Congratulations to the 2012 National Dressage Champions

The Saddleworld Australian Dressage Championships gathered elite level riders and emerging talent in Sydney for four days of thrilling action and excitement for both spectators and athletes.

At the conclusion of the Championships, national titles were awarded to the following riders in each of the following classes:

Novice

Champion: Jayden Brown (QLD) - San Andreas

Reserve Champ: Judy Dierks (NSW) - Highlight Australia

 

Elementary

Champion: Jayden Brown (QLD) - San Andreas

Reserve: Nicole Tough (QLD) - Furst Tyme

 

Medium

Champion: Deon Stokes (WA) - Bellario

Reserve: Nicole Tough (QLD) - Furst Tyme

 

Advanced

Champion: Lesley Anne Taylor (NSW) - Amicelli Gold

Reserve: Heath Ryan (NSW) - Johnny Depp

 

Prix St Georges

Champion: Nicole Tough (QLD) - Dante

Reserve: Matthew Dowsley (NSW) - Flavio

 

Intermediate I

Champion: Matthew Dowsley (NSW) - Flavio

Reserve: Tor van den Berge (QLD) - Lauries As

 

Intermediate II

Heath Ryan - Regardez Moi

Reserve: Gitte Donvig (Vic) - Port Said II

 

Winner of the CDI-W

Maree Tomkinson - Diamantina IV

 

Winner of the CDI-Y

Fern Wright (VIC) - Kamber Pryderi

 

EA Grand Prix Champion

Maree Tomkinson - Diamantina IV

 

Rod Barker Memorial Trophy winner

Jayden Brown - San Andreas

 

Dietmar Spect Trophy

Jayden Brown

 

Crown Law Trophy

Matthew Dowsley - PSI de Caprio

 

Prix St Georges Challenge

Matthew Dowsley (NSW) - Flavio

 

Queensland was named winners of the the EA Teams Competition while NSW took home the FEI Teams Championship. (View results HERE).

 

Head of the organising committee, Toni Venhaus is pleased with how the event unfolded.

 

“From an organisational point of view the event ran like clockwork and we have had a lot of positive feedback.  We had fabulous support from our sponsors and in particular our major naming right sponsor Saddleworld.   The weather was generally good which also makes it so much more enjoyable for all concerned.  The standard of competition was high which augers well for the future of the sport,” she said.

 

Full results can be viewed HERE

 

Congratulations to all riders who competed at this year’s event and to the organising committee for staging a successful Nationals.

 

 

29 October 2012

Wrap-up of day four from the Dressage Nationals

By Scott Pollock

The fourth and final day of the Saddleworld Australian Dressage Championships was very relaxed. I have a feeling this was because all people concerned, including horse and rider, were a tad weary after three long days of competition.

The Needs for Steeds FEI Prix St Georges Championship had 35 competitors and like all the small tour competitions, there were lots of competitive combinations involved. Over the three days, the top ten horses in the small tour competitions, were pretty much the same. Like yesterday's Prix St Georges Challenge, it was Matthew Dowsley on Flavio (owned by the Dowsett family) who came first. Tor Van Den Berge and Cheryl O'Briens stallion, Lauries As, came second and CDI-Y rider Elliot Patterson on Leandro came third.

Ten combinations took part in Pessoa Dressage Grand Prix Special. Matthew Dowsley on Andrea' Beatty's gelding, PSI De Caprio, won the competition. This was a great achievement as the horse is relatively new to Grand Prix. Second went to Heath Ryan and Regardez Moi and third went to Victorian rider Caroline Wagner on the big liver chestnut, Tango V.

 

For the Wagners EA Elementary Championship there were 2 competitions, the 3C and 3D. With no surprise to many of the spectators, the Champion went to Jayden Brown on San Andreas who won both tests and seems to be unbeatable! And the Reserve Champion went to Nicole Tough on Dante who came second in both tests. Both these horses are owned by the Dowsett family. I imagine Jayden and Nicole will be smiling all the way back to Queensland. Rodney Martin on Andrea Beatty's gelding SS Sonata Hit came third in both tests as well.

 

The final presentation was held in the Trade Village and although some of the horses had already hit the Highways to head home, there was still a good turn up to support Sundayy's place getters. Not only was there new champions made but more importantly there were lots of riders that achieved their personal best. Congratulations to everyone who helped make the Saddleworld Australian Dressage Championships the success it was. But like all good things, it too had to come to an end!

 

For all results, visit www.dressagensw.com.au/nationals

 

Maree Makes it Two from Two

Maree Tomkinson and Diamantina IV have made it two wins  from two starts in the big tour after winning the Grand Prix Freestyle at the Saddleworld Australian Dressage Championships overnight.

Following on from their victory in Friday’s Grand Prix, Maree and her amazing moving mare, Diamantina IV earned first place in the Freestlye after performing a test which scored 69.450. Second went to David Shoobridge and his stallion OO Seven. This combination had great artistic merit and also included a great deal of difficulty in their choreography but their score of 69.150 was not quite enough to beat one of Australia’s most favourite mares.

“Thank-you all very much, it’s incredibly exciting to me. I’m blessed to have this amazing opportunity to ride this amazing horse. I take no credit for it at all, I’m just sitting on one of the best horses in the world, how lucky is that,” Maree said upon accepting the title.

 

Third went to Sheridyn Ashwood on the expressive stallion Prestige VDL (67.450). Fourth was Heath Ryan on Regardez Moi scoring 67.275.

 

The final day of competition will see riders perform the Grand Prix Special following which the 2012 the 2012 National Dressage Champion will be crowned.

 

Full results are available HERE

 

More day three highlights, by Scott Pollock

 

There are so many components that make a successful event. The biggest influence is the weather; it affects the atmosphere, the number of spectators, the condition of the arenas and most importantly it affects the performance of the horse and rider. With a forecast of clear skies, 23 degrees, the third day of the Saddleworld Australian Dressage Championships was destined to be a beauty!

 

One of the best things about being at such an event for the duration is that you get a feel of which horse and rider combinations are going to be the one to watch. Most spectators catch on to this and a small army of supporters travel from arena to arena watching Australia’s best.

 

The Ray White Acreage Medium 4B and 4C had 35 competitors. The first horse and rider combination to impress was Western Australian rider Deon Stokes and the stallion Bellario. Deon has travelled nearly 4,000 kilometres to compete at these championships and by the response from the judges and spectators it was well worth the miles. This combination scored 71.111 in the 4B and then went on to score 71.417 in the 4C. This was not only enough to win both classes but it also made Deon and Kate Barton’s stallion Bellario the Ray White Acreage Medium Champion.

 

Once again it was Deon Stokes riding Kate Barton’s stallion Bellario who won the Gow-Gates Advanced Freestyle, scoring 69.167. Hot on his heels was Queensland rider Victoria Welch on the beautiful grey mare Glogau. This combination scored 69.000. Her choreography was beautiful and flowing- very easy to the eye. Both these riders have obviously done a great job in training their horses – the horses were attentive, the rider’s position was relaxed and correct as their hands gently kept contact with their horse. Third went to Heath Ryan and the very well conformed, Johnny Depp (owned by Rebecca Notley). Together they scored 67.250.

 

A highlight of the day was watching the winner of the Pryde’s EasiFeed FEI Young Rider Freestyle CDI-Y. Victorian rider Fern Wright and her energetic Welsh Cob, Kamber Pryderi, showed the big warmbloods what the smaller breeds are capable of. The music was uplifting and refreshing which perfectly suited this impressive combination. Well done!

 

The Equestrian Australia Prix St Georges Challenge is a great competition. The criteria to qualify is designed so only the top competitors from the previous year get to compete – they have to have 3 qualifying scores officiated by at least one A level judge. The horse also has to be 10 years or under during the qualifying period. As a result, it is a showcase of some of Australia’s most talented up and coming small tour horses. Brett Parbery and Susan Duddy’s gelding DP Weltmieser did an accurate test giving them a score of 67.342. When Tor Van Den Berge on Cheryl O’Brien’s stallion, Lauries As, had his ride things changed. It was an absolute pleasure to watch this horse and rider weave their way around the arena. It was a test of precision and class. I remember thinking; they will have to be the winner. WRONG!

 

Straight after the break, Matthew Dowsley on Linda and Beau Dowsett’s big gelding Flavio wowed the crowd with a nearly flawless test. They managed to score a whopping 71.184. What a great display of horsemanship!

Another class, which showcases up and coming dressage horses was the Equitak Excel Young Horse Qualifier for 5-year-old horses. Cassia Montgomery on Kate Brydon’s gelding Revelwood Marmalade won (7.160). Second went to Ruth Schneeberger on Cheryl Hatswell’s mare Ponderos Stud Royal Dancer (7.060) and third went to the very popular Denise Rogan on her mother’s mare Just One Wish (7.040).

 

26 October 2012

Maree Tomkinson takes an early lead in the battle for top title

Maree Tomkinson and Diamantina IV won the Australian Sports Commission CDI-W Grand Prix at the Saddleworld Australian Dressage Championships on Friday with the battle for first heating up as the competition neared its end.

Tomkinson and her 10 yo Oldenburger mare which she owns with Lyn Sultana, were the penultimate combination to enter the indoor arena on a day that delivered plenty of action and much more pleasant weather conditions. Tomkinson and Diamantina entered the arena immediately following Sheridyn Ashwood and Prestige VDL who scored 67.021 which handed them the lead – a position that NSW combination David Shoobridge and OO Seven had held for most of the afternoon after they were awarded a score of 66.787.

Despite a strong performance, Ashwood and her 15 yo KWPN stallion’s grip over the competition was short lived after the Victorian duo of Tomkinson and Diamantina scored 67.298.

 

With the final combination of Heath Ryan and Regardez Moi scoring 65.234 to secure fourth, Maree didn’t have to wait long to learn that the Grand Prix title was hers.

 

Following her win, Maree admitted that her mare can sometimes become tense in the indoor arena and says their carefully planned warm-up away from the noise worked well to dispel her anxiety.   

 

“She’s really noise sensitive and noise reactive so today we warmed up on one of the far arenas right away from the noise and crowds,” Maree said.

 

“It’s like being in the eye of the storm, if we’re very careful and we don’t hit the edges its perfect,” she added.

 

There’s still the GP Freestlye and GP Special to contest before this year’s National Champion is crowned but Maree is revelling the position she is in.

 

“I’ve been riding horses my whole life and I’ve been coming to the nationals for ten years with different horses and we’ve been lucky enough to win some young horse classes and the small tour but the Grand Prix is the main deal so if we could win that it would be very exciting,” she said.   

 

A full weekend of dressage action awaits those heading out to the Sydney International Equestrian Centre with Saturday evening’s Grand Prix Freestlye expected to produce some stunning performances as Australia’s best battle it out for the national title.

 

All information and results can be found at www.dressagensw.com.au/nationals

 

25 October 2012

With the hype of the recent London Olympics still in the air, day one of the Saddleworld Australian Dressage Championships started with a generous amount of enthusiasm.

It was great to see Olympian, Mary Hanna, back on home turf and watching some of the Novice competitors. We knew the competition was going to be hot but what we didn’t know is that the temperature was also heating up – it ended up being the first seriously hot day for spring.  For a lot of the horse and rider combinations from the southern states of Australia, this meant a change to their normal preparation.

Thankfully, there were only three competitions scheduled for day 1 – the EJ & Co Novice 2C, the Birds Equisports Novice 2D and the Equestrian NSW Intermediate II. The Novice classes were outside and the Inter II was in the indoor. With thirty five competitors in the Novice the second half were riding in temperatures around the mid-thirties.

 

Although there were a number of quality tests, the battle for the Novice Champion ended up being between Queensland rider, Jayden Brown, on San Andrea owned by Beau Dowsett, Judy Dierks on Highlight Australia owned by Janelle Duffy, Emma Flavelle on Cabaret C owned by Caitlin Cullen and Linda Foster on Neversfelde Samiro. All four riders scored over 70% for both Novice tests but it was Jayden Brown on the very impressive mover San Andreas who stole the show.

 

While checking the score board you could hear comments on what a beautifully ridden test it was. This great combination won the 2C with a score of 77.656 and the 2D, scoring 76.810. This is definitely a horse to watch out for in the future.

As the indoor arena was a few degrees cooler, the Intermediate II, attracted most of the spectators. By 4pm all the 22 riders had completed their test. Seventeen of the riders broke the 60% mark but it was Heath Ryan from, NSW on his proven stallion, Regardez Moi, who won the competition with a score of 65.237. Gitte Donvig from Victoria on her handsome gelding, Port Said 10, came second and Queensland rider, Alexandra Berns on her Australian bred Warmblood, Kings Legend, came third.

 

The temperature for the second day of the Saddleworld Australian Dressage Championships is meant to be about 10 degrees cooler which will make it nearly perfect for riders, horses and, of course, the spectators. Friday’s program will kick off at 8.30am and the highlight of the day will be the Australian Sports Commission Grand Prix CDI-W starting around 11.30. The top fifteen riders of this competition will qualify for the Hamilton Island Grand prix Freestyle CDI-W which will be held on Saturday evening.

 

It’s not too late for tickets. All information and results can be found at www.dressagensw.com.au/nationals

 

25 October 2012

Nationals to showcase Australia’s finest in Dressage

Results from the first day of competition are available to view HERE

The Saddleworld Australian Dressage Championships commence Thursday and riders from all over Australia have gathered at the equestrian venue of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games to compete in this prestigious annual event. With the temperature set to soar above 33 degrees, competitors will also have more than the competition to battle.

This year’s event has attracted entries from each mainland state and territory and will see riders battle it out over four days for the coveted individual and state titles on offer.   

With classes ranging from Novice through to Grand Prix, the event will showcase some of Australia’s most established combinations as well as the future stars of the sport.  

 

New South Wales rider David Shoobridge and his 16 yo KWPN stallion OO Seven are likely to garner the most attention with spectators eager to see if the newly formed combination can take home their first national title. Getting in-between them and the top prize will be the 20 strong Grand Prix field consisting of combinations such as Heath Ryan and Regardez Moi, Maree Tomkinson and Diamantina IV and Tor Van Den Berge and Fisherman’s Friend.

 

David says he’s been working hard to improve his and OO Seven’s weaker areas.

 

“I see the Nationals as a chance to benchmark our performance against most of the leading Australian based combinations.  It will be good to roll up the sleeves on the battleground as there are loads of exciting combinations expected to start.  Who knows how the class will unfold, but we will be trying our absolute best,” he said.  

 

The 33 year old from Somersby admits he never thought it would be possible to achieve a Grand Prix victory at the Nationals and is excited by the prospect of winning such an esteemed title.

 

“Every win is special, whether it's on a young horse doing its first comp or on OO Seven in the freestyle.  Just to be considered good enough to be in contention for a win is a fantastic feeling, but until such time, its’ head down and focus,” he said.

 

Equestrian Life will live stream some of the feature competitions, please visit the Equestrian Life website for more details.

 

Tickets are available at the venue and children under the age of 12 can attend for free. For further event information and results, please visit, http://www.dressagensw.com.au