{"id":25029,"date":"2015-11-30T10:33:29","date_gmt":"2015-11-29T23:33:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/?p=25029"},"modified":"2017-02-09T16:43:04","modified_gmt":"2017-02-09T05:43:04","slug":"saddleworld-australian-dressage-championships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/2015\/11\/saddleworld-australian-dressage-championships\/","title":{"rendered":"Saddleworld Australian Dressage Championships"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Saddleworld<\/a>\"_K3A0275\"<\/a>Words by Rebecca Ashton, and photos by Rebecca Ashton and Julie Wilson<\/h3>\n

There\u2019s a well known quote by Vivian Greene. \u201cLife is not about waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in the rain.\u201d The combinations on the Thursday of the Saddleworld Australian Dressage Championships were literally getting plenty of dance practice in atrocious conditions. Starters experienced the heavens violently open up and the arenas instantly turn into lakes. Grade 2 para rider Victoria Davies riding Andaluka Elegido was one competitor who copped the brunt of the tempest. \u201cWhen I was riding there was 21mm of rain between 12:00 and 13:00 o\u2019clock. We\u2019re used to the rain because I live on a flood prone property, so he\u2019s used to puddles. He loved it! He wanted to go faster. He\u2019s white, but he wasn\u2019t white afterwards and my joddies went see through! We won by almost 3% though, so it was all worth it in the end.\u201d\"_K3A0259\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Victoria Davie and her now white again, Andaluka Elegido. ABOVE: Victoria Welch on Glogau during the Grand Prix freestyle<\/em><\/p>\n

Luckily the rest of the weekend was close to perfect in terms of the weather which therefore cannot be blamed for the poor crowd attendance for the Saturday night K\u00fcr competition. It was a shame really, as there were some lovely tests. Was it because of live streaming and people are not bothering to leave their lounge rooms? I think it\u2019s a great alternative if there\u2019s no other option, and it works to help promote the sport, but if you really want to cheer on the riders and give them a good atmosphere, get thee to the stands!<\/p>\n

The one thing I have to make comment on in the Grand Prix freestyles were the choices of music. Great leaping leprechauns! It would seem the Irish jig is the new \u2018tubular bells\u2019 or Beatles. With so much music on offer in the world, perhaps we could have something other than celtic chords. Almost every freestyle had it in there somewhere. …..and was that Valegro\u2019s music I heard at one stage?<\/p>\n

One rider who opted for something different was Brett Parbery on DP Weltmieser who came second on 74.7% to the oh-so-professional combination of Mary Hanna and Umbro on 75.5%. Brett had a very successful competition accumulating seven rugs from the eight FEI competitions with three horses.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had a great show,\u201d enthused Brett.<\/p>\n

\"Brett<\/a><\/p>\n

Another win for Brett and Weltmeiser<\/em><\/p>\n

Why did you \u2018only\u2019 come second in the GP freestyle? Haha<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI have to say, when I heard Mary\u2019s score go up, I thought, wow. I know her freestyle and when she gets it right, it\u2019s very good. I was out the back and I thought, \u2018You know what, my freestyle\u2019s too boring\u2019 so I started changing it. I knew I could tweak it a bit. When I came in I went for absolute maximum. I couldn\u2019t get any more out of the horse. The freestyle was a PB for us. Also this weekend was only his third Special. He\u2019s won all three Specials he\u2019s done. I was also just told that he is my third Grand Prix Australian Champion, the other two being Whisper and Victory Salute. You forget these things as you\u00a0go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cZeppelin won the Inter A but then got colic and I had to withdraw him. He\u2019s ok though.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do you think your new high performance plan has been helping?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI do. I can\u2019t exactly put my finger on one thing but I believe the culmination of the new plan and all the little things we\u2019ve been doing has evolved into better results. But the work doesn\u2019t stop here. Now I\u2019ve got to go away and work harder because we\u2019re still so far off European pace that we\u2019ve just got to keep working hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to bring out a new freestyle in the final World Cup qualifier. It\u2019s coming out of Canada from Karen Robinson. I\u2019d like to do well, as it would make the trip over to Europe a little bit easier if we decided to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd in the end, you can\u2019t do it without good horses and good owners. I\u2019ve also got great people who help me behind the scene; all the experts and staff.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"Elliott<\/a><\/p>\n

Advanced champions, Elliot Patterson and Boronia HG<\/em><\/p>\n

HIGHER LEVELS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Brett was only one of a number of men who are now beating out the girls for the ribbons in the female dominated sport. Also having successful weekends were Heath Ryan, Jeremy Janjic, David McKinnon, David Shoobridge, Rodney Martin, Deon Stokes and Elliot\u00a0Patterson.\"_K3A0187\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The blokes shine! David Shoobridge, Dave McKinnon and Brett Parbery<\/em><\/p>\n

I spoke to Elliot about his lovely chestnut Hanoverian mare Boronia HG who came 1st and 2nd in the two B\u00f6ckmann Floats Advanced tests and rounded off a successful weekend with a third in the Prydes EasiFeed Advanced\u00a0freestyle.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe horse is a nine-year-old by Breitling W. Robert and Ela Weight imported her three years ago. She\u2019s a state premium mare and has already had a foal. She was bred by Christian Heinrich who also bred Blind Date. Christian and Wolfram Wittig (who owns Breitling) have a close relationship with the horses. Christian also bred Barolo, Charlotte Dujardin\u2019s latest Grand Prix horse, who is another\u00a0Breitling.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBoronia\u2019s come up the levels quite quickly. She\u2019s a joy to ride, a once-in-a-lifetime kind of horse. I started riding her two years ago. She\u2019s very laid back, more like a gelding than a mare but when it comes time to compete, she can get pretty fiery and likes to show off and then is a bit difficult to ride. We\u2019re getting to a point now though that I\u2019m able to work with her a bit more in the ring which helps. I\u2019m starting to feel happier and more confident that I\u2019ll come out of a test and still have a horse at the end of it not come out wondering what was that?!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"_K3A0321\"<\/a>Alexis and Elliot – Lexy definitely has the prettier head…<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to coax her to move. You\u2019re more or less just asking her to settle. She\u2019s probably the most enjoyable horse I\u2019ve ever had and I have a real connection with her in terms of our personality as Alexis (Hellyer) would know. She comes in between our relationship sometimes!\u201d<\/p>\n

Alexis confirmed, \u201cYes, I come second to Boronia. But Boronia is furry and doesn\u2019t have the prettiest head, so I think I\u2019m ok.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

LOWER LEVELS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Emma Flavelle was all over the lower levels, having to step up to the podium quite a few times for each test. She could possibly even hold the record for the most tests ridden over the weekend with 18 in total! Amongst her haul of ribbons were a win in the Prydes EasiFeed Advanced Freestyle with Cabaret C and two reserve champions with the imported Hanoverian stallion Fiderf\u00fcrst in Elementary and Medium. Added to that, the Queensland rider was presented with three gold performance medals from the Australian Dressage Committee.<\/p>\n

\"Emma\"<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The imported stallion, Fiderf\u00fcrst and Emma Flavelle, looking good in the Elementary and Medium classes<\/em><\/p>\n

Shouldn\u2019t you be on your honeymoon?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI should be! My poor suffering husband! We got married two weeks ago. Hopefully we\u2019ll go somewhere over Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny, we got married and Will, my husband went for four days on The Great Ocean Road on a honeymoon with his mate without me, so I\u2019ve actually only seen him for about three days! Now I\u2019ve gone away on a honeymoon with my horses. He\u2019s very tolerant. He\u2019s not really horsey but he\u2019s a great groom. I\u2019m training him up and he\u2019s getting his eye in so he\u2019s becoming quite useful on the ground! We\u2019ve been together for ten years so he knew what he was getting\u00a0into.\u201d<\/p>\n

Was that a condition of getting married? That you\u2019d be coming to the Nationals?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYes! haha. I brought four horses and they\u2019ve all done very well. It will be a happy trip home. Even the Hedburg\u2019s other stallion Premonition, who spends one weekend with Brett Cantle and does an eventing competition and then comes to me to be a dressage horse. It can be a little bit tricky because, like in this competition he was almost a bit too fit. I actually had to retire him from a test today. I think he was looking for the jumps! He\u2019s eight so maybe we need to make a decision on his career but he\u2019s super trainable and I think I can get him up the levels pretty quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got a really great team of horses and owners. It\u2019s just all building. I\u2019m really lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCabaret C is still a bit green at Prix St Georges but I think she\u2019s a really exciting horse for the future. She reminds me a lot of my old Grand Prix horse Northern Meara.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

ORGANISERS\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

This year, although there was still a VIP dinner option on the terrace of the SIEC indoor, new organisers Cathie Drury-Klein and Deb MacNicol arranged an open area full of couches and coffee tables with good access to a bar and food store instead of a tented VIP area. It would seem that the arrangement was one of the most popular additions to the competition where riders could mingle and a nightly happy hour was held when the day\u2019s presentations were made. It was fun, social and inclusive. Bravo!<\/p>\n

I spoke to Cathie and Deb about their decision…<\/p>\n

Cathie: \u201cThis is the first Nationals that two individuals have organised rather than an organising committee. We did it on behalf of Equestrian NSW because they wanted a break from it this year. It was quite hard because we only had two and a half months to do it but we\u2019re really happy with the result of the event.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDeb and I have known each other for a long, long time but we\u2019ve never put on an event together. It\u2019s had its geographic challenges because I come from Orange and Deb comes from Victoria. Logistically we\u2019ve had quite some challenges and only had three face-to-face meetings. There were a lot of phone calls involved! We\u2019ve had a great response to the big area.\u201d<\/p>\n

Deb: \u201cI ran my first Nationals in Queensland in 1982. I felt we needed to go back a little bit to the way it was in the early days where everyone is treated the same and to try to bring everyone together. The necessary components to any competition are the riders, the horses, the judges, the officials, the sponsors, the volunteers and the venue. Without any one of them, you won\u2019t have the event. So you have to make sure that you treat all of them the same. I think we\u2019ve created a little bit of a culture that we have to really look after the international officials so that they will come. Then they would come because they could have a nice international holiday and we would pay for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis venue is very difficult because it\u2019s so big. In the past, riders would come up here to the indoor, get their ribbon then all go back to the trucks where they\u2019d have 15 different private parties. We wanted them to feel included. Also, the sponsors want to talk to the riders and the general public. That\u2019s how they sell their products. Just sitting in a little area with the judges is not helping them do that. So we did this open area here with that mindset. It wasn\u2019t easy and we took a lot of risks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"_K3A0172\"<\/a><\/p>\n

COACH<\/strong><\/p>\n

In similar fashion to last year, a clinic for squad riders with National Dressage Advisor Ton de Ridder was run before the Championships. There were mixed feelings, some riders loved it and some thought it all too much for the horses so close to such a major event. But what did the coach think?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was very interesting. I have to make a big compliment to Julia (Battams) and her team. They made a great job in organising this. Still, I want to be honest, it is a little bit a shame that some riders, not only with me, but also with Lone (Jorgensen) and Bjarne (Elefsen), the riders don\u2019t always turn up at the right spot. I have other things to do than have 45 minutes off, or to wait. I think it\u2019s not so polite, not to just me but also the Federation and the people who organised it. On the other hand other riders rode with me almost everyday and took up spare spots.\u201d<\/p>\n

What were your thoughts?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cEverything develops very nicely. Still we have to look after the better riders and not stay at the same standard.We have to look forward. I think that everybody has seen what happened at Caen. We had the highest averages ever and still we missed one score of 72 or 73 and then you have to be honest, are we really good enough?\u201d<\/p>\n

How do you see the lead up to Rio going?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI have seen I think some interesting horses and also some horses at Prix St Georges that are really good. Still I don\u2019t really agree with the discussion yesterday evening (there was discussion about having Olympic and WEG qualifying events in Australia). It is a shame, but it is what it is, and the better sport is in Europe. It is not just the point of qualifying. We recognise together with the EA, with Julia, with me, with other people that we competed last year, not enough overseas. The riders did a great job, but the judges recognise that our riders are really not so bad, just one second too late. Still I say it again, we have to look to the better ones.\u201d\"Mary\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Mary Hanna and Umbro – victory in the Freestyle!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is another thing and we had the same problem last year; the event here is great, the arenas, good judges the organisers all good, but the atmosphere like we will have at the World Cup qualifier next week in Lyon, is totally different. Everyone should take a look on Eurosport, when you have the World Cup qualifier in Europe, it is very\u00a0tricky.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope like in Caen that the K\u00fcr and the Special is sold out, and we cannot forbid and we should not forbid the people to enjoy the event and clap or make them be quiet. They should show their emotions. If the horses are not used to it, that can make it really\u00a0difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYesterday we discussed it, and it is my opinion also, to do the qualifier for Tokyo a little bit different. The riders need to compete against the best ones that they can, then when they are good, the judges can recognise the riders and know they are not so bad.\u201d\"Daytona<\/a><\/p>\n

Dave McKinnon and Daytona Joy – Novice Champions<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cToday was for me really a surprising day. There was one person who turned up today to ride her test at the totally wrong place. This is the management of the rider. It needs to be 100%. You are travelling so far and doing so many things, you are nervous, and the rider goes to totally the wrong arena. I cannot believe in Formula 1, all the cars drive to the right and one car drives to the left. There is no difference! Haha. It was a very nice wake up call for the rider.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you take the results list, you can really see who did a proper job, who is interesting to develop, who has a nice team behind them. Dressage training is hard work: you have to do the proper training everyday, and even if you go out for a hack you can work, do really extended walks, make a halt, do some rein backs, this has to be done properly everyday. Correct flexion, bending, every single thing correct all the time. You need that discipline.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

AMATEUR OWNERS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not everyone at the Nationals is heading to the Olympics and it\u2019s nice to catch up with those who have put in the hard yards to be at the event as well as living \u201cnormal lives\u201d. Yes! It can be done!<\/p>\n

Liz Owens and Revelwood Starlight<\/strong><\/p>\n

Liz came all the way from Queensland to ride Elementary\/ Medium with her mare. To add to the pressure, she was called up at the last minute to judge at the Championships.<\/p>\n

You must have done something quite impressive today. I saw you with a\u00a0ribbon!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI plaited my horse up really well and they gave me a prize! No, not true. My dear six-year-old mare scored well in her first Elementary and came sixth in that, and tenth in the next one but we were the highest placed Amateur Owner in both of them which was really nice because it was actually a category that Mary Seefried and I set up through the ADC some years ago, so I actually created my own award! Haha. I\u2019m going next time for the over 55 amateur owner animal nutritionist from Queensland with a husband called Peter prize! Nothing specific!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really wanted to promote the fact that people can work full time and still be competitive at this sort of level and they can hold their own against professional riders on fully imported horses. If you\u2019re consistent with your training and with a bit of luck, you can do well. There are people competing here who are not wealthy or professional riders and the rank-and file-riders out there can do it, can come out here get a ribbon.\u201d<\/p>\n

You also had your other hat on as judge this weekend as well?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYes I was asked to step in at the last minute and judge the Inter 1 which was a bit nerve wracking, but great. I was very grateful to have Ricky MacMillan on the centreline so I knew we had a professional in charge! It was a beautiful class, super horses and the riders did a great job. Having said that, I think there were four who managed to achieve the canter\/ trot transition at C which was a bit sad. My penciller had to ask me is the head in the hands a good look for a judge? They throw points away. If you\u2019re an amateur on a nice horse, how are you going to hold your own? You\u2019re going to hit every marker, you\u2019re going to make every transition a winner, you\u2019re going to ride into every corner and you\u2019re just going to polish and polish and polish until you get it right. And I think that\u2019s a little bit lacking. The winners Brett Parbery and Lisa Martin are consummate professionals when it comes to arena craft. They don\u2019t give a point away and that\u2019s what makes them winners. I think it would be a mistake for people to say, oh they win because they\u2019re sitting on imported horses, or they\u2019re professional riders but there are a lot of people out there in that situation and they just give away points. They\u2019re seriously competitive and they make it all look easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"_K3A0218\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Deborah Carr and Whispering Wizard<\/strong><\/p>\n

Deb bred, raised, trains, competes and owns her Advanced level gelding while holding down a job and raising two\u00a0children.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy life entails a full time job as Director of Development at Western Sydney University heading up a team of fund raisers. I also have two teenage children, one currently sitting his HSC and one in Year 9 and then in my spare time I mange to keep two horses in work, mainly focusing on this one Whispering Wizard. That generally means getting up at 05:30am, riding then jumping in the shower and making coffee and toast to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI actually got caught out by Vicki Newham and Judy Dierks doing my eyeliner at the lights at Dural on Wednesday morning as they were coming out here and I was going to work! I came out here on Friday morning just before my test.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have my own lovely, little breeding line that started with a Thoroughbred mare that had been bred by Gai Waterhouse. She was along the Star Kingdom line so bred to be a stayer. I think they\u2019d had trouble with her in the barriers so she was retired out at a property just behind my parents at Luddenham. We used to go trail riding on the property. A friend of mine bought her but she started to tie up so he gave her to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA couple of stock brokers I was working with at the time went in with me to breed a racehorse. That ended in disaster, so I thought the next time I\u2019m going to breed a Warmblood for myself. My first one was Venus who I trained up to Grand Prix but she wasn\u2019t quite sound so I retired her and she\u2019s now in foal to 00 Seven. The next foal from the Thoroughbred mare was an Aachimedes filly. I then bred two foals from that filly with Helen Lawson who owns Zeppelin. Kerry Mack is a family friend so we put her to Whisper. Helen got the filly and I got the colt, which is\u00a0Wizard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"_K3A0245\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Abbie O\u2019Brien and Rajah\u2019s Rave and Revelwood Fleur<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although not technically an amateur because she has sponsors. Abbie works full time to sustain her hobby of two horses, the small tour mount Rajah\u2019s Rave and Novice\/ Elementary youngster Revelwood Fleur.<\/p>\n

\u201cI turn 22 on Monday and work full time for Pete and Caroline Wagner. I do that five days a week and then weekends mostly ride and compete. It\u2019s nice because I have bosses who understand the demands of dressage! I just started there in June, and I make the bridles, and am learning to make most of the gear along with the retail side of things. It\u2019s quite fun. They\u2019ve trained me up and put a lot of time into me. I actually made the bridle my horse has on now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to last year\u2019s Nationals and did the young rider classes, but I\u2019m too old for that now so have to go out with the big guns. Rajah\u2019s my first FEI horse and I\u2019ve had him since he was four. He\u2019s 10 now. I\u2019ve trained him all myself. I had only ridden to novice when I got him so we\u2019ve learnt it all together. I started off in Tasmania and moved to Victoria when I was 18 and now train with Lone J\u00f6rgensen. I was Dux at Marcus Oldham College in 2012 before getting a job with David and Amanda Shoobridge for a few months. My horse got quite sick though so I moved back to Victoria. I had been riding Fleur when I was with them and she was going to be Dave\u2019s next horse, but I kind of stole her off him. He thought she was going to be too small!\u201d<\/p>\n

The Saddleworld Australian Dressage Championships was a fairly \u201csteady-as-she-goes\u201d competition. Having said that, the scores are, on the whole, going up and riders are becoming more professional. There was a real feeling of camaraderie at this comp a great example of how the organisers are trying to support this. Now as spectators and lovers of the sport, we need to start filling the stands, creating an atmosphere and supporting our riders.<\/p>\n

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