Paris, France (April 20, 2018) – Only four short years ago, Laura Graves and Verdades secured their spot among our nation’s best dressage riders by taking reserve at the U.S. Dressage Championships in Gladstone, New Jersey. Graves and Verdades have since claimed some of the most prestigious accolades in the sport and most recently captured their career best score at the FEI World Cup Dressage Final in Paris, France on April 13.
America’s sweetheart Graves made the most of her third FEI World Cup Dressage Finals by topping Germany’s Isabell Werth, the dubbed ‘Queen of dressage,’ with first place in Friday’s Grand Prix test. On Saturday’s Grand Prix Freestyle, Graves piloted her 16-year-old KWPN gelding Verdades (Florett As–Lilwilarda, Goya) through an impressively crafted and fairly new choreography to earn a score of 89.082 percent. With an uproar of applause from the AccorHotels Arena crowd, she had achieved the best score of her career so far. Although the pair’s freestyle finished only 1.575 points behind reigning champion Werth to claim second overall, it was a major win for Graves.
Graves understands that every step counts, in and outside the show ring, which is why she trains on advanced footing products formulated with biomechanics and injury prevention in mind. Premier Equestrian, the official footing supplier of the United States Equestrian Federation, has outfitted Graves’ training facility with their innovative footing surfaces Premier ProTex and ArenaAid. This has given Graves and Verdades a dependable foundation for perfecting their competitive movements. As a long-time sponsor of Graves, Premier Equestrian congratulates her and Verdades on their most recent accomplishments and contributions to the international equestrian community.
Graves’ exceptional dedication to advancing equestrian sport, correctly developing equine athletes, and upholding true sportsmanship are qualities that earned her the title of Premier Equestrian. Graves is part of an elite group of international riders who have also been honored with the “Premier Equestrian” title and utilize the company’s footing surfaces and arena maintenance equipment. This includes Debbie McDonald, Steffen Peters, Adrienne Lyle, and many more riders across disciplines.
Just as Grand Prix riders study, practice, and perfect their skills in the saddle, Premier Equestrian takes no short cuts in creating world-class footing surfaces. Premier Equestrian prioritizes the health and safety of equine athletes and has been studying how arena surfaces impact equine biomechanics for over a decade. All Premier Equestrian’s premium-grade footing materials are expertly developed and thoroughly tested to assure consistency and superior quality. The company also offers free consultations and sand analysis reports so riders of all levels can create the perfect combination of materials for optimum riding surfaces. For more information on Premier Equestrian, or to request a free catalog, a free arena-footing sample or sand analysis, please call 801-446-1857or visit www.PremierEquestrian.com.
