The curtain has closed on the first Boneo Spring CDI-W held at Fiona Selby's Boneo Park Equestrian Centre on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula 25 - 27 September 2015. The relaxed atmosphere provided the perfect opportunity for riders to have a tune up in the lead up to next month’s National Championships in Sydney. Mary Hanna claimed the victory in the World Cup qualifier.
In the Grand Prix CDI Brett Parbery and DP Weltmeiser produced a faultless test, winning the class with a score of 69.94, narrowly beating his student, the ever improving Katharine Farrell and Luxor, who finished second with 69.42. Olympian Mary Hanna and Umbro finished third on 68.10.
"Rabbit is the best Weltmeyer that I have had anything to do with," Parbery said about his horse DP Weltmeiser. "He is quick, athletic and has a great work ethic."
The tables were turned in Sunday’s freestyle with Hanna’s experience showing and she put in a brilliant display to take the CDI-W freestyle title with a winning score of 72.3%. Katharine Farrell was once again second with Luxor and New Zealand’s John Thompson produced an entertaining freestyle with Antonello to finish third. This will be the final competition for Thompson and Antonello before they head back to New Zealand permanently.
"Considering I have only just been back a few weeks from a three month stint training in Europe overall I was really pleased with Umbro's performance," Hanna told Eurodressage. "While I was away my young student Maddy Tristram kept him fit. Of course it's not easy to be in top form after only a few weeks back together. In the Grand Prix we had one big expensive mistake when he changed early in the extended canter. However in the Kur I really felt we had our partnership back together. My Kur is quite technically difficult but he was with me every stride, and he really tried to do his best. For that I was very happy."
Hanna will ride Umbro next at the 2015 Australian Dressage Championships in October, but her goal with this horse is the Pacific League World Cup Finals. "My main aim is to try to win the Pacific League final in December," she said. "Umbro won it last year, but the it was such a difficult trip for the horses to the U.S. I decided it was too risky. However it would be great to make the trip back to Europe next year."
For the first time in years Mary has all her Grand Prix horses in Australia as her team horse Sancette has now arrived down under as well. The Sandro Hit offspring was operated on his splint bone and spent a long time rehabilitating since the 2014 World Equestrian Games.
"We have just started to work him again," Hanna explained. "He will have a slow preparation to get him to full fitness and all going well he will start to compete early next year, along with Boogie Woogie, who will also go Grand Prix. It's the first time in years I will have all my horses at home . It's such a nice feeling."
Related Links
Scores: 2015 CDI-W Boneo
September Boneo Park CDI Gets World Cup Status