Mary-Haskins Gurganus and Richmond HL Recognized with Premier Equestrian Sportsmanship Award

Mary-Haskins Gurganus and Richmond HL Recognized with Premier Equestrian Sportsmanship Award at AGDF CDIW3   Wellington, FL (February 6, 2014) - When Premier Equestrian Sportsmanship Award winner Mary-Haskins Gurganus says, “You're always going to face setbacks and, especially at this level of the sport, you need to face them with a positive attitude,” she knows what she's talking about.

Gurganus won accolades and recognition from Premier Equestrian and its president, Heidi Zorn, after she and her 2012 Wellington Cup and FEI High Score champion, Richmond HL, returned to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center for Week Three of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival CDIW series. It was the first time the pair had appeared in a ring together since a November bout of colic, which occurred shortly after posting the highest scores of their career at the Autumn Leaves Dressage and CBLM Championships in North Carolina. The pair, who have trained together since Gurganus acquired the 16.2-hand black Hanoverian as a five year-old dressage prospect in 2010, presented themselves in Friday's FEI Prix St Georges 2009 and Saturday's FEI Intermediare I 2009, and earned scores as high as 70.395% from individual Wellington judges. “I'm very happy with how things went. He felt great. It's important to always stay positive,” said the NAYRC individual Gold medalist and trainer of two USDF Prix St Georges champions. The Adequan Global Dressage Festival is the world's largest international and national dressage circuit featuring 8 CDIs, including five CDI-Ws, one 4* and one 5*, the only non-championship CDIO Nations' Cup in the Western Hemisphere, as well as weekly U.S. National events. Since 2000, Premier Equestrian, the Official Dressage Arena of the USEF, North American Young Riders and U.S. Dressage Finals, has offered affordable quality dressage arenas built from PVC and other top materials. Premier provided the dressage and driving arenas for the 2010 World Equestrian Games and its Arena Footing is installed at The Del Mar National and World Dressage Masters.  Learn more by calling (800) 611-6109 or at www.PremierEquestrian.com. Photo: Mary-Haskins Gurganus and Richmond HL.  (Photo courtesy of JRPR--no photo credit necessary)