International dressage rider Susie Dutta and her 11-year-old mare Golden Choice DC dominated the FEI at the Gold Coast Dressage Association Fall Fling show, riding away as the winner of the FEI Intermediaire I with a score of 68.421 and the FEI Prix St. George with a 71.053. Dutta and Golden Choice also won the Peak Performance Award, sponsored by The Sanctuary Equine Sports Therapy & Rehabilitation Center.
Dutta was thrilled with Golden Choice’s performance at the Fall Fling show and said she is currently a rider on a mission. “I have down-graded Golden Choice from the Grand Prix to the Small Tour for the Pan American Games,” Dutta said. “I am on a mission because twice I have been the reserve on the Pan Am team and I would like to ride this year.”
Dutta said that riding on the Pan Am team with Golden Choice would be a rewarding experience on several different levels. “I am excited because Golden Choice is a horse I made myself and she’s part of my family,” she said.
While in Florida, Dutta trains out of Tuny Page’s Stillpoint Farm, a dressage training facility in Wellington. “When I am in the States I train with Jessica Rasenhousen,” Dutta said, adding that she and Golden Choice spent the last year in Europe. “While in Europe I train with Rudolph Zeilinger and I will continue to train with him when I return to Europe.”
Dutta was thrilled that Golden Choice won The Sanctuary Peak Performance Award. “I visited The Sanctuary in Ocala and was really impressed with their facility,” Dutta said. “I am very excited that The Sanctuary is opening a facility in Wellington, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, and I look forward to using my $100 winning gift certificate there.”
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Horses with successful performances due to their conditioning and fitness level will be eligible to win The Sanctuary Peak Performance Award during the Florida winter dressage circuit. “This is a fantastic award for us to sponsor because it is in line with what we do at The Sanctuary. Our goal is to help horses perform at their peak through safe and effective conditioning,” said Brenda McDuffee, General Manager of The Sanctuary. “We are also dedicated to helping horses recover from injuries they might experience when competing in intense and physically demanding sports such as dressage.”
The Sanctuary Peak Performance Award will be awarded at a variety of Gold Coast Dressage Association (GCDA) shows and Wellington Classic Dressage (WCD) shows, including: the WCD Holiday Challenge, December 11-12, 2010; the GCDA Opener CDI, January 21-23, 2011; the WCD Spring Challenge CDI, February 10-13, 2011; the WCD Challenge II, March 10-13, 2011; and the GCDA Finale I, April 15-16, 2011.
The Sanctuary, a multi-million dollar facility dedicated to the healing, conditioning and well being of all equine athletes, has a facility on 30 acres in Ocala and is opening a new facility in Wellington. The Sanctuary at PBIEC will be a full horse therapy and conditioning center featuring above ground water treadmills, Cold Saltwater Leg Spas, two vibration plates with solarium, laser therapy, electromagnetic pulse therapy and a respiratory machine.
For more information on The Sanctuary, visit their website at www.sanctuaryequinerehab.com.
