Testimonials

After three inches of rain overnight Tuesday, the highest praise was given to the International Arena footing by two-time Olympic course designer Olaf Petersen of Germany.

Olaf Peterson: As riders in rain gear prepared for competition Wednesday morning, he exclaimed about the arena:
"Unbelievable. This is one of the very few rings in the world where you could get this much rain and it can even be ridden on. This footing is perfect. I have seen rings around the world all my life and this may be Number 1."

Ian Millar, known as "Cap'n Canada" and an eight-time Olympian (nine Olympic teams counting the 1980 alternate Games) and aiming to represent Canada in the 2008 Olympics, said after touring the facility.
"What I'm seeing done here is fairly amazing. "I've always believed that the Wellington facility should be to the United States what Aachen is to Germany and Spruce Meadows is to Canada--the calling card of our sport."

Dr. Timothy Ober, veterinarian for the U.S. Equestrian Team and a member of the U.S. Equestrian Federation Equine Drugs & Medications Committee, said,
"We have no statistics as such, but it seems there are fewer injuries. The horses are holding up better."

Dr. Ober, who attended the U.S. equine athletes at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, the 2006 World Equestrian Games, and dozens of the other international competitions, said: "Horses in the trials were in good order. That is an example of how the footing has been beneficial. Compared to past trials, the attrition rate seemed smaller and that primarily is due to the footing.
"There was a little bit of a learning curve with the new footing. The type of footing requires an adjustment because it does not allow the foot to glide. "The footing has been a real positive mostly for the good of the horses that always come first. But without it, because of the weather, there might not have been the competitions we were able to have."

Canada's Ashley Holzer, ranked in the top ten in the world and the highest ranking North American dressage rider, exclaimed after her Grand Prix Freestyle in the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center's International Arena: “Awesome!”