From the 28th to the 30th April at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre, which was built for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Australia’s premier International Dressage Event, the Sydney CDI 3* will be held. Some of the best Riders from New Zealand, Canada, Korea and Great Britain will head to Australia for what is shaping up to be a fierce competition.
Japan was going to participate but due to the horrific disaster in their country, they have cancelled their plans. Our thoughts are with them.
Dressage is one of the only sports where men and women compete on the same platform. It is also one of the only sports where athletes in their 40s and 50s are the ones to beat. This sport takes years to master and watching the elite compete can be mesmerising, especially when they ride to music. The beauty can be compared to watching Gymnastics or ice-skating.
One rider which shows such grace is Kate Taylor-Wheat. I must admit that Kate is not only one of my favourite riders but she is also very supportive when it comes to raising the profile of dressage in Australia. Kate is a dedicated rider and is now close on the heels of Australia’s best.
In 2004 Kate and her horse Oscar B was awarded “The Horse Magazine Encouragement Award”. This award is for the horse and rider showing exeptional potential for the future. They have certainly proved that!
At the Sydney CDI 3*, Kate will be competing on her two top horses. “I will be competing Oscar B in the Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Freestyle. I purchased Oscar B as a 3yr old from Mary Hanna. He has been lots of fun to train through the levels. He is my first FEI horse so we have both learnt along the way. Ill also be competing World Star. Known as Sox around the stable. He has been a dream to train since purchasing him from Germany as a 3yr old. He has just started his FEI career and the future looks very exciting with him.”
Kate’s Grand Prix horse, Oscar B, was born in 1996 and is owned and trained by Kate. He is Dutch KWPN; by Zeoliet out of Zelusiena. It was in 2000 that Kate bought him from Mary. It was soon after that Oscar B and Kate started campaigning at Novice level. In 2004 Kate and Oscar B won the Advanced Champion title at the National Championships. In 2006 they headed to Europe to train with Ulla Salzgeber for three momths. It was in 2008, back in Australia, that they competed at their first CDI Big Tour event and came away with two seconds and a fourth.
World Star on the other hand could be compared to a movie star. A spunky black gelding with socks to match. Kate purchased him as a three year old from Germany in 2005. World Star is a Westphalian gelding by World Magic. In 2007 Kate and World Star came out in force scoring an 89.6 in a Novice test. Because of his beauty he has doned the covers of many horse magazines and in 2008 he was the Sydney CDI Young Horse Champion of Champions. In 2009 he was the Medium and Advanced Horse of the Year. World Star is now successfully competeing at Prix St Georges.
Kate’s Grand Prix horse, Oscar B didn’t get to compete at last year’s Sydney CDI as he sustained a stone bruise but everything is looking good for this year. “The CDI is a great competition,” said Kate. “We have top judges from overseas to critique our work. It also gives us an opportunity to receive an Olympic qualifying score as there will be two ‘O’ level judges present. To receive an Olympic qualifying score we must receive over 64% from the ‘O’ level judge in the Grand Prix, so that’s good.”
When the London Olumpics 2012 was bought up, Kate mentioned, “ I would love to take my horses overseas to compete but unfortunately it just costs too much to do so. I’m hoping they will allow us to qualify for the team from Australia but most likely the team will be picked from Europe.” I’m sure that if it isn’t the 2012 Olympics, Kate will be one of the main contenders for 2016.
To support Kate, you can attend the Sydney CDI 3* at the Sydney Inetrnational Equestrian Centre from the 28 – 30 April 2011. For all the details, visit www.sydneycdi.com
by Scott Pollock
Photos © Main Event Photography
Related Links
2011 Sydney CDI Opens the Gates for Olympic Hopefuls
Champions of the CDI Sydney