Mary Hanna and Ivanhoe, winners of the CDI3* Grand Prix. Image by Sue Crockett Photography.
Mary Hanna & Ivanhoe win Brisbane CDI3* Grand Prix
By Equestrian Life
Day two of The Saddlefitter Brisbane CDI & QLD Dressage Championships, and all eyes were on the main arena this afternoon for the CDI3* Grand Prix where five combinations were in action.
The class was all the more important in that it provided competitors with a chance to post a qualifying score for the 2024 Paris Olympics. In short, the FEI MER stipulates that combinations must achieve 67% or above on two occasions during the qualifying period in the Grand Prix test at CDI3* level and above (all the details can be found here.)
It was Mary Hanna and her 10-year-old KWPN gelding Ivanhoe who finished at the top of the list, scoring an impressive 71.348% at their first CDI. Ivanhoe is by Desperado – a KWPN stallion by Vivaldi, ridden at Grand Prix level by the Netherlands’ Emmelie Scholtens – and out of a Jazz mare. Mary purchased the gelding from Denmark’s Andreas Helgstrand via Patrik Kittel.
Jessica Dertell and Cennin scored 69.522% for second place, ahead of Elliot Patterson and Del Piero ZF in third on 68.522%. Alexis Hellyer and Daenarys also picked up a qualifying score on 67.304% for fourth place, with Breanna Tillitzki fifth on 65.087%.
In other classes, Robyne Smith and Gwandalan Luca continued with their success from yesterday’s Inter II, winning the CDN Grands Prix on a score of 65.507%. Julie Bland and Jordan were second on 63.768% and Natasha Althoff-Kelley was third riding Diamond Jive to 63.37%.
Matthew Lord also continued on with yesterday’s success in the Open PSG, winning today’s Open Inter I with Remi Vigneron on another impressive score of 72.412%. Hillary McGregor was again second with Karabil Park Sir Jazz on 69.824%, while Robyne Smith and Lord Larry finished third on 69%. The AOR Inter I went to Kerri-Lee Ryder and TMH Bogart on 65.529%.
In the Medium Tour, the Open Inter B went to Serena Ireland and Royalty R on 67.613%, and the AOR Inter B went to Trisha Sellers and Rakete on 62.072%.
Young riders were also in action across the CDI classes. Jessica Dertell and Syriana won the CDI-U25 Inter II, scoring 70.353%, with Jess also claiming the top two placings in the CDI-Y Team Test riding Eskara De Jeu (69.461%) and Gladstone MH (68.824%) – the latter being the horse she recently took to Germany to compete in the Nations Cup classes at Hagen.
The CDI-J Team Test saw Angela Thompson claim the win with Enbarr, scoring 64.798%; the CDI-Ch Preliminary test went to Mia Doogue riding Delon Park Hilkens Shadow, with a score of 62.857%; and the CDI-P Team Test was won by Mr Buck Meister, ridden by Marley Yates to a score of 63.952%.
Today also saw the AOR Medium Championship run and won. Belinda van Berkel and HV Fursten Highness won the 4.2 on 68.063%, while the 4.3 went to Madison Clarke and Fiesta on 69.786%, with the latter also claiming the the overall Championship title.
In the Open Novice classes, the 2.2 went to Hillary McGregor and Karabil Park Santeria on a huge score of 76.094%, while the 2.3 went to Helena Shanal and Total Freedom GL on 72.429%. In the end, Hillary took out the Open Novice Championship, with Helena named the Reserve.
In the AOR Novice classes, Tracey Goss and QS Charleston won both the 2.2 and 2.3 with scores of 72.5% and 72.786% to claim the overall AOR Novice Championship.
Sandi-Leigh Norris won the para dressage Grade V Elementary test with Finch Farm Cosmique Cavall, scoring 69.259%. A Grand Prix B test was also run today, with Karen Crommelin and Elite Destiny winning on a score of 60.435%.
Competition continues across the weekend.
READ THE LATEST NEWS ARTICLES HERE
