Dressage at Hickstead will be part of the 2009 Exquis World Dressage Masters, which is a bold new four-nation, three-year transatlantic dressage series with prize money of €100,000 per show.

 

There are currently four WDM shows in the 2009 calendar, all will have a CDI five-star status and are guaranteed a minimum of 30mins airtime on Eurosport each:

 

Palm Beach, USA, 28 Jan-1 Feb

Salzburg, AUS, 1-3 May

Munich, GER, 21-24 May

Hickstead, GBR, 23-26 July

 

World number one in the rankings, Holland’s Anky van Grunsen, has promised to attend all of the 2009 shows.

 

Dressage at Hickstead’s Dane Rawlins (pictured) said: “We are chuffed and fortunate to be involved. It is a great opportunity to move our sport on a quantum leap. We will be running it in addition to our usual calendar and will be able to give British up-and-coming riders a chance to compete at five-star level.

 

“Maybe, with hosting the Europeans as well next year, it will give us the ‘Andy Murray factor’, the self-belief and perception that we too can do it, the way Anky has taken dressage to a new level in Holland.”

 

The WDM concept tries to address the problems dressage is facing as regards low prize money, lack of TV coverage and professionalism. It is the initiative of equestrian innovator Exquis, international sports marketing agency SportBizz and US company Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP). It is sponsored by Exquis, Moorland Stables and Moorland Investments.

 

ESP chief executive officer Mark Bellissimo said: “The World Dressage Masters event is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the highest quality dressage to stimulate the popularity of this Olympic sport in the USA and around the world.”

 

You can find out more at www.worlddressagemasters.com.