The Couple Behind the Scenes:
Jimmy Mandala and Anne Cizadlo Accept Carol Cohen Hodess’s
Global Dressage Visionary Award
Wellington, FL (January 30, 2017) — As the sun set on another day of dressage competition at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida, it seemed fitting that another award was still to be presented – to the people behind the scenes, Adequan Global Dressage Festival facilities manager and FEI steward Jimmy Mandala and his wife Anne Cizadlo, an FEI rider and assistant trainer at Romance Farm, Inc. The couple received the Global Dressage Visionary Award, presented by Carol Cohen Hodess, for their unwavering support of the dressage community.
Cohen Hodess, who has demonstrated her devotion to dressage as a founding member and sponsor of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, could think of no one more deserving of the trophy than Mandala and Cizadlo.
“Jimmy is a fixture at the show grounds, and we don’t know what we would have done without him,” she said as she presented the Global Dressage Visionary Award to Mandala and Cizadlo. “These grounds and everything operational here, we owe it all to Jimmy. Not only that, but he has been the rock behind us all.
The gracious Mandala replied, “It’s not all because of me, it’s more because of my team – they’re awesome. My team is the best. I could not do it without them.”
Cohen Hodess also praised Cizadlo for her devotion to a variety of worthwhile causes as well as her role as right-hand woman to Robert Dover, a six-time Olympic athlete and the chef d’equipe of the U.S. Dressage Team.
“You are the rock behind the man,” Cohen Hodess said. “You have done incredible things with the Equestrian Aid Foundation, with Dressage4Kids, and with Robert’s clinics. You have been there guiding these kids, helping these kids, and making sure their parents are helping these kids, too!” Cohen Hodess added that the work that Cizadlo does on American Equestrians Got Talent (AEGT), a fundraiser that Dover created for high-performance equestrian programs, is amazing.
Cohen Hodess, a longtime Wellington resident and a Keller Williams real estate agent, debuted her Global Dressage Visionary Award in 2016, presenting it to dressage luminaries such as U.S. Dressage Developing Coach Debbie McDonald, active dressage supporter Betsy Juliano, competitor and benefactor Janne Rumbough, dressage philanthropist Kimberly Van Kampen, British dressage Olympic Gold Medalist Carl Hester, developers and entrepreneurs Katherine and Mark Bellissimo, and Team USA Chef d’Equipe Robert Dover.
Cohen Hodess is also a sponsor of the season-long 2017 American Equestrians Got Talent. Additionally, she is the proud supporter of the 2017 Adequan Global Dressage Festival Leadline class. Scheduled for 6:00 pm before the Friday Nights Stars FEI Grand Prix Freestyle on February 24, the class will allow young riders the opportunity to ride in the Adequan Global Dressage Festival International Arena under the lights, just like the international Grand Prix competitors. This event is free to any kids who want to bring their horses or ponies to compete and get a prize for their efforts. To sign up for the leadline class, email Carol atcarol@carolcohenliving.com.
“The community needs to foster the future of the sport, and my hope is that the leadline class becomes a recognized division in the future,” said Cohen Hodess.
As an instrumental part of the Wellington dressage community herself, Cohen Hodess knows that the sport is expanding because of the hard work of people like Mandala and Cizadlo. “We appreciate you, we need you, and we are so pleased that you’re around,” Cohen Hodess told the couple. “To know that you have been here behind us and with us, and standing arm-to-arm with you now, is an honor for me and for everyone at Global Dressage. Thank you so much for accepting this honor.”
To learn more about Cohen Hodess, visit www.carolcohenliving.com. To contact her directly, call 561-756-4844or email her at carol@carolcohenliving.com.
