What a fantastic day and final for the Peter Horobin Saddlery/Boneo Park Winter Dressage Series. The idea of a winter series is a great incentive for people to keep their horses performing through the cold winter months and enables them to step into the new competition season in fine form and showing their best.
I was excited to see the plans for the future development of the centre and Fiona explained, "We are looking to really get behind Victorian Dressage and will be adding 4 outdoor sand arenas and another indoor, along with 275 stables ... we even hope to be able to conduct a CDI in the not too distant future.
We have regular clinics at Boneo Park with Victorian State Coach, Mary Hanna (pictured on her dual Champion of Champions Shiraz Black. He was also the Novice and Elementary horse of the year for the 2008/2009 season) and NSW champion Brett Parbery comes down regularly.
We have started to conduct test riding afternoons/evenings with Adam Reiss. Riders can come along and ride a test and have Adam (right) mark their first attempt and then talk them through the areas that need improvement and help them to identify where marks were lost. I spoke to Adam and he said, "It is a great idea and the riders seem to be getting a lot of benefit from this format. Mostly, test riding is about good training and then ringcraft and confidence. It is a wonderful facility and the test riding session are becoming very popular.
Bec Woff and APH Showman took part in the Grand Prix event.
Rebecca Shaw and Isle of Kahlua took part in the Medium class.
Amanda Goodman is congratulated by Fiona and Julia. She rode AEA ET One battled the conditions to show improvement as the test progressed.
Fiona and Julia congratulate Leanne Williams on her great ride
on her Clydie cross mare Avoca Eclipse.
Congratulations to Nicole Bennet who rode a lovely test on her
Arabian Warmblood - Whiteway Warrier.
Below are some views around the magnificent "Stage 1"
of the Boneo Park Equestrian Centre development.
