NZ Young Rider Dressage Team Announced

The New Zealand Equestrian Federation reported that excellent entries have been received for the 2011 New Zealand Pony & Young Rider Championships to be held at Manfield, New Zealand on 19-20 January 2011, where the 2011 Trans Tasman Young Riders Derby will be hosted.

Twelve South Island combinations are set to test their northern counterparts.  Nine young riders have entered the international CDI-Y and seven combinations will contest the Open Grand Prix class so it looks like it's going to be a great event.

The Trans Tasman Derby will be a hotly contested event with four experienced young advanced riders striving for both team and individual titles. The New Zealand team is Kelly van Dyk (pictured) and Kate Welten both from the Waikato who will vy for honours against Australia's Elliott Paterson (Queensland) and Stephanie Spencer (West Australia). The Inter-Island Team is still to be announced.

Van Dyk is bringing two horses to Manfield: Wolhkahn and Marceau, while Kate Welten will be saddling Amajah. Waikato based Van Dyk is the 2010 New Zealand Reserve Young Rider Champion with her imported Wohlkahn, who previously competed in France and Germany.

Cambridge based Welten is ecstatic about her selection. "I got selected to ride for New Zealand in January. I get to wear a silver fern," she cheered. Kate already competed in the 2010 Trans Tasman Derby with Amajah, a bay New Zealand bred offspring by Anamour (by Aalborg x Lombard) out of Playgirl (by Ramzes II)

Admission is free to the event with the Grand Prix Freestyle to Music will be held on Wednesday evening (6.30pm to be confirmed) and the Young Rider International Freestyle to Music, the Trans Tasman Derby Australia vs New Zealand, and the Inter-Island Derbies are all  scheduled for Thursday.

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