Ottawa, Ontario --- Pia Fortmuller of DeWinton, AB, has been named the Dressage Canada Red Scarf Equestrian Athlete of the Month for March.

Fortmuller, 28, attended the CDI-W 's Hertogenbosch held in 's Hertogenbosch, NED, March 15-17, 2013. In the Grand Prix class, Fortmuller and her horse Orion, a chestnut 17-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding sired by Jazz received a score of 67.021%. The following day the pair returned to the ring to score 70.025% for their Freestyle. A month earlier, Fortmuller's success started at CDI-W Neumunster in Neumunster, GER, held February 14-17, 2013. Pia and Orion earned a score of 68.021% for their Grand Prix test and 69.500% for their Freestyle.

"Thank you so very much for this award," said Fortmuller, who has been living and training in Germany for a few years. "I feel very honoured to be named athlete of the month. The true credit of course goes to my teammate, Orion. I am so very proud of him because he is like the lion in Wizard of Oz who finally found his courage. The last couple of World Cup qualifying competitions were in some very difficult indoor venues, and Orion fought like a true warrior through each test."

"During the rest of the 2013 season, I plan to prepare for Normandy in 2014," Fortmuller added.

The Dressage Canada Red Scarf Equestrian Athlete of the Month is a recognition program that celebrates the achievements of Canadian dressage riders who represent Canada in national and international competition in the FEI Pony, Children, Junior, Young Rider, Advanced, Grand Prix and Young Horse classes.

Red Scarf Equestrian is the generous sponsor of Dressage Canada Athlete of the Month. Red Scarf Equestrian will be providing Fortmuller with a generous gift certificate that can be used towards the purchase of elegant equestrian luggage, travel bags and accessories that are all made in Canada. For more information about Red Scarf Equestrian, please visit www.RedScarfEquestrian.ca.

Dressage Canada, as a committee of Equine Canada, is the national governing body for dressage in Canada. Dressage Canada's objective is to foster the growth of dressage and the pursuit of excellence in the sport at the local, national and international levels. Dressage Canada provides support and guidance to both amateur and professional through the following programs: coaching education and programs, officials' education and programs, rules and qualifying criteria, sport development, and publications and awards. For more information about Dressage Canada, please visit the Dressage section of the Equine Canada site or connect with us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/dressagecanada or Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/lp8cnd.

Red Scarf Equestrian is proud to offer a line of equestrian luggage and travel bags that deliver exceptional quality and extraordinary value. This line is a refreshing change as it speaks of elegance and simplicity. It works to protect your expensive and valuable apparel, boots and accessories. In a world of clutter, you can't afford not to buy quality. Red Scarf Equestrian is proudly made in Canada. For more information about Red Scarf Equestrian, please visit www.RedScarfEquestrian.ca.