Desert International Horse Park (DIHP) is pleased to announce the prize list for the 2023-2024 season of Desert Dressage. Featuring four weeks of competition spanning October through January, Desert Dressage is set to welcome back athletes in its third season. The team behind DIHP looks forward to welcoming dressage competitors and their families, plus sponsors, spectators, and more for the 2023-2024 season.
In addition to the release of the prize list, DIHP is excited to announce an increase in prize money for both CDI and National dressage classes as part of a broader sponsorship with the Brad and Kathy Coors Foundation.
“The Brad and Kathy Coors Foundation has been instrumental in helping bring dressage to the next level in California, and with added prize money this year our event will be bigger than ever and provide more opportunity for West Coast dressage riders,” said Steve Hankin, President and CEO of DIHP. “We are incredibly appreciative of the Foundation’s efforts to support the sport and its growth in California.”
This season of Desert Dressage again features three weeks of CDI-W World Cup Qualifying competition, during weeks II, III, and IV. In the previous season, all three FEI World Cup Qualifiers were won by Steffen Peters, a five-time Olympian who resides in California, with Suppenkasper, owned by Four Winds Farm.
Last season, two Californian competitors went from CDI-W qualifying competition at DIHP to the FEI World Cup™ Finals: Peters, who was the top-placing American at the event, and Anna Buffini, who had a stellar second outing at the FEI World Cup™ Finals.
“It’s a great turnout here,” Peters, based in San Diego, CA, said. “It’s a wonderful venue, and the weather is always consistent. Personally, I like the footing even better than in Wellington. And it’s only three hours away from home, so we bring our RV here and camp at the show. It’s a really great place to compete.”
“It’s unbeatable,” U.S. dressage rider Amy Miller said of competing at DIHP, where she won the It’s A Good Life Podcast CDI3* FEI Grand Prix during Desert Dressage IV in early 2023. “To be able to have something local of this quality is amazing. I came in December and we came back and essentially felt we could implement our homework. Being able to be in a ring that has a big championship feel is great. It’s a good amount of activity at the showgrounds so the horses get that kind of exposure. I’m so appreciative of the consistency and the quality of the venue.”
The 2023-2024 Desert Dressage season spans the following four weeks:
Desert Dressage I: October 27-29, 2023
USEF Level 3
Desert Dressage II: November 16-19, 2023
CDI-W / CDI2*/ CDI1*/ CDIU25 / CDIJ / CDIY / CDIP / CDICh-A / CDIAm / CDIYH
USEF Level 5
Desert Dressage III: December 14-17, 2023
CDI-W / CDI2*/ CDI1*/ CDIU25 / CDIJ / CDIY / CDIP / CDICh-A / CDIAm / CDIYH
USEF Level 5
Desert Dressage IV: January 4-7, 2024
CDI-W / CDI2*/ CDI1*/ CDIU25 / CDIJ / CDIY / CDIP / CDICh-A / CDIAm / CDIYH
USEF Level 5
Each week includes 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 Intermediaire I and Grand Prix National Championships
- USEF Para Dressage National Championships
Stall reservations can be made online at deserthorsepark.com beginning September 1.