masters in Munich in May.



Steffen Peters beat both riders in the 2009 World Cup Final at Las Vegas then went on to make an historic sweep of all three team championship competitions--the Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Kür--at the World Equestrian Festival in Aachen, Germany. Those successes led to Steffen being named U.S. Equestrian of the Year in 2009 for the second straight year and for Ravel being named Horse of the Year.



Anky lives in Erp, The Netherlands, and is married to the Dutch national coach, Sjef Janssen. They have two children. 

She has won nine World Cups, five on Bonfire and four on Salinero, three Olympic individual gold medals and two individual World Championship gold medals.



Isabell Werth has won four Olympic team and one individual gold medals, three World Championship team and one individual gold medals and two World Cup titles.

She returned to competition the week after Christmas in 2009 after a six-month break during which she gave birth to a baby boy, Frederik.

www.worlddressagemasters.com

Pictured: Palm Beach International Equestrian Centre