Thermal, Calif. – Desert International Horse Park (DIHP) is thrilled to welcome back Desert Dressage for an action-packed expanded schedule of five events, including three weeks of FEI competition. The USEF-approved schedule spans from October 2022 through February 2023 and includes various qualifying events from FEI North American Youth Championships to Para-Dressage National Championships and beyond.
The 2022-2023 Desert Dressage schedule is as follows:
Desert Dressage I: October 28-30, 2022
- USEF Level 3
- 2023 Qualifying Competition for:
- FEI North American Youth Championships
- USEF Pony and Children Rider Dressage National Championships
- USEF Junior and Young Rider Dressage National Championships
- USEF Young Adult Brentina Cup Dressage National Championship
- USEF Young Horse Dressage Championships (4, 5, 6 and 7-year-olds)
- USEF Developing Horse Dressage Championships (Prix St. Georges and Grand Prix)
- USEF Intermediaire I and Grand Prix National Championships
- USEF Para-Dressage National Championship
- FEI World Breeding Championships
Desert Dressage II: November 17-20, 2022
- CDI-W / CDI2*/ CDI1*/ CDIU25 / CDIJ / CDIY / CDIP / CDICh-A / CDIAm / CDIYH
- USEF LEVEL 5
- 2023 Qualifying Competition for:
- FEI North American Youth Championships
- USEF Pony and Children Rider Dressage National Championships
- USEF Junior and Young Rider Dressage National Championships
- USEF Young Adult Brentina Cup Dressage National Championship
- USEF Young Horse Dressage Championships (4, 5, 6 and 7-year-olds)
- USEF Developing Horse Dressage Championships (Prix St. Georges and Grand Prix)
- USEF Intermediaire I and Grand Prix National Championships
- USEF Para-Dressage National Championship
- FEI World Breeding Championships
Desert Dressage III: December 15-18, 2022
- CDI-W / CDI2*/ CDI1*/ CDIU25 / CDIJ / CDIY / CDIP / CDICh-A / CDIAm / CDIYH
- USEF LEVEL 5
- 2023 Qualifying Competition for:
- FEI North American Youth Championships
- USEF Pony and Children Rider Dressage National Championships
- USEF Junior and Young Rider Dressage National Championships
- USEF Young Adult Brentina Cup Dressage National Championship
- USEF Young Horse Dressage Championships (4, 5, 6 and 7-year-olds)
- USEF Developing Horse Dressage Championships (Prix St. Georges and Grand Prix)
- USEF Intermediaire I and Grand Prix National Championships
- USEF Para-Dressage National Championship
- FEI World Breeding Championships
Desert Dressage IV: January 5-8, 2023
- CDI-W / CDI2*/ CDI1*/ CDIU25 / CDIJ / CDIY / CDIP / CDICh-A / CDIAm / CDIYH
- USEF LEVEL 5
- 2023 Qualifying Competition for:
- FEI North American Youth Championships
- USEF Pony and Children Rider Dressage National Championships
- USEF Junior and Young Rider Dressage National Championships
- USEF Young Adult Brentina Cup Dressage National Championship
- USEF Young Horse Dressage Championships (4, 5, 6 and 7-year-olds)
- USEF Developing Horse Dressage Championships (Prix St. Georges and Grand Prix)
- USEF Intermediaire I and Grand Prix National Championships
- USEF Para-Dressage National Championship
- FEI World Breeding Championships
Desert Dressage V: February 26-28, 2023
- USEF LEVEL 3
- 2023 Qualifying Competition for:
- FEI North American Youth Championships
- USEF Pony and Children Rider Dressage National Championships
- USEF Junior and Young Rider Dressage National Championships
- USEF Young Adult Brentina Cup Dressage National Championship
- USEF Young Horse Dressage Championships (4, 5, 6 and 7-year-olds)
- USEF Developing Horse Dressage Championships (Prix St. Georges and Grand Prix)
- USEF Intermediaire I and Grand Prix National Championships
- USEF Para-Dressage National Championship
- FEI World Breeding Championships
“We are thrilled to see the growth of dressage at Desert International Horse Park since just 2020, when we hosted our first FEI dressage event and World Cup™ Qualifier,” said Steve Hankin, President and CEO of DIHP. “We have made tremendous improvements to the facility with dressage competitors in mind and are eager to welcome athletes of all levels to compete at DIHP. We have enhanced the footing in every arena to support international-level competition and have created an environment focused on ultimate comfort for the horses. Part of our larger goal for DIHP is to ensure everyone on the West Coast has every opportunity to compete at a national and international level, and Desert Dressage this season will help us achieve that goal as DIHP continues to establish itself as a dressage hub for the West Coast.”
“We are very excited to offer the first full Dressage Circuit at DIHP for the 2022-2023 season,” remarked Thomas Baur, Sports Director – Dressage. “National and international competitors alike will have ample opportunities to ride at the five different events. With three CDI-W events, the top riders will also have the opportunity to qualify for the 2023 World Cup™ Final in Omaha, NE, in early April of next year. We are looking forward to hosting this inaugural circuit to the West Coast at this wonderful venue, and we cannot wait to see everyone there!”
“Desert International Horse Park is fantastic, and the facility is great,” commended Jan Ebeling, winner of the Adequan® Desert Dressage I CDI-W Four Winds Farm CDI-W Short Grand Prix and Four Winds Farm CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle. “The footing is dynamite; it is absolutely fantastic. As a rider and competitor you get a feel that you are really wanted here. They are bending over backwards and it’s really fun. I hope the show continues to be supported by more riders. We’ve lost a lot of CDIs on the West Coast and now we have a dynamite facility and they are trying to make it really work for us, so I think it’s important that we come and support them.”
Stay tuned for many more details to come regarding the exciting upcoming season at Desert International Horse Park.