Marco Bernal and Farewell IV Win The Sanctuary’s Peak Performance Award at Adequan® Global Dressage Festival 5* CDI
Wellington, FL (April 15, 2013) – The Sanctuary Equine Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation Center was excited to present The Peak Performance Award to Columbian gold medalist, Marco Bernal and his horse Farewell IV, for an amazing display of equine athleticism during the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival CDI 5* in Wellington. Bernal said that he is very happy to win the $250 gift certificate to The Sanctuary and he is planning to continue developing his horses through The Sanctuary’s athletic training program to which he attributes much of his current success. “The Sanctuary has been a big reason behind the 3 gold medals I’ve won as well as the bronze medal from the Pan American Games last year.” Bernal stressed the importance he places on keeping his horses in top shape so that they can perform their best. He added that he currently has two horses on his team that will be competing in the Nations Cup for Colombia, and that The Sanctuary is an integral part of the training and conditioning.
Farewell IV, a gorgeous 11-year-old Westphalian stallion, and Bernal work every day in training and development, not only physically, but mentally as well. “He has a beautiful mind,” he said, “and he is just a very nice horse to work with.” Bernal is also continuing to show his other horse, Maybach, an 11-year-old Westphalian gelding, this season. It’s evident by their stunning appearance, and amazing performances that both horses are benefitting greatly from the athletic training at The Sanctuary.
“The Sanctuary’s therapies are very similar to what professional human athletes undergo during training and competition, and we are happy to bring that level of care and technology to all of the equines we treat, from Olympic athletes to world champions and competitors at all levels,” explains The Sanctuary General Manager, Brenda McDuffee. “Our Peak Performance Award recognizes and honors equestrians who are dedicated to this same level of care for their equine athletic partners – before, during and after the shows.”
The Sanctuary was proud to support many top level equestrians throughout the 2013 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) and Global Dressage Festival circuits by sponsoring these awards, as well as sponsoring the Hunter division championships each week during WEF. In addition, The Sanctuary’s satellite facility, The Sanctuary at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center(PBIEC), which is the location of the Winter Equestrian Festival, also offered a wide variety of equine performance conditioning treatments for the competing horses directly on site at the show grounds. Here, equestrians had immediate access to the most advanced equine conditioning equipment including ECB Equine Cold Saltwater Leg Spas, Pegasus Companion Light Cure Laser Therapy, Ferno AquaPacers, Equivibe Vibration Plates, a Transpirator II by Centurion Systems, and Odyssey Solariums. These services were available on-site for the horses to treat any injuries, or simply ensure top performance while showing.
The Sanctuary Equine Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation Center’s main campus is located in nearby Ocala, Florida. The 30-acre, state-of-the-art facility is a multi-million dollar rehabilitation and conditioning facility that features the most advanced conditioning and rehab equipment available in the world today. The Cold Saltwater Leg Spa, a favorite among equestrian competitors, is the ideal treatment for legs. The 35-degree turbulated saltwater eliminates pain, reduces swelling and inflammation, removes heat, increases circulation, relieves sore feet and speeds healing. The Sanctuary also offers an Equine Hyperbaric Chamber, which is box stall type for freedom of movement while therapy is administered, an Aqua Pacer Water Treadmill – the safest, most effective water treadmill available, a 110 foot long, 14 foot deep inline equine swimming pool with therapeutic water , a 5/8 mile race track, two Eurocisers with therapeutic tracking surface – one under cover and one outdoors, Solariums, and Temperature-controlled veterinary inspection area with semi-surgical lighting, and rubberized surfaces in most areas.
The Sanctuary has quickly been recognized by horsemen and women from all disciplines as the finest, most comprehensive facility of its kind in the world. “Our goal, first and foremost, is to send every horse home in the best condition possible as well as physically and mentally sound,” explains McDuffee.
For more information on the Sanctuary Equine Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation Center visit www.sanctuaryequinerehab.com.
Photo: Marco Bernal was awarded The Sanctuary Peak Performance Award during the 2013 Adequan Global Dressage Festival 5* CDI. (Photo courtesy of JRPR)
Brenda McDuffee The Sanctuary Equine Sports Therapy & Rehabilitation Center
brendam@sanctuaryequinerehab.com
