Wellington, FL (March 16, 2011) – Thanks to a nice top line, a great swing and a beautiful muscular build, Olivier, a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood ridden by Gary Lane, rode away with The Sanctuary Peak Performance Award during the Wellington Classic Dressage Challenge II CDI. Sponsored by The Sanctuary Equine Sports Therapy & Rehabilitation Center, the award is presented to a horse with a successful performance during the show due to their fitness level.

Lane, of Country Club Stables in Boynton Beach, was thrilled that Olivier took home the Peak Performance Award from The Sanctuary. “The secret to keeping Olivier fit is a lot of deep, long and low work on a daily basis,” Lane said. “I don’t work a lot on movements, but I basically develop his musculature and relaxation through his back.”

Lane, who has been involved in the dressage industry for more than 20 years and is a well-respected fixture on the South Florida dressage scene, believes that fitness is an important aspect of a horse’s ability to perform. Lane said a great deal of his horse’s training comes through the help of Lane’s trainer, Jan Brons. “He has developed my skills and technique, has been a big influence on my career and has certainly made me the trainer I am today,” Lane said.

Brenda McDuffee, General Manager of The Sanctuary, congratulated Lane and praised the training routine he uses on Olivier.  “He’s a beautiful warmblood and you can see how strong and conditioned he is,” McDuffee said. “The Sanctuary has two facilities, one in Ocala and a new one in Wellington on the grounds of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, and we look forward to working with Gary and Olivier at either facility.”

The Sanctuary at PBIEC was built in conjunction with the Wellington Equestrian Partners and is a world-class therapy, performance and conditioning center. “The Sanctuary in Ocala features some of the most advanced conditioning and therapy equipment in the world and we have some of that same equipment in Wellington,” McDuffee said. “Wellington is the home of so many top equine athletes and we look forward to helping many of them develop a training and conditioning program that will take them to the next level in their career.”

The Sanctuary at PBIEC is a full horse therapy and conditioning center featuring above ground water treadmills, cold saltwater leg spa treatment, two vibration plates with solarium, laser therapy, electromagnetic pulse therapy and a respiratory machine. The laser therapy, electromagnetic pulse therapy and respiratory machine are all mobile therapy equipment and the Sanctuary staff will take the equipment out on a golf cart and treat horses in their stalls if they are stabled on the show grounds.

For more information on The Sanctuary, visit their website at www.sanctuaryequinerehab.com.