Needless to say the quality of the two finalists in each section was truly excellent, and most of them worked very well.  These classes were action plus, and as I have mentioned in my Dressage reports, the lighting was extremely poor for photos, and the workouts were very difficult to capture.  I had no list of the competitors which also made the job difficult.

For the competitors, what a thrill to work before a crowd of many thousands of horse lovers who appreciate the beauty of our glorious show horses and the skill involved in their presentation and training.  The atmosphere was electric, as the tension built ... only one horse and one rider could be victorious!

I was surprised at how well most of the horses and ponies handled it all!   Most of them would have never been in such a big event, and some were very young and inexperienced.  All credit to the riders for being able to give their mounts the confidence to work so well.

Choosing a Supreme Champion equine must be a nightmare, as personal preference would make it most difficult to exercise objectivity.   When the 2 Shetland Pony finalists worked, the announcer said that it would be rare for these little guys to beat a hack or galloway or large pony!  But they were the two best in their own group, and I am sure that their riders and owners would have been delighted to be part of the Equitana Asia Pacific 2001 experience.

Did we do enough ?  she would be asking ...

was called forward to accept the
honor of
Supreme Champion
Saddle Horse.

in their Lap of Honour.

There were two junior riders, two intermediate riders and two senior riders - all on very different horses.

I completely agree with the judges decision, and felt that Pam Ahern was the 'stand out champion'  on this occasion. She rode her lovely galloway, Good Will Hunting - and he looked magnificent.

I must admit that I assessed her style,  position and influence, as a dressage judge would.   Pam demonstrated a good independent seat with excellent control of upper body and head posture.  Her hands followed the movement of the horse and in no way interfered.  Pam's legs were there on the horse, but so still, without the banging and slapping that is so unsightly to watch and, no doubt very uncomfortable for the horse.

I felt that all of these finalist riders did a great job, and of course the younger ones have still many years to gain the experience that is necessary to reach the very top.

Well done to all of the horses and riders who took part at Equitana Asia Pacific 2001.

A large percentage of the overall
mark is awarded for
riding ability.