Olympic and World Equestrian Games Dressage Competitors Set to Compete at International Omaha

The fifth annual International Omaha, an internationally sanctioned equestrian competition featuring high-level dressage and jumping together under one roof, is delighted to welcome top national and international dressage riders who have competed in the Olympic Games, FEI World Cup™ Finals and Pan American and World Equestrian Games. The exciting world-class competition is produced by the Omaha Equestrian Foundation (OEF) and takes place May 5-7 at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska, site of the 2017 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final and FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final.

The 2016 event is the first time that the International Omaha is hosting an International Equestrian Federation (FEI) approved CDI 4* Dressage competition alongside a CSI 3* Jumping competition and it is drawing an outstanding field of dressage competitors.

The FEI Grand Prix dressage competitions will prove to be exciting as ten top riders representing three nations will vie for $30,000 prize money. Gabriel Armando of Argentina is a top international dressage competitor as well as a FEI 4* judge. He competed on the Argentinian Dressage Team at the 2003 Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic and the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He has officiated as an FEI Judge at international competitions in twenty countries, was a member of the Ground Jury at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, as well as at the 2014 FEI Nations Cup™ competition in Wellington, Florida. Most recently Armando successfully competed in several Grand Prix competitions at the 2016 Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington.

Two-time Olympian Jacquie Brooks of Canada has been a Grand Prix dressage competitor, trainer and coach for more than twenty years. In addition to the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, she represented her country at the 2007 FEI World Cup™ Final in Las Vegas and the 2013 World Cup Final in Gothenburg, Sweden. Brooks heads to Omaha fresh from successfully competing in fifteen Grand Prix competitions, all of which were FEI World Cup™ qualifying competitions, at the 2016 Adequan Global Dressage Festival, where she scored four top-ten placings aboard D Niro.

Fellow Canadian Team member Evi Strasser finished tenth individually at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and competed at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Aachen, Germany. She has competed at three FEI World Cup™ Dressage Finals including the 2005 and 2007 Finals in Las Vegas as well as the 1997 Final in 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands. She has won multiple Grand Prix competitions across North America and has earned top results on the European Dressage circuit.

Karen Pavicic has also proudly represented Canada at the international level for two decades.

After earning top scores at Grand Prix in 2014, she headed to Europe to successfully compete against the world's best riders at top competitions held in Spain, France and Austria, which

earned her a spot on the Canadian Team at the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Normandy, France. Pavicic had a successful winter circuit this year, earning eight top-ten placings at the 2016 Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington.

The U.S. riders will do their best to give their Canadian contingent a run for their money. Nebraska's own Jami Kment from Palmyra, is a United States Dressage Federation (USDF) gold, silver and bronze medalist and also a USEF High Performance athlete. She has competed at the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Festival of Champions, Developing Horse Championships, U.S. Dressage Finals and has won multiple CDI's. Kment is also a USDF "L" judge.

Anna Marek of Williston, Florida,has been competing at the FEI Grand Prix level for the past four years, earning two Grand Prix victories and multiple top-ten placings at shows across the nation. She and Unico G just recently earned their personal best scores in the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special competitions at the 2016 Adequan Global Dressage Festival, taking third and fourth places against thirty-six competitors from fourteen nations.

Lauren Sprieser of Marshall, Virginia, also aUSDF gold, silver and bronze medalist, has competed across the nation and most recently earned four top-ten placings at the recent Adequan Global Dressage Festival against some of the world's best riders. She also competed at the 2005 North American Junior/Young Rider Championships in Lexington, Virginia.

Adrienne Pot of Barrington Hills, Illinois, has been a professional rider for many years, competing in multiple Grand Prix competitions and scoring several top-ten placings. She most recently took second place in a Grand Prix at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in January. She is a USDF gold, silver and bronze medalist as well as a USDF 'S' level dressage judge.

Emily Miles of Overland Park, Kansas has competed at four North American Junior/Young Rider Championships, earning a Team Bronze medal in 2007. She and her horse Wakeup competed at the World Young Horse Championships in Verden, Germany and went on to take first and second place in the FEI Grand Prix competitions at the CDI 2* in Estes Park in Colorado. At the 2014 U.S. Dressage Finals, Miles took Reserve Champion in the Grand Prix Championship. That same year Miles was awarded the $25,000 Anne L. Barlow Ramsay Grant. The purpose of the grant is to showcase talented U.S.-bred horses ridden by U.S. citizens, by providing money to train and compete in Europe.

Suzie Halle of Cherry Hills Village, Colorado, is the first North American Adult Amateur to receive and use a grant from The Dressage Foundation to attend theoretical courses at the Spanish Riding School's Heldenberg Training Center in Austria, an elite school which is the oldest of its kind in the world. Halle has been competing at the Grand Prix level for the past few years, earning several wins at shows including Dressage In The Rockies, Dressage At The Peak and High Prairie Dressage. She also competed at the 2014 U.S. Dressage Finals and 2016 Adequan Global Dressage Festival.

"We are delighted that so many world-class riders will be competing at International Omaha," said Lisa Roskens, Chairman of the Omaha Equestrian Foundation. "It's going to be a very exciting competition and a great prelude to next year when we host the World Cup Finals!"

Highlights of the show include the new prime-time FEI Dressage Grand Prix competition on Thursday, May 5 at 5:45 P.M., the FEI Dressage Grand Prix Freestyle to Music competition on Friday, May 6 at 4:00 P.M., the Mutual of Omaha Bank Speed Derby on Friday, May 6 at 7:00 P.M, and the Burlington Capital Group Grand Prix Jumping on Saturday, May 7 at 7:00 P.M.

In addition to watching the top international horses and riders, spectators will be treated to a variety of entertainment presentations, interactive activities and shopping opportunities in the Lexus Boutique and Expo Area that make the International Omaha a total equestrian experience for all ages and fun for the whole family. There is no admission charge for those attending daytime competition, exhibits, shopping booths and other entertainment, and special exhibitions, music, food and drink will be featured throughout the day. For information about purchasing tickets or a VIP hospitality package for the evening performances, featuring the Omaha Steaks opening ceremonies followed by the pinnacle evening competitions, visit www.InternationalOmaha.com.

For evening performances, International Omaha tickets are available online through Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets also may be purchased in person at the CenturyLink Center Omaha Box Office.

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