ThinLine Dressage with Altitude CDI 3* & CDI-Y a Success!

Robbie Soster riding Robali Razzamatazz - winners of the Bradgate Park Performance Horses Small Tour Championship (Photo: Julia McLean)

Heath Ryan riding Rebecca Notley's Johnny Depp (Photo: Julia McLean)

 

With eager competitors arriving from Tuesday onwards, International judges flying in from USA, Canada, Hong Kong, Victoria, Qld and NSW, a magnificently prepared venue – Bradgate Park, home of Bradgate Park Performance Horses – and an Organising Committee readied for the 4 days of competition ahead, the stage was set for the 2012 ThinLine Dressage With Altitude CDI 3* & CDI-Y – the first International 3* dressage event in NSW held outside of Sydney. 

Competitors were rewarded with good judging, exciting competition, perfect footing in this world class indoor complex plus generous sponsorship on offer – all enveloped in an atmosphere of friendship, open discussion and conviviality – especially on the Saturday night at the now famous DWA “Taste Dressage in Orange” Cocktail Party.

As Rozzie Ryan so eloquently describes the event – “From a rider’s point of view the show at Bradgate Park has a wonderfully welcoming atmosphere.  It is horse and rider friendly with plenty of time allowed for arena familiarization – what a beautiful arena it is!  The show is small enough to be very sociable and time for discussion and exchange of ideas.  We are lucky to have this boutique show on our calendar.”

Steph Carroll from ThinLine, naming rights sponsor for the second year agrees – “DWA in 2012 has been an outstanding success – as we knew it would be.  Many thanks to Bradgate Park for the wonderful facility and the organisers Sue and Cath DK!!  We will continue our support of this world class event into the future.”

The metal of our Grand Prix Freestyle riders was tested when the heavens opened for what was a spectacular storm just prior to the commencement of the competition on Saturday night.  But with the storm abating and words of encouragement from Heath Ryan – “we have to ride, we have an audience!” – in true trooper style the show went on with some adjustment to the timetable allowing riders more warm-up in the arena before their test.

The Bayer Equitak Excel Big Tour Championship was hard fought with very close scores in the top 4 combinations in both the ThinLine Grand Prix CDI 3* and Jilli Cobcroft Grand Prix Freestyle CDI 3*.  In the end, it was Rozzie Ryan and the ever improving GV Bullwinkle taking out both competitions becoming the clear Big Tour Champion.

It was the Small Tour field that had everyone talking.  Such impressive combinations coming through making this level irresistible for the spectators.  Robbie Soster and Robali Razzamatazz proved unbeatable with a win by the closest of margins in the Orange Vet Hospital Intermediate I CDI 3* to David Shoobridge and OO Seven but Robbie was not going to be denied and with her stunning chestnut companion, won the Pryde’s EasiFeed Intermediate Freestyle CDI 3* and the Bradgate Park Performance Horses Small Tour Championship.

The CDI-Y classes were small affairs, however, the outstanding performances of Megan Bryant and her beautiful Donnabella showed an emerging talent and star quality which augers well for Dressage in NSW.  This combination had clear wins in both the Kieffer CDI-Y and Gidgee Eyes Australia CDI-Y Freestyle giving them the Cooramin Sporthorses CDI-Y Championship.

From the Organising Committee, thanks go the event's many sponsors, volunteers and judges for making ThinLine DWA another fantastic show.   And as John Healey, owner of Bradgate Park, so fondly put it – “they (the riders) make it hard not to do it all over again next year!”.

Report: Sue Scaysbrook & Cathie Drury-Klein/Event Directors

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