Sonic K and Karen Blythe are an elegant combination, placing 2nd in the Five Year old class
© Roger Fitzhardinge
By Roger Fitzhardinge
What a great day for Dressage by the Sea, and what better place in the world to be today but at the ever spectacular property Willinga Park, the inspiration and passion of Terry Snow.
The Young Horse classes were in the outdoor arena and it was a win for John Thompson, a New Zealander posing as an Aussie (or is it the other way around?), but whatever way Mulawa’s impressive horse Aber Fontaine MI by Aber Hallo a winner on 84.2% in the Young Horse 4 Year Old class. Lewis Newton, fresh from two lessons with Dorothee Schneider rode into equal second on 78.6%, with the beautifully positioned and talented rider Robbie McKinnon on SPH Fortino achieving the same score.
The Five Year Old class saw another win to Jackson Stern with Redwood Burlesque with 80.8%. This liver chestnut shows great animation and regularity, although she is a little tight in the canter, a great walk made up ground. This mare looks through the bridle with a great presence and forward desire. In second place, a great picture with Karen Blythe on the seriously outstanding and upstanding brown gelding Sonic K. Great medium trot and what a beautifully conformed and muscled horse. The canter work up hill and shining with a correct walk. Perhaps the more collected trot work could have shown more shoulder freedom and here is a serious horse for the future of our sport in second place. In third place was Willinga park Fangio, and this bright active moving stallion ridden and so well shown by Jayden Brown. Expressive trot in good tempo and the canter uphill and also expressive. Perhaps he could show a little more elasticity through the body but what a great attitude to his work and kind and attentive, a score of 70.6%.
The most outstanding performance of the day must go to Jayden Brown and the chestnut gelding Quincy B by Quarterback in the Young Horse Six Year Old class, scoring a whopping and completely appropriate score of 93.4%. This horse is superb, there is no other word and the judges are bubbling with enthusiasm for him. He is confident and ground covering yet can shorten and collect and sit. The changes are totally confident, through and easy.
The horse is ridden beautifully by Jayden and it takes a team to produce this; Terry Snow who owns the horse remains modest but excited at the same time. The grooms Maddie and Lilly are effervescent and exciting to be around yet so capable and all under control, alongside Jayden who is the consummate competitor who lends a hand to muck out plait up and groom!! It was a deserved win indeed and what a score. A truly wonderful horse that makes you sit up and say WOW that is some harmonious combination.
To add to the excitement was Willinga Park Emotion, also a beautiful mare and second on a great score of 80.6%, no mean score either! The leggy bay mare became more relaxed and confident in every competition. Susan Elekessy finished in third on 77.8% with Callum Park Saint Tropez, a lovely active chestnut. What a class, what talented riding and amazing horses!
Jayden Brown and Willinga Park Emotion placed 2nd in the Six Year old class
© Roger Fitzhardinge
The Seven Year Old test was very interesting. Poor Gina Montgomery on Iresias L by Johnson looked a little uncharacteristically hesitant, and then a course error, and then another course error, then a look of dismay from Gina as chief judge Mary Seefried prompted her, and then Gina stopped. “I learnt the wrong test”. It’s easy to do as there are many differing young horse tests. Mary discussed this with her colleagues and it was decided to give her another ride at the end of the competition and this she did from where she had been – so to speak – eliminated. That is from the end of the trot work. A good recovery and a win with 73.65%. This stallion is now starting to sit in the canter work and quite good in the pirouettes and change. The trot work expressive indeed but the hind legs still need to carry more and be lower and engaged with more shoulder freedom. A relieved Gina at the end for sure. This stallion has been very successful and continues to gain balance and submission. In second place is Mulawa’s elegant mare MI Aber Sienna with 71.82%. Such a beautiful fronted horse but still showing tension in some of the work and perhaps a little fragile at times, but better every competition. Rosanna Relton and the elegant mare Redwood Desire were third on 68.386%.
Gina Montgomery and Iresius L emerged victorious in the Seven Year Old class
© Roger Fitzhardinge
In the Prix St Georges heads were turned by Forlan, an imported Jazz gelding owned by Carol Oatley and ridden by Gina Montgomery. Such a big fronted and uphill horse with loads of activity and rhythm in the trot work. Good clear walk and extensions, the first pirouette was tight and balanced. An unfortunate miscounting in the three tempis and a trot on the centerline, 71.529% was a good score and there is a lot more in the wings here as he has only had a couple of starts in Australia and they are feeling their way. Gina as always is the real deal when it comes to riding a test and managing her team that are always immaculately presented. Another very exciting horse. A winner here !! Great stuff.
In second place was Riley Alexander on MI Certainly Sir, coming back from Big Tour last week to PSG and a super mistake free test, but just looking a little tired and not as uphill in the canter work as we have seen, but another fabulous test on 71.35%, with the in form Mary Warren on the chestnut with all the bling Mindarrah Park Ramirus into third pace and didn’t Mary get every mark possible out of this huge horse. He has developed so much in a year since here last year at Medium level. Another one for the future.
In the Medium it was Robbie McKinnon who stole the show with a great score on Hollands Bend Rococo on 70.99%, and then Angela Delamont going so well again on Southdown Orlando with 69.685%, then Jayden Brown on Gartina and a 68.3%. A great class as well.
In the Young Rider Team Test CDIY it was Deltry Sorrento and Sophie Artup who stole the class on 67.67% and a good test for this easy going and pleasing brown horse. In the Junior Team Test CDIJ on 69.606% it was Jessica Dertel and Gladstone MH for the win in a good field of competent juniors.
The Intermediate A CDN was another delight to see. The winning test was absolutely fantastic and Jayden Brown riding the Willinga, now gelding, Sky Diamond did an amazing test. It was seamless and so much better than their first Inter A last week. The piaffe was good today and some passage showed talent and not totally consistent as yet, but he is young and inexperienced. The changes were all there and the pirouettes showed control and power and balance. It was a treat and the horse showed ease and confidence, and as always the harmony factor here was of a very high degree.
Jayden Brown and Sky Diamond won the Intermediate A CDN
© Roger Fitzhardinge
In the Grand Prix Special CDI4* it was a good field on a spectacular day, with Marvin Smink and Heya handing in a 66.404%. A lot more steadier in the bridle this day and an unfortunate mistake in the one tempis. For sure the best test he has handed in at Willinga and a good start. Adonie for Rozzie Ryan is next, and it’s a good job for sure. The piaffe and passage better indeed and more relaxation and swinging and no mistakes, but a few jump steps in some of the Passage and piaffe but again when this settles this mare will be quite fantastic and as history shows Rozzie is certainly no quitter and where there is a will there will be a way and steadily this mare shows better and better performances and of course those piaffe and passage tours cost a lot of places to lose big marks. The canter work ground covering and expressive and the half passes effortless. One to watch for the future without a doubt. Watch this space!!
First in after the break is Alycia Targa and CP Dresden. Looking more relaxed and good transitions in and out of passage, top extended trot but a few unsteady moments in the contact in the half pass trot. Clear and relaxed extended walk and again good transitions within the pace, and a better passage and piaffe tour than at their last competition. Alycia rides so accurately and the canter transition on a straight line to B and then a corner is super. Clean big twos for this smaller horse and wonderful ones that were fluent and all the same and centered. 8 Steps in the first pirouette and clean ones and an even better second pirouette. This is a great effort and so effortless and correctly ridden by Alycia and again not a mistake in the entire test. The percentage 68% was a PB and well deserved; leading for a short while when in came Mary Warren and Raphael. As always no handbrake on here, and a rider that looks focused and rides like the wind. The horse is so uphill and the flying changes are so ground covering. A score of 69.024%.
Alycia Targa and CP Dresden scored a PB of 68% in the Grand Prix Special CDI4*
© Roger Fitzhardinge
Rozzie and Jarrah R come in and he knew it was the Special and was not going to halt but did a rehearsal for the piaffe at X; helpful, not! Some great passage and piaffe and the transitions clear and in rhythm. The pirouettes were, as we have come to know, balanced and expressive. Again the centre line the best and a fantastic halt at the end. So close for a 68.068% to be second.
Then a crowd favourite, and a judge one too, Melissa Galloway and Windermere J’Obie W and a score of 71.234% for New Zealand. This horse is a complete athlete inside and out. His generosity and demure modest attitude is captivating and the harmony and understanding amazing. This horse was bred by David Woolley, by Johnson from a thoroughbred mare. Training in New Zealand with Vanessa Way, this rider at 26 surely shows plenty of talent, finishing in 2nd place.
Melissa Galloway and Windermere J’Obie W wowed the crowd and the judges, placing 2nd in the Grand Prix Special CDI4*
© Roger Fitzhardinge
Mary Hanna, a five time Olympian, comes in blazing and set to kill. Several mistakes and a three in the twos, and a mistake in the ones between the pirouettes and then the second pirouette was a little large. The piaffe and passage was what you would have to call amazing. What an athlete and the marks over 8 I am sure come in, and a score of 72.1% to take the win. Mary is beaming more than ever and a great win indeed, and what a horse. When you look at the scores there are so many 8s and a 9 for the piaffe, and wow the marks are incredible, and the transition marks are all super high. What a great horse and rider, and what a great privilege to see such a test in Australia. Look out Tokyo!
Mary Hanna and Calanta, winners of the Grand Prix Special CDI4*
© Roger Fitzhardinge
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