Sydney CDI - It is all about the horse

By: Scott Pollock

Feramo K and Judy Dierks (photo: Franz Venhaus)

To have qualified for the Sydney CDI Dressage Event is quite an achievement in itself. The starting level of competition is Advanced and the criteria is strict. This means the best dressage horse and rider combinations in Australia will arrive at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre at the beginning of May all aiming for a personal best and if everything goes to plan they may even secure a 'Top Ten' position in a field of up to sometimes thirty horses. 

Every horse and rider has done years of training to get to this level and as the classes increase in difficulty their journey has been that bit longer and harder. It is nearly impossible for any of these riders to get to this level without caring for their horses every step of the way. Yes, there are some that decide to take shortcuts without considering the horse first but these are the minority. The majority have put their horses' needs first and adapted their training program to ensure a happy and healthy horse.

A great example of this is the journey of the Oldenburg chestnut gelding, Feramo K  (Fidermark/Diana/Damenstolz), owned by the Oatley family and ridden by Judy Dierks. This impressive horse was originally bought in Europe for Olympian, Lyndal Oatley, but unfortunately he had a serious injury in the stable and that was when his story of rehabilitation began.

Lyndal says, “Feramo is a special horse, for many reasons, and to ensure whatever quality of life we could give him became the priority for me and my family. Our horses are an important part of our family, and my parents always taught me that if we are lucky enough to have horses that put their trust in us, then we have to do all we can to help them... and that is what we do”.

Initially, Carol and Andrew Oatley's main priority was to get the horse fit enough to endure the trip to Australia so they could retire him. This took months to get Feramo to this stage but it eventually happened and he arrived safely in Australia in early 2010.

I spoke to Judy to find out her involvement with the journey. "As I understand it," said Judy, "Once Feramo was back in Australia he seemed to be getting better and better so Sandy (Andrew Oatley) started to walk him daily in hand.  After a lot of consultation with the vets we were told that he could be walked under saddle. That's when he came to me. It started with a 10-minute walk under saddle morning and afternoon and eventually we increased to trotting the long side and walk the short side and eventually we got to canter work. The whole process took some time, and several attempts, but Feramo never gave up so neither did we!”

Now, several years on, Feramo, Judy and the Oatley family look forward to the Sydney CDI and their first International start together, a goal that still feels surreal to the team. After testing the water in small tour, Feramo has produced two great starts at Grand Prix, posting impressive scores. Judy and Feramo did their first Grand Prix with a score of 67.800 and then backed it up a month later with a score of 71.567.

To get a score of over 70, there must have been some high scores for individual movements. Judy has done so many tests that she had to pause for a moment. “I think he got some 9s for his onetime changes which was great. I don't overtax him. We're lucky that he's very sensitive but at the same time very sensible. It’s still early days - it’s all about nurturing him. He's new to GP and still needs to be helped through the test. It’s quite amazing that he has got to where he is today. He's lucky that the Oatley family love him so much, they've done everything to get him right."

So why did this team of owners and trainers keep on trying? "The horse always came first," said Judy. "The thing that kept us going was the horse has such a kind nature and seemed to be happier when in work so we went with the flow."

As for the team’s hopes for the Sydney CDI, Carol Oatley says “To have a happy, healthy horse was, and is, the priority. To be able to see Judy and Feramo go down the centreline at the CDI is a dream come true, and purely a moment to celebrate that we were able to get him to this point. Everything from here on is simply a bonus that we all enjoy. There is no pressure to achieve a certain score, we are just thrilled Feramo and Judy can go out there and have some fun". For Judy it’s slightly different. “If I can duplicate what I did at the last competition. I think his score could well be the same but I have to manage to do this. He's not consolidated at Grand Prix yet." 

Typically in life, we all love a story of survival and watching people or animals do what seems like the impossible. This team of owners, trainers and, of course, the horse are a great example of what can be achieved in dressage if the focus is on the horse and not the results. You can see Judy and Feramo K compete on Thursday the 1st May in the Prydes Easifeed CDI Grand Prix competition. Don't miss it!

Buy tickets now: Buy online

For more information: Visit the website Sydney CDI

Contact: Toni Venhaus on toni.venhaus@gmail.com

Where the Stars Gather!

Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SydneyCDI

Quick Links

• Buy tickets now: Buy online
• For more information: Visit the website Sydney CDI
• Join Sydney CDI on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SydneyCDI
• Dressage horses for sale on HORSEZONE
• Dressage STALLIONS AT STUD on STALLIONZONE