Great Britain’s Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin are entered for the World Dressage Masters Palm Beach, which will take place Jan. 26-29 in West Palm Beach, Fla. The riders, both members of the gold medal-winning team at the 2011 FEI European Dressage Championships (the Netherlands), are bringing horses Wie Atlantico and Valegro, a 10-year-old (Negro—Maifleur, Gerschwin) Dutch Warmblood.

This will be Carl Hester’s first outing on the 13-year-old Atlantico, a Hanoverian gelding (Wie Weltmeyer—Ronja, Rondo) who has only been in his barn for a matter of weeks. Hester temporarily took over the ride from Fiona Bigwood. Bigwood is expecting her third child this spring and will return as the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games team silver medalist gelding’s rider after the baby is born.

“Carl offered to keep Atlantic ticking over for me until the baby is born, but if he can fit in one or two shows before that, then that’s even better,” said Bigwood.

Dujardin, a student of Hester’s, and Valegro won the Moorlands Grand Prix Special at Hickstead (Great Britain) in July last year, but this will be Valegro’s first flight, and Dujardin’s first trip to the United States.

“It’s very exciting and will be good fun,” Dujardin said, “It felt a bit hairy going into Olympia as we hadn’t been out since the Europeans, but after experiencing that, I feel we’re ready for this. I want to try and hit 80 percent again. Keep your fingers crossed for me!”

Though Matthias Rath and Totilas and Anky van Grunsven and Salinero will not be competing at this year’s World Dressage Masters Palm Beach as originally planned, last year’s winners, Steffen Peters and Ravel, are still on the starting list.

Keep up to date with World Dressage Masters news and results.