Sydney CDI teams up with State-of-the-Art Arena Company

Australia's premier international dressage event, The Sydney CDI, welcomes OTTO SPORT AUSTRALIA as its Naming Rights Sponsor for 2018.

Late last year, OTTO SPORT AUSTRALIA was selected to supply and install state-of-the-art surfaces to two arenas at Sydney International Equestrian Centre (SIEC) - the location of the Sydney CDI.

The makeover to SIEC's Indoor and Arena 6 surfaces will include ebb-and-flow watering systems, cushion mats and superfine, sub-angular silica sand with geotextile fabric and fibres, bringing them up to a truly international standard.

With work expected to be completed later this month, the 2018 Sydney CDI will be one of the first major events to showcase the new surfaces, a boon to riders looking to use the event to qualify for the World Equestrian Games to be held in the USA in September.

Event Director of the Sydney CDI, Toni Venhaus said, "We are delighted to welcome OTTO SPORT AUSTRALIA as the Sydney CDI naming rights sponsor in 2018. The upgrade to the surfaces at SIEC is something for which we, along with Equestrian NSW, have been lobbying for many years, and it is so exciting for this event and for equestrian sports in general to see this happen. With this new world class surface, I expect a few Sydney CDI records may be broken this year as the horses find that extra lift and power to obtain better scores.  We look forward to our collaboration with OTTO SPORT AUSTRALIA and appreciate their support of the Sydney CDI."

Chief executive of OTTO Sport International, Wolfgang Otto, said about renewing the equestrian surfaces: “SIEC is a stunning location and incredibly well-kept and managed. We’re very honored to do our part in keeping this a prime location for equestrian sports, nationally and internationally.”

The 2018 OTTO SPORT AUSTRALIA Sydney CDI will be held at SIEC 2 – 5 May and is an Equestrian Australia Nomination Event for the 2018 World Equestrian Games.

This year's event will feature competitions spanning levels from Advanced to Grand Prix, attracting top riders from around Australia. Included in the line-up are CDI 3*, CDI-U25 (for riders under 25 competing at Grand Prix level), CDI-Y for Young Riders 16 to 21 years, CDI-P (International Pony) for riders aged 12-16 years and for the first time, a CDI-J for Junior riders aged between 14 and 18 years.  The Sydney CDI Young Horse Championships will also be decided, with a special guest rider providing commentary on the finalists.

Dressage NSW President, Helen Lawson, welcomed the support of OTTO SPORT AUSTRALIA’S involvement with the Sydney CDI “It is very exciting to see Australia’s longest-standing and most prestigious CDI, teamed with world leading arena specialists OTTO SPORT providing a world class surface to showcase Australia’s top horses. This gives our horses and riders the opportunity to put their best foot forward to qualify for WEG 2018."

Tickets for the event have already gone on sale, and seats for the ever-popular Saturday evening Grand Prix Freestyle to Music event are selling out fast.

For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, visit the event website at: www.sydneycdi.com

Information on OTTO SPORT AUSTRALIA: http://www.bsmsportequestrian.com.au/ottosport/