Competition Report & Photographs - Intermediate 11 - 6th April.
by Berni Saunders

I

35 Byalee Tomorrow - Rider - Heath Ryan

Heath rode this horse with his usual flair and was able to encourage the best possible work from this horse who is just in his early days. The Piaffe/passage tour is not quite established. There were a couple of ‘untidy’ transitions into canter and a little tension in the collected walk. The horse has talent and should go to the top. Today they scored 57.90% for 5^th place.

198 Yardley Aphrodite - Rachael Downs

Rachael is now such a wonderful competitor, and her experience really shone through with her ride on the younger of her two FEI mares. Aphrodite has a real talent for half passes and the flying changes and full of expression, and of course perfectly ridden! If I could think about where the marks were lost, I would say that Aphrodite’s head carriage became too low at times and she was somewhat resistant in the Piaffe/Passage. It is difficult to be too critical of the winning test, so I won’t! Rachael and Aphrodite were second today on 63.70%

134 Nordic Speculation - Jennine Smith WA

The first to go was the imposing brown horse Nordic Speculation. He is 17.1 hands high and 13 years old, by Kilof McOhl and out of the quality thoroughbred mare, Jade Green. Nordic is the stud prefix of Mary Hanna’s mother who bred this horse when the family were involved with the lovely Danish stallion Kilof McOhl (dec.)

I first met Jennine and Nordic Speculation back in 1997 in South Australia, where they finished second in the Australasian Final of the FEI Challenge (formerly the Samsung Cup). The horse has really matured and ‘bulked up’ since that time and his carriage has developed commensurate with the requirements of the much more advanced work that he is now performing.

Today’s test, while it was neat and well ridden lacked a little polish and the rather modest passage is costly when competing against the best in the country. The horse shows some very nice piaffe, so the tour should improve. They finished with 56.85% and at 8^th position. The experience of the long trip to Melbourne would have been a major benefit in the combination’s training - Jennine and husband Damian were extremely to their sponsor Ansett Airlines for helping to make this valuable experience possible.

192 Voodoo Gill Rickard

Gill Rickard is a popular identity on the Australian dressage scene through her achievements on the lovely palomino mare Peaches and Cream. This combination represented Australia at International level. Gill did not have an easy time of it today, Voodoo was very tense and we only saw ‘glimmers’ of what he could do if he put his mind to it! Gill did a masterly job to ‘keep a lid’ on what looked to be an unexploded bomb, and the final piaffe passage tour was a credit to her tact and ability. I have seen Voodoo when he is feeling much more compliant and he is an impressive horse, I am sure Gillian would have been devastated by the horse’s sense of timing They scored a disappointing 48.50%

98 Jahnus Emma Youngman Victoria.

This imposing 17 hand plus chestnut is only 8 years old and was purchased by popular Victorian rider Emma Youngman (See our profile on her) just 4 years ago. Emma had then never owned or trained a FEI horse and has taken Jahnus to the top on her own natural ability - and a little help from ‘her friends’! Rupert, as he is known about the stables, has developed very well and carries himself in the most wonderful ‘frame’.

Emma has the softest hands - which seem never to move - and I am sure this is the reason that she is able to get such a ‘tune’ from all of her three horses (she also owns and rides the legendary Rasputin who is almost undefeated since his arrival in Australia approximately 18 months ago, and the quite recently acquired Magritte who is an established Grand Prix stallion who was having his debut this weekend)

Jahnus has a beautiful, expressive rhythm and an outstanding walk. He is still gaining strength in the piaffe/passage work and I think that it would be obvious to most to say that the piaffe was this weekend’s weakness (at 8 years of age - it can only get better!). The pirouettes and changes were commendable and the test ended with a very nice final halt. I thought that it would have scored better than the 57.50% which put them into 6^th position. (It is difficult to be really sure from the side !!)

173 Snowy River Blackwood Di Jenkyn

Di Jenkyn has been a well respected FEI competitor on the Australian circuit for many years, and shot to prominence in the lead up to the Seoul Olympic Games. She and her equine partner Clavos were ‘knocking on the door’ for selection, and at the last minute, the decision to send two riders was revised, and Di and Clavos missed out. It must have been a ‘bitter pill’ after all the hard work and meeting the qualification criteria, but as is so often the case, money became the issue, and the funding just was not available to see this talented rider obtain the International recognition that she deserved. Now many years later this unassuming and charming lady has seen her elegant black, Australian bred warmblood gelding ‘peak’ at JUST the right time.

Di would have inspired many riders and would be champions this weekend, as she stood as a testimony to the fact that if you have talent, the right horse and a good support ‘team’ you can make it to the top. Di’s greatest support is her husband, Peter. He is a horse breaker, showjumper, equestrian coach and the day to day ‘eyes on the ground’, without which, no one can undertake to train a horse correctly to reach the near perfection, that we saw in Snowy River Blackwood over the weekend.

Di and Blackwood did a lovely Intermediate 11 test and the difficult schaukel (halt, walk, rein back, walk sequence) was very clearly the best of this competition, the horse maintained his frame and balance, and there was no hesitation to obey every nuance of his riders aids. This horse can really piaffe and passage, the half passes were flowing and the flying change sequences were spacious and correct. I was completely in agreement with the judges decision - first placer - and would have expected a slightly higher mark that the 63.85% but I am sure that Di would not have been complaining, as this was good enough to give them the lead.

After the 30 minute break came No. 37 Cadenza owned and ridden by young Queensland rider Emma Anderson.

This 14 year old Holsteiner mare was originally trained by well known Queensland FEI rider and equestrian coach - Lea Bierman (hope that I spelt it correctly) - and I recall some troublesome moments in the competition arena for Lea. Emma did a fantastic job and overcome a few losses of concentration and associated resistances. Cadenza did not stretch in the extended walk and threatened to rear into the piaffe - the movement settled into some outstanding steps. This horse can do everything, and showed some very expressive work. Emma will have gained much experience and confidence by making the long trip to Melbourne to contest this class, and I am sure that we will see more of them on the winners dias. Today’s percentage was 53.30% and tenth place.

69 GV Stirling Stilton owned by Peter Bunn (formerly a very successful equestrian competitor, and dad of the superstar eventer, Olivia)

Heath is truly a legend of the Australian equestrian scene and is in contention for the 2000 Olympic games in two disciplines - Dressage and Eventing. As is his usual style, Heath rode Stilton with a flamboyant technique that enabled him to gain every ounce (gram !!!) of movement and flair, that it takes to transform a horse into an equine superstar. There were some mistakes in the horse’s way of going that would have cost marks - he was hollow in the half passes and also the canter pirouettes. The flying change sequences were correctly executed but the tension was beginning to affect the canter work causing a loss of impulsion or concentration in the extended canter. The horse really took exception to the demands of the final centre line sequence of piaffe/passage. He poked his nose, dropped his back, and shot off!!! A lesser rider would have surely taken up a position on the adjacent polo field, but Heath and Stilton only incurred an error of course and a loss of marks for submission, for this rather spectacular ‘whoopsy’ Their final score of 57.95% would have been closer to 60% without this colourful resistance. It is important to bear in mind that when a rider really ‘goes for it’ they also run the risk of making mistakes. Your know the saying about taking risks … without an element of bravery, nothing is achieved. Heath would have been pleased to have ended on 4^th (with the mistakes) and a percentage of 57.95.

38 Campaspe Park Greta Lisa Alexander

Greta did not look to be securely on the aids to start and as a result she broke at the start of her first extended trot. The Schaukel was ‘sticky’ and a little resistant. This movement really gives the judges the opportunity to accurately assess how well a horse accepts both the driving and restraining aids., the horse should willingly ‘flow’ from forward to backwards without the resistance that is so often associated with this sequence. There were mistakes in the piaffe/passage work but the mare shows a lovely ability to sit and maintain the expression. The first pirouette was nicely executed, but the second lacked centring and impulsion. The horse began to become too deep in the two times changes, but they were correct in sequence. The one times changes contained mistakes that would have proved costly at the National Dressage Championships. The extended canter was modest, but the final piaffe/passage tour was very well executed. Greta took the atmosphere in her stride and Lisa rode very well for a score of 53.55% and they were 9^th.

199 Yardley Charisma Rachael Downs

Charisma started her test looking a little heavy and too deep in her frame for Intermediate 11/Grand Prix. This fault appeared in the first extended trot, which was rather laboured. Rachael rode with power and precision, and this thoughtful execution of the test gave the combination the opportunity to produce their best. Charisma has a very expressive way of going, and her education enables the onlooker to overlook things that would normally worry the student of correct conformation. This horse’s knee action is awesome and I found it difficult not to be mesmerised by the rhythm and energy. The pirouettes were well centred and very active. The two time changes were lovely but a mistake in the one times would have cost a mark or two from each of the five judges. The final centre line - which is full of the most difficult components of the test - was very expressive, and the final halt PERFECT! This test scored 61.55% for third place.

132 Neversfelde Kudu Maurice Bruce

This 9 year old mare, by Kassiber out of the thoroughbred mare Space Hostess is really one of my all time favourites. She is perfectly conformed for dressage, short backed but strong. Elegant and beautiful, she always looks a lady. Her very experienced and popular rider is Maurie Bruce who has brought his ‘home bred’ mare from a reactionary youngster to a promising Grand Prix performer.

Kudu demonstrates the lightness that would be the ‘model’ for most FEI riders, and her half pass left was flowing and expressive. The halt/rein back/ walk/ rein back sequence was a little hurried, but Kudu did maintain a lovely frame. The right half pass was not quite as good as the previous one and the extended walk needed to cover more ground and lengthen in the frame for high marks. A mishap into the canter caused some tension and this affected the zig zag which lacked flow. The canter pirouette left was well constructed but a slight lack of uniformity of strides would have brought down the mark, the one to the right was better. The two times changes were well executed but there was tightness in the ones. This same tightness in the horse’s hind legs spoilt the piaffe/passage tour, but major disasters were avoided by Maurie’s tactful riding and experience. Kudu finished on 57.05% and 7^th position.