Brett Parbery and Victory Salute were clear winners of the Hamilton Island Grand Prix (CDI-W) today finishing on 68.255% and placed first by all 5 judges.
In second place was Heath Ryan aboard Regardez Moi with 65.404%. Gitte Donvig andPort Said 10 finished on 64.255% to take third place, fourth went to talented young Queenslander Emma Flavelle on Northern Meara on 63.021%.
“I was really pleased with him today, the horse offers me so much every time I ride him,” said Brett Parbery “It was very hot so I kept the warm-up short, I would have liked to have done more, so I didn’t get the same power that I get at home,” added Brett.
“I will be able to give him a good recovery session tomorrow and it will be cooler tomorrow night. You never get enough chances to expose the horses to a big atmosphere so I will be looking to give him a good experience again tomorrow because let’s face we are always training and there are facets of the test that I want to get better, the extended trot to the passage is on transition I really want to get, ” said Brett regarding his approach to tomorrow night’s Freestyle.
Visiting 5* Judge Axel Steiner (USA) who was positioned at C was complimentary of the class “I believe that our 3 place getters did a very fine job, the competition was quite close between them with maybe mistakes here and there which were avoidable.”
Both Brett and Heath’s tests had some uncharacteristic mistakes and Heath also made one course error.
In reference to nerves causing some of today’s errors in the tests Brett Parbery agreed that when the big competitions are few and far between the pressure is on “this is a very important show for us because we get a chance to get an MES score which qualifies us to go and compete at Kentucky. Here we only get one chance where as in Europe they get a chance every two weeks, so we have to get it right on the day so we do put a lot of pressure on ourselves.”
Stephen Clarke (GBR), another of the 5* Judges visiting us for the show, made the point that judging must be consistent no matter what the standard of the competition “It is very important to the riders that we judge to the same level whether it's in Aachen at the World Games or Windsor at the European Championships or here in the CDI, the important thing to me is that we judge to the same standard throughout the world and for me the winner of the Grand Prix on 68% is pretty good anywhere in the world.”
“I was very happy with the general level, I think we saw a lot of really good quality work, OK some expensive mistakes here and there but for me the quality of what we saw was very promising,” added Stephen.
Axel Steiner added that as a group Australian Dressage riders are improving, “If you look at it like a pyramid it is getting wider, wider at the base and stayer broader, it’s not so steep and not so sharp and I think that is a very good sign that you are on the right track.”
Yes, but... Stephen Clarke pointed out that “the trouble is that Australia is getting wider at the base, the trouble is so are all the other countries! This sport is just taking off all around the world it is fantastic. At the last European Championships all the world records were completely smashed it was the most exciting championship that I have ever judged, no-one can sit on their laurels as every country that is involved in this sport is getting better and better.”
Hayley Gilbert (Vic) and Odiana K won the Grand Prix (CDN) on 55.457%.
Jessica Greelish (Qld) won The Ridders Shoppe FEI Intermediate I Championship aboard Riverndell Parador with 67.263%, 2nd to Alexandra Berns on King's Legend66.789% and 3rd to young Daniells Dierks on Concordance 66.00%.
It was a battle between Matthew Dowsley on San Jose and Tor Van Den Berge on Lauries As for the Elementary classes. The Manely Equine EA Elementary 3C was won by Matthew and 2nd to Tor whilst the placing reversed in the 3D. Matthew took out the overall Championship.
The 5yo qualifier was won by young rider Victora Welsh on her own Bretanus (Brentano II). The 4yo Qualifier was won by Fioretta, doughter of Ferrero Rocher, ridden by Nicholas Fyffe and owned by Jenny Rapson.
Axel Steiner thanked Toni Venhaus for such a well organised show and credited organisers world wide for helping this sport to evolve, ”without people like her nothing is going to happen.”
Photos courtesy: Franz Venhaus
Related Link
Australian Dressage Championships Started Today