Jeremy Steinberg, a member of the Oregon Dressage Society (ODS) since 2003, has been invited to compete with Parocco in the FEI World Cup Invitational, to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday, April 20, 2007.

The FEI World Cup Invitational is open to six horses based on world and national ranking and scores from the US League Finals Freestyle Championships held March 31 and April 1 in Burbank, California, where Steinberg came in a respectable 6th place with a 67.800%. Steinberg received word of his invitation from Glenda McElroy, the organizer of the show, last Tuesday. At the World Cup Invitational he will ride a Grand Prix test.

31 year old Steinberg is a dressage instructor and trainer based out of Seattle, WA. He began riding at the age of 11 and at the age of 17 rode his first Grand Prix test. Steinberg has a long list of career highlights, including winning Individual Gold and Team Silver at the North American Young Rider Championships in 1996, multiple United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Region IV and ODS Championships and the professional honor of running US Olympian Robert Dover’s business in Wellington, Florida while Dover was competing abroad.

Steinberg has trained with dressage greats such as Dietrich von Hopfgarten, Guenter Siedel, Debbie McDonald, Robert Dover and Klaus Balkenhol. Steinberg has a busy clinic schedule teaching non-horse show weekends in locations such as Sherwood, OR, Billings, MT, Victoria, B.C. and other locations up and down the west coast.

Parocco is a 18-year-old Wurtenberg gelding owned by Jennifer Smith. Steinberg has known Parocco since he was 4 years old, however it was not until 2002 when he started training the horse, first showing at the Prix St. Georges level. “He’d been ridden by many different people at this stage and no one really believed he would make it to Grand Prix. I took it as a challenge. He has endeared himself to me forever because of his incredible kindness and heart. Parocco is one of the most forgiving and loving horses I have ever had the privilege of working with.”

“The World Cup will be Parocco’s last competition. The event itself is a huge honor to get to compete in, however, to retire him at such a big event in front of the world is even more special” said Steinberg. “He has put his heart into every test he’s competed in that it seems only fitting to retire him on such a high note.”

The World Cup Invitational competition will be held Friday during the FEI World Cup Finals. First held in 1986, the FEI World Cup Dressage Final has been held in the U.S. only twice, in 1995 in Los Angeles and 2005 in Las Vegas. The Netherlands has dominated the FEI World Cup Dressage competition, winning seven times, followed by Germany with six. The United States won its first title in 2003 when Debbie McDonald rode Brentina to the Championship. Brentina is owned by Parry and Peggy Thomas of Las Vegas, for whom the Thomas & Mack Center, the venue for the World Cup Finals, is named.

Founded in 1971, the Oregon Dressage Society is the third largest Group Member Organization of the United States Dressage Federation. The Oregon Dressage Society exists to educate, promote and inspire its members and the general public through publications, programs and competitions, in a way that enhances the image of dressage and promotes the welfare of the horse. For more information about ODS membership or programs, please visit www.oregondressage.com, e-mail office@oregondressage.com or call (503) 681-2337.

###