Syriana with Mary Hanna.
© Roger Fitzhardinge
By Roger Fitzhardinge
It was a beautiful day at Willinga Park with blue skies, the perfect temperature and a gentle breeze.
Grand Prix Special CDI4*
First out in the Special is Luxor with Katharine Farrell, and looking to make amends for the lack of piaffe yesterday. A good start with more siting in the trot extension, but the passage transitions were not so clean. The half passes again a little lacking purpose and clarity, and them a mistake into the canter from passage, but corrected well and some good extension and then better passage. The walk was very clear and the collection as well, and a fair piaffe from the walk. Better passage and piaffe on the serpentine, and good canter strike off. Looked better than yesterday. Good twos, but for a short one at the end, and clean ones. The first pirouette was good, as were the one tempis and the second pirouette was also well executed. The final centreline was steady with impressive tempo and the piaffe, although a little forward, was better. Katharine Farrell rode for every mark and Luxor looking a lot more in front of her this day. Such a wonderful horse and a harmonious combination. A score of 63.255% was a little better but the marks perhaps a little still on yesterday’s marks and test.
Richmond H the Rubinstein stallion for Melinda Hart, and what a great feeling these two have developed, and the passage steady and correct. The trot half pass to the right is the best we have seen from this horse, and the passage and transitions were well executed. He is such a trier and giving it his best shot. The ride so far looks easy. The walk still today showed some lack of rhythm, but all the same the transitions from walk to piaffe a good effort as is the whole tour and the transitions to canter. He makes the steep canter half passes with ease, but for dropping the frame a little. Clean twos and ones. The pirouettes and the ones on the centreline were so well ridden and positioned. The final centerline was full of effort, and trying his heart out in a kind and generous way. For me it’s the best I have ever seen this combination present. Best connection, consistent, and it looked easy. 64.255% but I thought the test was delightful, harmonious and a pleasure to watch. Well done!
Now for Ferrero Chocolate Box and Sheridyn Ashwood. This combination has also improved over the last season. This is a good test, fluent and consistent with great activity and cadence in the passage, all be it for the odd bounce step from trying a little too hard. The walk was good but could show more freedom, and some hesitation from walk to passage, but then okay. The piaffe and passage was fine throughout this hard and tough test. He makes the steep canter zig zag easily and fluent. Perhaps overall they need a little more uphill tendency. A pat from Sheridyn for a good line of ones. The second pirouette was not as balanced and honest as the first, as he thought it was halt at G – but he got up and kept at it. A great test for this combination, but the final halt a little untidy. 65.702%.
Sheridyn Ashwood and Ferrero Chocolate Box.
© Roger Fitzhardinge
This venue is exceptional and the ambience and friendship it exudes is a reason why the riders and horses are all so happy. The surfaces enhance the riders’ and the horses’ mindsets here, and what a fabulous stage where everyone wants to shine in their own way!
Wendi Williamson and Don Amour MH from NZ were looking to prove a point after yesterday’s disappointing test. A canter in the first corner didn’t help the confidence, but better forward-thinking passage and then again a canter in the trot half pass. Good reach in the extended walk, although collection a bit mixed. The piaffe was a bit modest and hesitant indeed, as was the second one so not what Wendi wanted. The twos were croup high and a three in there. The ones were all true but quarters left. He was against the left leg in the centreline ones and the pirouette right. The centreline passage is okay, but again the piaffe was modest and earth bound. 62.915% was very disappointing. Brett Parbery, who has been helping her, spoke how mistakes add up and little things added up a lot, and so it’s training here now for two weeks on their way to represent the Pacific League at the World Cup Finals in Las Vegas.
Now the pocket rocket CP Dresden owned by Jane Bruce and ridden by Alycia Targa. Perhaps a little more swing in the half pass left. Clean and clear transitions in and out of the passage, and better passage today with more elastic steps and the half pass right was good. More clear transitions, but could show a little more in the extension, but fabulous balance completely throughout! Relaxed walk and okay to piaffe. The passage tour was clear, tempis but could be a little more supple in the steps. Great straight twos and then fabulous uphill balanced ones, so well ridden. The pirouettes and they ones show great balance and confidence. This is one good horse and a trier from start to finish. This was a good test no matter what the marks say; 67.532%. One German judge saw fit to 70.532% and many people could see the merit as well.
Alycia Targa with CP Dresden.
© Roger Fitzhardinge
Now for a cracker let’s hope with the beautiful mare Syriana and Olympian Mary Hanna. Just a wow factor in the entry and the extension. The steps in the trot were not always the same. Great passage and the right half pass was elastic and flamboyant, but the passage just erring on being behind the leg, but all the same absolute quality and balance and light footedness. Pretty amazing. The piaffe was okay but a little green, with a feeling still of more sitting. A slight hesitation in the canter transition, and yet the half passes were easy to say the least. No mistakes in the expressive two tempis. Mary then loses her way and forgets the ones on the diagonal; that’s a 2% deduction. Now that’s made Mary ride, and the ones were amazing with determined and good pirouettes, and ones on the centreline. All of a sudden Mary has thrown caution to the wind and away the mare goes! Mary will be wild! 70.213%… so with another 2% she would have scored over 72%.
Now Melissa Galloway Windermere J’Obei W. This is one happy horse with amazing uphill tendency, reach and cadence in the half pass trot. What can you say except that he is a worker and loves to show his balance and movement. The trot passage tours were all effortless and harmonious. The walk to piaffe showed understanding in the rider’s preparation and so fabulous to watch, as was the entire effortless passage tour with seamless transitions. The half pass canter as to be expected was easy. The twos and ones all the same, with consistent jump. Some big scores in the wings here. The pirouettes and the ones could be a little more drawing to the hand, but he knows his work and he loves his rider and the harmony and joy in this combination. 69.660%, but no matter what this is one beautiful combination.
Melissa Galloway Windermere J’Obei W.
© Roger Fitzhardinge
Last to go is Rozzie Ryan and Adonie, who has a good look at the crowd on the entry. The half passes were sweeping to say the least and the passage full of power sometimes a little too much, and the odd hop in the stride from just pushing too hard. The walk was full of purpose and the collection active and honest. The piaffe was a little swaying and the passage better, with the second piaffe better but more forward. The half pass canter was easy! The changes in the twos were clean but with a little sway, and the ones all clean and expressive with good ground cover. A huge spook in the extended, but Rozzie never moved and the pirouettes and the changes were all okay after that spook. Rozzie is one cool, amazing rider and no stopping her as she powered down the centerline… the score was 64.809%.
A win to Mary Hanna with a wonderful horse and a test with so much more in the tank. Second to Melissa Galloway and a delightful, super horse indeed, with Alycia Targa and Dresden in third. The winner a classy mare and with more experience and not losing 2% for an error, this mare is going to shine.
Intermediate I
The Inter I was a big class indeed and a good win with a score over 70.470% to Linda Foster and Neversfelde Samiro. In a snaffle bridle, this combination showed plenty of impulsive work and some good changes and pirouettes. At times there was a little bit of a contact issue, but great scores and the combination look way more at ease in the test and a horse for the Big Tour shortly.
Winner Inter I, Linda Foster and Neversfelde Samiro.
© Roger Fitzhardinge
Second to Mary Warren and the chestnut gelding Mindarah Park Ramirus with a 69.441%. The in-form rider is really surging ahead with her homebred horses. In third there was Kate Wilson and D’Coeur Noble from Toowoomba, and a very creditable test indeed. Some classy horses in this indoor class with some really neat tests.
Advanced 5A
In the Advanced 5A it was the Jayden Brown show, and it was first and second to the Willinga team. Willinga Park Fusion was first on 71.886% and Willinga Park Royalist was second on 71.579%, and what a fabulous pair of horsea. Fusion is an absolute activity and power machine. Modern and light footed, and a treat to watch as he flowed around the main arena with consummate ease with Jayden’s seamless riding.
Royalist is not the light footed one of the two, but power and balance and ever so correct and another seamless test. Jayden is on fire and this is only after a few weeks of having had these horses in work, and their first competition with him!
In third was Robyne Smith and Gwandalan Snowman on 69.649%, and what a great ride with an easy test with no mistakes. Lauren George and Davinci L were fourth, and he cruised around easily.
Grand Prix CDI-U25
Another win to Mary Warren, with Mindarah Park Ramadan on 70.718%, and she is on fire as well! In second was Mary Nitschke and Utopian Cardinal from SA on 66.846%.
Young Horse Classes
In the Five-Year-Old it was Jackson Stern from Victoria and Redwood Burlesque with an 83.8%. They beat the onslaught of Jayden Brown with Willinga Park Fangio in second place with an 81.4%, and Karen Blythe and Sonic K third on 76%… unfortunately he was really spooky and that spoilt his work a lot!
Willinga Park Fangio with Jayden Brown.
© Roger Fitzhardinge
In the Four-Year-Old it was again a win to Riley Alexander with Aber Sinatra MI on 80.8% and second to Aber Fontaine MI and a great day here for the Mulawa Stud and Aber Hallo.
In the Six-Year-Old class, even though there were only three horses competing, they were three pretty amazing horses. Quincy B by Quarterback is now owned by Willinga Park and Terry Snow, and for a first start for this team it was all smiles and without a shadow of a doubt the marks were fair dinkum. The trot 9.4, the canter 9.6, and the walk an 8, and the submission an 8.5 and 9 for general impression…. and a score of 89%. This horse is a super balanced and uphill mover. Quincy is a sharp, spooky horse and full of impulsion, but in a very willing way. He oozes around the arena with power and purpose, and the cadence in the strides is something special. He believes in himself and is very important in the arena, drawing the eye without realising he does it. Jayden rode a wonderful test and the changes were both clean and confident. The transitions all showed good engagement, and as the judges’ comments “This horse shows all the attributes and training needed for a top six year old anywhere in the world.” A treat to see.
Jayden Brown with Quincy B.
© Roger Fitzhardinge
Jayden’s second ride in the six year old class was WP Emotion, a striking elegant bay mare by Equitaris. She is easy to the ground, but perhaps a little behind the leg at times, but still great scores with the feeling of more in the tank. An 8.3 for trot and canter, and 8 for the walk. There was a late change each way, and the rein back was a little short… hence the submission mark was a little lower. The judges commented on the amazing ability she showed to collect and this is what they want in the six year olds. A 7.8 for submission and 8.2 for perspective.
Emotion for Jayden Brown and Willinga Park, second in the 6 year old.
© Roger Fitzhardinge
Anne Lovett and her very strong and well trained mare Brierley Super Nova were certainly in with a chance against two seriously amazing horses, and a very well deserved 78% was a good score although behind the other two. Needless to say, who knows when it gets to Grand Prix it may all change and Super Nova has a great brain and strength in three good paces. So one to Quincy, two to Emotion and three to Super Nova.
CDI-Y
The CDIY was a win today for Jessica Dertell and Eskara de Jeu on 65.529% and second to the talented Shania Madden and BC Romanov on 63.706%, and third to Kodi Tupper and Endless Dream.
Inter B
The Inter B was a tightly fought test and the winner as none other than Jayden Brown and Sky Diamond with a whopping 70.351% and that was with big mistake in the ones when he thought it would be fun to play the fool and launch about! Then saying “Okay, I’ve had my say and back to work…” This now-gelding looked fabulous and was full of presence showing energetic work throughout, and today much better focused in the piaffe. A well-deserved win and a good ride with Jayden always focused and preparations for every movement clear and precise. Second went to Jenny Gehrke and Senator Nymphenburg, who today was not as good indoors as he was outdoors. Still a super horse and rider combination with stacks of potential.
Jayden Brown and Sky Diamond.
© Roger Fitzhardinge
The final competition of the day was the CDN Grand Prix and a good win to the winner from yesterday in Pauline Carnovale and the imported Captain Cooks. The score of 67.674% was reflective of some great work and this energetic horse danced his way through the test with ease The piaffe and passage tour is always a highlight, with good expression and balance.
Second went to Arawn, the imported NZ horse that was campaigned by Vanessa. Third went to Sally Evans and A Spider Bite, with 63.935%; the little bay horse showed some great parts, but a little against the hand at times doesn’t allow the suppleness and swing to shine.
We look forward to seeing these horses in the Freestyle tomorrow and another day of great competition.
A bit about Willinga Park
Willinga Park yet again delivered the most fabulous day of dressage that you can imagine. What a venue… no matter how many times you say that, it’s sensational, believe me that the photos do not do this amazing property the justice it deserves. The ambience and the absolute love of everything Willinga is evident with everyone who works and loves the property, as if it is partly owned by them. Next week there is a competition again, and it is the only venue where there are two back to back CDI competitions in ten days.
Dressage by the Sea is a must for every enthusiast to come and watch. Situated at Bawley Point, it’s by the sea and simply wonderful. It’s a beautiful drive and 3.5 hours from Sydney and 2 hours from Canberra.
The competition is on Thursday to Sunday and spans CDI-Y, CDI-J, CDI4* and Young Horse classes, Small Tour, Big Tour CDN and CDI-U25. Olympic riders are competing, especially Mary Hanna with her two international and imported horses and she has represented Australia at the Olympics five times!
Dorothee Schneider will be conducting a masterclass on Thursday afternoon and evening, one of the world’s leading riders from Germany who will be riding as well. There are free bus tours around the Willinga Park venue. The restaurant is now open and is simply fabulous, with great food next to the new conference centre. Matt Upson is the Chef from Tallwoods in Mollymook, and quite the treat with two or three course dining experiences and dinner each night with great cafes and coffee. The gardens are amazing to walk through and the landscaping sensational and there are 31 sculptures. Award winning architecture that’s is beyond belief and magnificent is also on offer. Just 1km from the most pristine beaches in NSW… come check it out!
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