Saddleworld Dressage Festival - Four Wonderful Days of Dressage!

Rachael Sanna & Jaybee Alabaster, winners of the 2011 Pacific League World Cup Final with international judge Katrina Wuest (Germany) and Bev Edwards, owner/breeder of Jaybee Alabaster (All photos credit: Derek O'Leary).

Megan Bryant & Donnabella, winners of the prestigious Marcus Oldham Aachen Challenge

Kerry Mack and Mayfield Pzazz placed sixth in the CDI-W Grand Prix and fourth in the Pacific League World Cup Final, making them the highest placed Victorian combination in the Final

Para Equestrian rider Hannah Dodd and Waikiwi FE were unbeaten in their three classes in grade IV

Jenny Hewitt & Rimini Park Wurlitzter, winners of the Equinade Prix St Georges Championship

The 2011 Saddleworld Dressage Festival was held from 8 - 11 December at Werribee, with plenty of top quality dressage and exciting performances on offer over the four days of competition. 

 

DAY ONE - THURSDAY

Competitors were greeted with brilliant sunshine on the first day of the Saddleworld Dressage Festival, a welcome change from previous years! The weather was hot and so was the competition, with several very close contests in some classes and some impressive performances. 

Competition started early in the day with the International Animal Health 6yo Young Horse class which saw a win to the well performed buckskin stallion Linbil White Russian and Linda Williams, ahead of Flashazz and Lydia Jackson from Tasmania. 

Victorian Dressage Squad member Sara McDonald and the talented mare Adlanta Rose took out the 4ACES Intermediate I Championship ahead of South Australia’s Heather Currie and Donnerblitz who were making a welcome return to the Dressage Festival after several years.  This was a very close contest with less than 1% point separating the first four horses!

Heath Ryan and Regardez Moi used the Dressage Victoria Intermediate II as a warm up for the Pacific League World Cup Final which starts on Friday with the Grand Prix, and secured a convincing win ahead of South Australian rider Susan Paix and Sheer Etiquette who would have been thrilled with their improvement on last year’s performance here!

The strong showing by South Australian riders on Day 1 continued in the Mitavite Advanced Championship which was won by Ruth Schneeberger and the consistent Flowervale Freereign after placing second in both tests.   Reserve Champion to Lizzie Wilson-Fellows and Let's Entertain from NSW, who won the 5B on a countback against Ruth, and finished fifth in the 5C.

Some excellent performances in the Cyberhorse Preliminary Championship saw 70%+ scores awarded to the top six horses in the 1B, which was won by Ruth Schneeberger and Ponderosa Stud Royal Dancer with an impressive 76.6%. The top three horses in the 1C also scored 70%+ and this test was won by the imported gelding WS Donnermann and Caroline Wagner with 73.1%.  The win in the 1C, plus a third in the 1B, secured the Preliminary Championship for WS Donnermann with Reserve to the consistent mare Jaybee Angelina, ridden by Jason Dins from Victoria. 

The final class of the day was the Equestrian Victoria Dressage Clubs five year old class which was won by Jenny Bray and the chestnut stallion CJP Diamond Dazzler with a good score of 7.58 ahead of NSW’s Amanda Shoobridge and Revelwood Destiny on 7.40.  The top nine placed horses in this class all achieved qualifying scores for next year’s PSI Dressage and Jumping with the Stars which is a great result.

 

DAY TWO - FRIDAY

Another hot and humid day at the Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre for day 2 of the Saddleworld Dressage Festival but the heat didn’t stop the riders from seeking their best performances.  By late afternoon as a crowd gathered on the bank around the main outdoor arena waiting for the Grand Prix to commence, there were more than a few anxious glances at the storm clouds starting to surround Werribee Park! Fortunately only the temperature dropped.

The crowd had gathered for the Equestrian Australia CDI-W Grand Prix, the first leg of the Pacific League World Cup Final and they were not disappointed.  Rachael Sanna and Jaybee Alabaster came into this event as a firm favourite based on their recent success at the Nationals, and did not let the crowd down.  A confident performance which included high quality canter pirouettes and piaffe perfectly on the spot saw them take out first place with a great score of 71.128%.  New Zealand rider Louisa Hill showed why she and Bates Antonello have done so well on their Australian visit with an impressive test for a horse still relatively inexperienced at this level.  They were actually placed first with two out of the five judges but had to settle for second place overall, with a score of 69.936% ahead of last year’s Pacific League World Cup Final winner Chantal Wigan and Ferero on 68.085%. Saturday night's Freestyle looks like a very exciting competition!

In the Equestrian Victoria CDN Grand Prix, Caroline Wagner and Tango V took out first place with 62.766% a score that would have placed them in sixth place if selected for the Pacific League World Cup Final.  South Australia’s Susan Paix and Sheer Etiquette continued their good form from the Inter II on Thursday with another second placing.

In the indoor arena, Rimini Park Wurlitzer and a delighted Jenny Hewitt achieved a personal best performance in the Equinade Prix St Georges and were rewarded with first place in a strong field of 35 competitors, with second going to Amanda Shoobridge from NSW and Ferrero Rocher. Yesterday’s Inter I winner Sara McDonald and Adlanta Rose finished third place, just 0.79% behind the winner. Another close contest !

Interstate riders dominated the ELT Equestrian Fashion Novice Championship with seven out of the top ten placings.  Krysten Lituri made the trip down from NSW worthwhile, winning the Novice Championship with Cartuso after placing first and second in the two tests with fellow NSW rider Denise Rogan and Virtuel I rewarded with the Reserve Championship for their consistency with a fourth and second placing.

The Australian Sports Pony Register sponsored the Novice Pony Championship which attracted 25 entries and was won by the elegant six year old mare Ashcroft Hidden Secret ridden by Allison O’Neill with Reserve to the part Welsh mare Burnham Brooke Bewitched and Jocelyn King.

For many competitors in the four year old Young Horse class, this event is the start of a campaign towards gaining entry into next year’s PSI Dressage and Jumping with the Stars and the top ten competitors will all be happy having achieved a qualifying score. The class was won by Faust ridden by Simone Pearce with an excellent score of 8.14 – the only combination to score over 8.  Second to NSW Melinda Morris and TS Sir Donn with 7.62

Today was the first day of the Para Equestrian CPEDI3* competition with all riders completing their Team Test.  In the all important Oceania Qualifier for next year’s Paralympics, Australia is currently leading New Zealand however Saturday’s Individual Championship test also contributes to the final team score. The visiting USA riders have impressed with their riding abilities and capacity to adapt to their borrowed mounts, winning three out of the four grades contested and placing second in the other.

 

DAY THREE - SATURDAY

A very long day at the Festival, with competition starting at 8.00am and continuing through until 10.00pm with the presentations for the Pacific League World Cup Final.  Unfortunately Werribee incurred the brunt of several thunderstorms during the day, with the first one in the early afternoon resulting in competition being suspended and the second one causing postponement of the final Para Equestrian class for the day. 

The day commenced with two Freestyle competitions indoors.  NSW riders filled the top two placings in the Mitavite Advanced Freestyle - narrowly won by Lizzie Wilson-Fellows and Let’s Entertain who were the Reserve Advanced Champions from Day One, ahead of Michelle Baker and Coldstream Dante. 

The Buyers Choice Home Loan Advisory Service Intermediate I Freestyle was won by Heather Currie and Donnerblitz with a good score of 69.333% ahead of AEA Metallic and Dirk Dijkstra.  Megan Bryant and Donnabella finished third in this class and then proceeded to win the first round of the Marcus Oldham Aachen Challenge. She will be joined by Lilah Nieuwaland and Sheree McConachy in tomorrow’s Final.

One of the feature events of the Festival is the Pacific League World Cup Final on Saturday evening.  In front of a large crowd Rachael Sanna and Jaybee Alabaster danced through their Grand Prix Freestyle performance, scoring an impressive 75.125%, to win this year’s Pacific League World Cup Final.  In doing so, Rachael, from NSW, has secured the right to compete in the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Final in s-Hertogenbosch (Netherlands) in April 2012.  A delighted Rachael thanked the crowd for their support, adding that they were bringing the fun back to the sport, and that Jaybee Alabaster had made her work a bit !  Second to Heath Ryan and Regardez Moi with their new Freestyle which won the crowd’s support and third to Louisa Hill from New Zealand and her inexperienced but supremely talented Bates Antonello. 

The CDN Grand Prix Freestyle was won by South Australia’s Susan Paix and Sheer Etiquette who are having an outstanding Festival, with second placing to Jeremy Janjic and the versatile Django of Cacharel who later in the evening made a surprise appearance carrying Santa Claus!

Interstate competitors continue to enjoy success at the Festival, and the RACV Insurance Elementary Championship was no exception.  South Australia’s Heather Currie and the curiously named Emporio Van de Zwarte Molen won both tests to easily secure the Championship ahead of Victoria’s Matthew Archibald and AEA Lorenzo. Interstate riders filled seven of the top ten placings.

Consistent performances in the 4ACES Pony Elementary Championship resulted in a countback as the top two ponies each achieved a win and a second place.   Champion to Newington Statement and Celeste Amezdroz, with Reserve to Malibu Park Moondust and Kerrianne Bilson.

For the Para Equestrian competitors there was the Individual Championship test to perform, but weather conditions played havoc at times, forcing the suspension of the Grade IV competition and a delay to two others.  The American riders – Donna Ponessa (Grade 1A), Becca Hart (Grade II) and Erin Alberda (Grade III) – continue to dominate their sections, as did Australian team member Hannah Dodd in Grade IV.  The Grade 1B section was won by Joann Formosa. 

 

DAY FOUR - SUNDAY

Sunday was the last day of the Saddleworld Dressage Festival and the grey skies and chance of rain kept the crowd relatively small, but it didn’t stop the action in the competition arenas!

Today’s feature event was the Final of the Marcus Oldham Aachen Challenge, where the top three placed riders from Saturday’s first round each had to ride their own, and the other two riders’ horses through a test of Prix St Georges standard.   Megan Bryant, who represented Australia at the 2010 FEI Young Rider World Cup Final, proved a worthy winner, riding all three horses beautifully.  Equally deserving was the award of “Best Horse” to her mount Donnabella.   Second to Lilah Nieuwland   and third to Sheree McConachy.

All eyes were on Arena One in the morning, as many of the competitors in last night’s Pacific League World Cup Final backed up for the Saddleworld Grand Prix Special.   Rachael Sanna and Jaybee Alabaster continued on their winning way, with a convincing win and a fantastic score of 71.0%, ahead of New Zealand’s Louisa Hill and Bates Antonello on 67.333% with Heath Ryan (Regardez Moi) placing third on 65.792%, just edging out wife Rozzie Ryan (GV Bullwinkle) by 0.042%!

On the outdoor arenas, the Medium Championships for horses and ponies ran throughout the day.   The Hamag Medium Championships was won by Yarra Valley Flemmingha ridden by Kate Nash with a second and fourth placing with Debstar LP and Maree Tomkinson being rewarded with the Reserve Championship for a first and seventh placing.

Maree Tomkinson also won the Medium Pony Championship, sponsored by the Australian Pony Sports Register, with the stallion Aspen Way Gala Night, following on from their win in the Elementary Championship at last year’s Festival. Reserve to FS Golden Storm and Arkie Daddo.

It was a close finish in the EV Dressage Clubs Pony Preliminary Championship with the top two ponies both finishing with a first and a second.  On a countback the Championship was awarded to Yindarla Park Picture and Maree Walker-Ross from NSW with Reserve to Burrabong Trent and Louise Hagedorn (Victoria).

The Para Equestrian CPEDI3* Freestyle competitions were held indoors, and the winners of each of the Individual competitions on Saturday all held their winning form in the Freestyles as well.  Grade 1A was won by Donna Ponessa (USA), Grade 1B – Joann Formosa (Vic), Grade II – Becca Hart (USA), Grade III – Erin Alberda (USA), Grade 1V – Hannah Dodd (NSW).  An important Para Equestrian teams event was running between Australia and New Zealand during the weekend, to decide which country would secure a teams position for next year’s Paralympics.  Australia won this Regional Qualifier with 388.547 points compared to New Zealand’s 373.752.

By: Amanda Mitchell

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