DressageNZ Bulletin

Issue 04 | November 2016

From the

EDITOR

Wendy Hamerton

WELCOME TO THE FOURTH ISSUE OF THE DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN If the feast of Dressage we’re enjoying in October is an indication of the season ahead then bring it on.

Equidays featured a number of dressage sessions that appealed not only to dressage purists but to a much wider audience. The presenters each had their own style but all engaged their audience in a manner that reflected their own personality. The ability to engage a wider audience in the sport of dressage goes about demystifying some of the long held views that dressage is some sort of secret society that not everyone can understand or be part of.

Bill Noble was first up riding the Grand Prix test on Airthrey Highlander. He talked the audience through the movements adding some humour as he went, commenting during the extended trot “perhaps I shouldn’t have had those pies for breakfast”. Vanessa Way and Jaime Amian masterclasses also proved very popular. The opportunity to have a trade site gave us the chance to chat to lots of people about many aspects of the sport.

Equidays provided an invaluable opportunity to showcase our sport. Next year holds something exciting in store so diary Equidays 2017 now Normally the seasons winds up to Island Championships and then Nationals and Horse of the Year Show, but this year it’s straight into it. Wait lists at both North Island Champs and Central Districts Champs are hopefully indicative of a bumper season ahead. Initial concerns that North Island Champs were too early appear to be unfounded.

And some food for thought to finish this month. During his Masterclass at Equidays Bill Noble noted the increasing quality of purpose bred dressage horses we now have in New Zealand. He considers the challenge for our sport is to maintain accessibility and enjoyment for all riders who like to compete – many of whom work with horses who are not purpose bred. How do we reward training of all types of horses within our sport ?

We’d love to hear your thoughts. Send your ideas to dressage@nzequestrian,org.nz

Wendy Cover Image: Tom Oldridge with Si Belle Photo Credit: Mara Kaltenborn Back Page: Catherine West and Amici II Photo Credit: Libby Law

Editor: Wendy Hamerton Email: dressage@nzequestrian.org.nz Design and Production: www.snaffledesign.co.nz Graphic Design: Sarah Gray Email: sarah@snaffledesign.co.nz Sales & Advertising: Jeremy Gardiner Email: jeremy@snaffledesign.co.nz Copyright © Snaffle Design and Dressage NZ 2016

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CONTENT

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10

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24

FEI WORLD DRESSAGE CHALLENGE

THE LATEST NEWS

THE JUDGES BOX

WHAT’S ON ACROSS NZ

Big changes to the line up...

We bring you some of the best and most important news from across the country...

Sue Hobson updates us on the recent & upcoming events in the judges fraternity...

Your trusty ‘go to’ calender that will help plan your season ahead...

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50

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CUPCAKES OR PROTEIN?

10 MINUTES WITH PETER HOLLER

TALENT ID SQUAD WRAP UP

SUPPLEMENTS FOR HORSES

We chat with the North and South Island Young Rider dressage Talent Identification squads...

Dr Lucy Waldron enlightens us on the growing world of equine supplements...

Fitfood debunks the myths around females, fitness and protein...

We chat with one of Germany’s finest judges...

OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 3

Sophie de Clifford with Kinnordy Golda Photo: Alison Price – Spot on Photo

BIG CHANGES TO PRYDE’S EASIFEED FEI WORLD DRESSAGE CHALLENGE FIELDS Friday 28th October at Manfeild Park Multiple withdrawals after selections were announced has resulted in new look fields for the Challenge, especially in the higher levels. There appear to be are a number of factors causing the changes. The changes however, mean a number of really happy riders who originally did not think they had a chance of a start. Dressage NZ will be reviewing the nomination and selection process for future years with the intention once riders are selected there is the expectation that they will participate unless medical or veterinary circumstances intervene.

It was understandable that three Int I combinations withdrew as they are all competing in Level 8 at Central Districts Championships. Certainly the OC did not envisage Level 8 riders wishing to contest Int I in the World Challenge and so scheduled the level 8 Freestyle for Friday in order for this level to 4 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | OCTOBER 2016

only have one test per day. It’s exciting that we have these new combinations in Level 8 and we will be watching the progress of Sheena Ross (Parkridge Disco SW), Susan Tomln (Dancealong) and Melissa Galloway (Zielinger) with interest One of the favourites in the Junior section, Auckland’s Alena Dorotich is temporarily sidelined with a stress fracture so the 2016 Pony Champion and Pony of the Year title holders, Alena and Kozee, will be unable to add a World Challenge title to their list of achievements. The Pryde’s Junior field of eight combinations still looks even and strong with the potential for riders to be in the top of the international individual rankings The Equissage Medium list includes some very experienced riders most of whom who will be having a lead up run at the North Island Championships the previous week. Vanessa Way is thrilled to get a

second start as NSC Pronto comes into the field “I’m really pleased with the way he’s going at the moment so it’s great he can have a start” said Vanessa. Way has also two options for the Advanced level, NRM KH Arion and NRM Andreas. Andreas may even start in the Syncroflex Prix St Georges depending on his performance at North Island Championships.

The current leaders in the FEI World Dressage Challenge are:

Nine combinations line up in the Heritage Equine Advanced (Level 5). U25 squad member from Blenheim, Tessa van Bruggen and Fortunato are expected to put up a strong showing following her Young Rider Level 5 title win earlier this year, but there are some super talented horses in this field.

Advanced (from 59 starters) Gairat Mirzadjonov - Santa Cruz UZB 69.73

Just six combinations contest the Syncroflex Prix St Georges. It’s encouraging to see new combinations developing at this level - it’s what the FEI World Dressage Challenge is all about. The Fetterman trophy donated by Andrea Raves and Helen Hughes-Keen is awarded to the winner of this class The Quality Presentations Intermediate I is reduced to just three combinations but all very capable at this level. How special to see Donnerheim competing with Vanessa Fenemor - ten years after he won the Elementary in 2006 and the Prix St Georges in 2013 with former owner Emma Wilson (nee Malcolm) Another special quality of the Challenge is that is shows no generation boundaries with two mother and daughter combinations competing. Waipawa’s Willa Aitken and Lucy Robertshawe will go head to head in the Equissage Medium and Louise Duncan and Frankie Webb will compete in the Heritage Equine Advanced and Quality Presentations Int I The Thursday horse inspection will also offer ‘Walton Dressage Stables’ sponsored rosettes for the best presented Junior and Senior combinations, plus an overall champion. The Best Presented awards are not just about turnout, but also about the way the handler presents the horse in the trot up and the way the horse behaves.

Intermediate I (from 20 starters) Catherine Berning - Vinducath RSA 70.526 Prix St Georges ( from 36 starters) Megan Berning - Ultimate STV 72.171

Medium (from 103 starters) Pia Kjellstrom - San Diamond UAE 73.594 Junior Elementary (from 68 starters) Vanda Ljolje - Ashen Dew-Drop CRO 71.750 18 nations have held their challenge to date represented by 286 starters in total The new scoring system for the team classification this year will present some dilemmas and mathematical predictions for the selectors to consider when selecting the riders who will get to wear the ‘GC Equestrian’ NZL team sashes.

The Junior scores have a coefficient of 1, the Medium and Advanced 1.5 and the PSG and Int I 2.0. So a 70% score in Advanced will convert to a team score of 105, while a score of 60% in PSG or INT I converts to 120. Unsurprisingly the three top placed nations all have team scores represented by classes with a coefficient of 2, Costa Rica currently leading with and average team score of 65.263% Judges for the NZL competition are FEI 5 * Mary Seefried (AUS) and NZL List 1 Linda Warren-Davey Go team NZL whoever you may be!

You can follow FEI World Challenge World rankings at http://inside.fei.org/system/files/2016_FEI_WDC_ World_Classification_Team.pdf

OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 5

FEI WORLD DRESSAGE CHALLENGE NZL RIDERS PRYDE’S EASIFEED JUNIOR

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Amador Madison Schollum (Waikato) Buckton Denniston Meila Picard (Nelson) Prima Bella Isabella Chatfield (Bay of Plenty) Prima Magneto Lilly Jefferies (Wellington) Sherwood Travel Man Sam Gradowski-Smith (Waitemata) Wembleybrook Sergio Morgan Beere (Waikato) Whistledown Kristopha (Amillion MVNZ res) Alison Addis (Northland) Woodlands Park Light O Day Rebecca Aplin (Sthn Hawkes Bay)

EQUISSAGE MEDIUM

Alamo BL or Kinnordy Golda Sophie de Clifford (Waikato) BL All By Chance Renee Etherington (Taranaki) Double Magic

Debra Cowen (Waikato) Giuliani Abbie Deken (Taranaki) Hapsburg PSH Liz Hutson (Wellington) Kirkwood Greenlight Willa Aitken (Nthn Hawkes Bay) NSC Pronto Vanessa Way (Taranaki) Revelwood Smash It (Res Arento) Samantha Jones (Wellington) Salute Lucy Robertshawe (Nthn Hawkes Bay) Sanderson Amy Nicholls (Marlborough) Shadze of Grey Victoria Middleton (Taihape) Sisters II Eta J Chelsea Callaghan (Wellington) Stoneylea Lord Locksely Christine Weal (Waikato) Windermere J Obei W Melissa Galloway (Marlborough)

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Belladonna MH Dante MH First Impression Fortunato Georgio Letty Lei NRM Andreas or NRM KH Arion Vollrath Latimer Wolkenstein BC

Julie Flintoff (Northland) Hannah Burden (Northland) Lisa Blackbourn (Waikato) Tessa Van Bruggen (Marlborough Jacqui Thompson (Wellington) Victoria Wall (Waitemata) Vanessa Way (Taranaki) Rochelle Speirs (Central Districts) Louise Duncan (Wellington)

SYNCROFLEX PSG

Playmate Louisa Ayres (Wellington) Besonders Robyn Coupe (Waikato) Lindisfarne Laureate Rosanne Rix (Wellington) Astute Toni Louisson (Central Districts) Winterstern Zoe Towler (Nthn Hawkes Bay) Donnerubin Jacinda Younger (Central Districts)

QUALITY PRESENTATIONS INT I

Donnerheim Vanessa Fenemor (Auckland) Lingh II Alex Matheson (Waikato) Northern Ivanthus Frankie Webb (Wellington)

RESERVES

D’Movistar (ADV) Arento (ADV) Windermere Johanson W Alamo BL or Kinnordy Golda

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Cassandra Dally (Waikato) Samantha Jones (Wellington) Melissa Galloway (Marlborough) Sophie de Clifford (Waikato)

2016 FEI WORLD DRESSAGE CHALLENGE WORLD CLASSIFICATION BASED ON TEAM RESULTS

TEMPORARY RESULTS CURRENTLY INCLUDING : BAR - BOL - BOT - CRC - CRO - ECU - EST - GUA - HON - LTU - MAS - NAM - RSA - SWZ - VEN UAE - UZB TEAM CLASSIFICATION 1

Mauricio Masis Michelle Batalla Sergio Quesada Scarlet Weidig 2

64.474 64.474 66.842 66.667

2.0 2.0 2.0 1.0

Diamond In Black Rohan Warrior Helifar Damberina

INT PSG PSG MED

257.0 257.5 235.5 206.0

253.0 249.0 226.5 218.5

510.00 506.50 462.00 424.50

67.105 66.645 60.789 66.328

2.0 2.0 2.0 1.5

Galantino Chichic Man In Black Vivaldi

INT PSG PSG MED

224.5 261.5 216.5 216.5

225.5 265.0 218.0 209.0

450.00 526.50 434.50 425.50

59.211 69.276 57.171 66.484

2.0 2.0 2.0 1.5

Lorenso Fiable Golani Santa Cruz

PSG PSG MED MED

255.0 251.0 212.5 216.0

262.0 241.0 218.0 233.0

517.00 492.00 430.50 449.00

68.026 64.737 67.266 70.156

2.0 2.0 1.5 1.5

Macchiato Zedrick Dyloma Pia Laura Van De Vitta

INT PSG ADV MED

231.5 258.0 227.5 215.5

238.0 257.0 238.5 200.5

469.50 515.00 466.00 416.00

61.776 67.763 62.973 65.000

2.0 2.0 1.5 1.5

New Tango Raja Wendy Palo Blanco Puertas Iglú

INT INT ADV MED

254.5 243.5 221.0 187.0

263.5 243.0 223.5 181.0

518.00 486.50 444.50 368.00

68.158 64.013 60.068 57.500

2.0 2.0 1.5 1.5

Ultimate STV Rathmor Caprice Rivendell's Magiro Apollo L

PSG ADV MED ELE

271.0 237.5 227.0 202.0

277.5 237.5 212.0 192.5

548.50 475.00 439.00 394.50

72.171 64.189 68.594 65.750

2.0 1.5 1.5 1.0

Emiliano Satinka Kryon

PSG MED MED

250.5 237.0 183.5

232.0 206.5 208.0

482.50 443.50 391.50

63.487 69.297 61.172

2.0 1.5 1.5

Al Khattar W'rsan San Diamond Hylkje fan de Finnen Athena

ADV MED MED MED

254.0 232.0 220.0 203.0

259.5 239.0 219.0 222.0

513.50 471.00 439.00 425.00

69.392 73.594 68.594 66.406

1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5

Furst F.B.I. Rohlsdorfs Havanna Dekors

PSG ADV ELE ELE

266.0 250.5 202.5 198.0

266.5 254.0 212.5 202.5

532.50 504.50 415.00 400.50

70.066 68.176 69.167 66.750

2.0 1.5 1.0 1

Kadesh Charliz Z Camelot Katrina

PGS ADV ELE ELE

255.0 218.5 195.0 195.5

260.0 220.5 193.5 174.0

515.00 439.00 388.50 369.50

67.763 59.324 64.750 61.583

2.0 1.5 1.0 1.0

Callaho Guissepe Stellenels Anastasia Callaho Fleetwood Highborne Matin Rouge

ADV MED MED ELE

239.5 202.5 195.5 187.0

239.5 207.5 200.5 166.5

479.00 410.00 396.00 353.50

64.730 64.063 61.875 58.917

1.5 1.5 1.5 1.0

Aakerblads Cobra Bastion Magic Moment Golden Jumper

ADV ADV MED ELE

240.5 210.5 196.0 153.0

239.5 217.0 199.0 162.0

480.00 427.50 395.00 315.00

64.865 57.770 61.719 52.500

1.5 1.5 1.5 1.0

128.947 128.947 133.684 66.667 389.079 134.211 133.289 121.579 99.492 371.316 118.421 138.553 114.342 99.727 370.761 136.053 129.474 100.898 105.234 356.579 123.553 135.526 94.459 97.500 354.443 136.316 128.026 90.101 86.250 343.517 144.342 96.284 102.891 65.750 322.677 126.974 103.945 91.758 317.369 104.088 110.391 102.891 99.609 311.562 140.132 102.264 69.167 66.750 289.263 135.526 88.986 64.750 61.583 286.001

MALAYSIA Marriane Rehn Siobhan Beatty Sabrina Azman Sydney Maynard

Total Team

391.579

BOTSWANA Debra Freeman Deborah Fourie Bridget O'Neill Maja Verreynne

13

490.00 490.00 508.00 400.00

BOLIVIA Andrea Arce Laura Prommel Sabrina Calderon Valentina Calle

12

247.0 249.0 255.0 194.5

LITHUANIA Sandra Sysojeva Rasa Kavaliauskaitė Barbora Jakilaitė Emilija Novoselska

11

243.0 241.0 253.0 205.5

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Line Moen Pia Kjellstrom Tracy-Wyngard-Gill Cristina Calin-Thompson

10

INT INT PSG ELE

ECUADOR Maria José Granja Carolina Espinosa Roberto Piraino

9

Trovador AG Westergardens Vivi Light Tango AG Romeo

SOUTH AFRICA Megan Berning Siobhan Records Nichola Mohr Sonica Engelbrecht

8

Coef

VENEZUELA Irina Muro Irina Moleiro de Muro Elena Ceballos David Lozada

7

%

GUATEMALA Isabel Arzu Andrea Schorpp Sarka De Mendez Federico Herbruger

6

Total

UZBEKISTAN Elena Chistyakova Oksana Pavliva Alena Derevyanko Gairat Mirzadjonov

5

Judge E

BARBADOS Akoele Roachford Roberta Foster Gina Hunte Mackenzie Manning

4

Judge C

ESTONIA Age Luha Grete Hussar Marika Vunder Katrin Tinno

3

Class

COSTA RICA

97.095 96.094 92.813 58.917 276.531 97.297 86.655 92.578 52.500

OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN |7 1/2

Every October, New Zealand’s Premier Equine Event takes over Mystery Creek Events Centre, transforming the property into horse heaven.

Thousands of people and hundreds of horses stream into the valley, tents are pitched, yards are filled and marquees are erected for the best three days of the year.

Kallista Field with Prima Park Vincent Photo: Libby Law

CENTRAL DRESSAGE FESTIVAL CDIW CRITICAL QUALIFICATION EVENT FOR NZL RIDERS The Central Dressage Festival which incorporates a CDIW for the first time, has attracted eleven entries in the Equitak Excel Grand Prix. Riders who get the qualifying mark of 60% in this Grand Prix earn a start in the Saturday night Kieffer / Equiscan Freestyle. This freestyle in turn, is the doorway to a start in the Cartown Pacific League World Cup final to be held at Manfeild 2nd-4th February 2017.

Combinations must have earned 64% in a CDI 3 * or CDIW Freestyle between 1 Jan and 31 Dec 2016 to start in the PAL Final so this CDIW is the last NZL based chance. The winner of the Pacific League

Final then earns a start in the World Cup Final in Omaha USA in April 2017.

Any Australian combination wishing to compete for this World Cup final start will have to compete in the PAL final at Manfeild and already NZL is getting interest from across the Tasman.

NZL has six PAL qualified combinations to date. Abbie Deken (KH Ambrose), Jody Hartstone (Ali Baba) John Thompson (JHT Antonello), Wendi Williamson (Deja Vu MH) Julie Brougham (Vom Feinsten) and Anya Noble (Airthrey Highlander)

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The last two combinations will be missing from Manfeild, as “Steiny” is still in quarantine in the UK and Anya Noble had made the call to concentrate on studies.

Disappointingly, local rider Penny Castle does not consider the 2015 Horse of the Year title holder Magnus Spero will be quite ready after his injury lay off but she will line up BL About Time in the national Grand Prix. This horse is quite inexperienced at this level so Penny is looking to just give him more experience before tackling international competitions.

Several other riders are back after time away from CDI level.

Vanessa Way has been super careful with the recuperation programme for NRM Arawn who showed so much promise in 2015 and she’s looking forward to being back at Grand Prix level even though her young team keeps her incredibly busy.

Waikato’s William Millar and the talented Raukura Satori spent last season consolidating the Grand Prix work and it’s great to welcome them back to the international arena.

Kapiti’s Karen Trotter is also looking forward to being back competing Flamenco G - despite describing him, with a smile, as being “such a naughty horse”.

Grand Prix dressage in NZL is showing greater depth and potential than ever before with four new combinations competing internationally for the first time - one of them is former Olympian Kallista Field aboard Kelly van Dyk’s Prima Park Vincent, the Wellington pair of Andrea Martin with Hawkstone Sandringham (winners of the South Island Grand Prix title earlier this year) and Kate Tobin and I Like It, plus Wendi Williamson on her second horse Don Amour MH. What a thrill for Dressage NZ sponsor and breeder Matthews Hanoverians to have two horses in the field.

The Pryde’s and Heritage Equine Young Rider international classes have attracted just four starters including Young Rider of the Year, Lucarne Dolley and Devil’s Chocolate, Sophie Griffith and Frangelico F, who are making the trip from Christchurch, Marlborough’s Tessa van Bruggen on Furst Jupp and Waikato’s Irina Smith on Glamour Star.

Tessa and Furst Jupp are having their first Grand Prix start at the North Island Championships.

The judges panel includes three Australians; FEI 5* Mary Seefried, 4* Jane Ventura, and 3* Virginia Creed. 4* Jeanne McDonald (USA) makes her first judging trip to NZL as part of the Australasian/Americas judges exchange programmme, and the panel is completed with NZL judges 4* Sue Hobson and Helen Hughes-Keen

Jeanne McDonald

JUDGE PROFILE JEANNE MCDONALD Pennsylvania’s Jeanne McDonald began riding Hunt Seat Equitation at age eight with the New Canaan Mounted Troop in Connecticut, while attending the University of New Hamshire, she competed in Eventing.

Since 1980, Dressage has been her passion and she has earned her USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold Medals. With her 3rd GP horse, the Oldenburg Stallion Tantris, and his offspring that she has bred at her Turning Point Farm in Downingtown, PA, Jeanne is still competing to help keep her rider perspective!

Jeanne has been a licensed USEF Dressage judge for over 28 years and along with her FEI 4* & YH Dressage Judge’s status, also holds a USEF “S” and a retired USEF/USDF “r” DSHB Judges license. In addition to judging throughout South, Central & North America, including National Dressage Championships, she has also judged the European Jr & Yr Championships in Holland. When not judging or riding, she enjoys teaching clinics which keeps her busy most every weekend from February through til November each year.

OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 9

NEWS

Jos far left with the team of stewards and event manager at the 2016 Young Rider Championships Left to Right: Jos Gresham, Chris Paston, Karen Anderson, Celine Filbee, Raewyn Nel Photo: Libby Law

ANOTHER AWARD FOR JOS GRESHAM Palmerston North based Sport Manawatu runs a great programme which recognises the work volunteers do in our sport community.

“Congratulations to our Sport Maker of the Month Jos Gresham for her amazing work with Dressage NZ. Thank you for all your hard work across the region!!

A snippet from Jos’s nomination “Jos volunteers for Dressage NZ and

Dressage Central Districts at local, regional and national events. There is always a smile on her face as she greets each and everyone as they arrive at the venue. Jos has a can do attitude and is a favourite with competitors. She has recently qualified as a National Dressage Steward and has the task of overseeing the compliance of the competition rules and welfare of the horse. Jos always makes herself readily available to

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answer technical questions and provide information as required” A great nomination! Jos wins a $50 voucher, some lotto merchandise and a certificate!

Check out your local Regional Sports Trust (RST) and see if your region has a similar programme - help get our dressage volunteers more recognition

HELMET TAGGING If you already have a helmet that complies with the new standards that will apply from the first of August 2017, you can get your red tag soon and avoid the rush. Area Dressage groups will have a limited number of red tags available from 1st December 2016. Who can tag your helmet for you?

Area groups will be invited to nominate three volunteers from their group, and any official on the ESNZ officials list will be authorised to tag. Tagging will take place at events during the season. You can ask the OC at each event if they have someone on “tagging duty” Pictured to the right is the latest information to remind you how the tags must be placed and what the new standards are

PRESTIGE DRESSAGE FUTURES PRIZE CONFIRMED Prestige Italia and Prestige Equestian (NZ) have confirmed that the prize for this year will be the fabulous X-D2DK saddle valued at $7,800. This D2 model has the X-tree, features a monoflap and calf-skin leather - what a prize!

in the Super 5 League at Regional & Island events from October 2016 – February 2017 and meeting the following eligibility conditions.

The Prestige Equestrian Futures Prize will be awarded to the best performed combination competing

(Riders not to have ever earned grading points at Level 8 or above as at 1 August 2016)

4-10 year old horses competing at Levels 1 - 7 with CN - C7 riders at 1 August 2016

PRESTIGE Equestrian www.prestigeequestrian.co.nz

Ltd.

OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 11

NEWS ESNZ AWARD FOR KAREN TROTTER The Equestrian Sports NZ Annual General Assembly recently bestowed Honorary Life Membership on Karen Trotter in recognition of the highly valued contribution she has made to the sport. Dressage NZ congratulates Karen on this award - very much deserved Pictured is Karen Trotter receiving her Honorary Life Membership badge and flowers from ESNZ Vice President, Nick Pyke at the 2016 ESNZ General Assembly.

ANYA NOBLE WITHDRAWS FROM U25 SQUAD Anya Noble and Airthrey Highlander have been consistent performers in the Grand Prix arena for two years and scored two National Young Rider titles and many top placings in senior competitions during that time. They were selected for the U25 squad this year, but after much deliberation, Anya has made the decision to call time on her competitive career with “Bowie”

“The time is right” says Anya. “He has been competing in Grand Prix dressage for seven years now and is a Dressage Horse of the Year title holder with my dad, Bill (Noble). He has nothing more to prove. I need more time to concentrate on my studies at Waikato University.

I’m just about to complete the first year of research for my masters degree in neuroscience, and next year I must complete my thesis. Perhaps I may then consider a PhD...

So many people have helped on the wonderful journey I had with Bowie - his owner Linda Moughan who was always there and was a great truck driver, my Dad who knew the horse so well and helped me so much - although sometimes we did the “family argument” thing!

Bates Saddles and David Jones-Parry were always so supportive making sure we had the right saddle and right fit, and HorseSports also supported us with some trendy riding kit. I will miss being out and about at that level, but I have the chance to ride the talented six year old homebred “Star” who is by Icarus Allsorts out of our lovely Gymnastik Star mare Kinnordy Gera. Unfortunately, we sadly lost Gera recently to a severe colic attack. It was even more sad because she was soon due to have a foal by Hilken’s Denali which Mum and I just knew would have been amazing”

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Dressage NZ wishes Anya good luck for the future and hope she returns to the top level arena one day. We also offer our condolences to the Noble family on the loss of Kinnordy Gera. She was only lightly competed throughout her career but reached Grand Prix level.

NEWS TRAGIC LOSS FOR KELLIE HAMLETT Fortunately onlookers were quick to assist Kellie when the horse fell, and she was not hurt, but the sudden loss of such an extremely talented young horse is particularly poignant and our condolences and thoughts are with Kellie, who tells us Rocky’s story.

“Born in 2009, LH Skyfall or better known as Rocky, was always a rather audacious foal. Dad always said that he thought Rocky was one of those horses that given the opportunity he’d have followed you right inside to the kitchen. By Sandreo out of the super mare Devon (Dynamit), Rocky was a half-brother to Avante Garde and Ashanti, a family of Champions. Rather large was a bit of an understatement but he was always very gentle and easy to handle despite being enormous. Brought on slowly, he made his debut in the dressage arena last season and was 1997 16.2hh Grey Zangerscheide (Holstein) Stallion. showing(Carthago a huge amount Approved AES/AWR Coriall Z - Larthago Z)of promise in his career as a dressage horse – performing well at both the NI Championships and Photo: Libby Law Nationals. I certainly feel incredibly lucky to have bred and ridden such a classy horse, he was a pleasure to own and train.

Cevin Z’s breeding features the We are devastated to have lost him at such a young age and Rotoruas Kellie Hamlett experienced a tragic loss at her club’s Outstanding pedigree, conformation, bloodlines for which appreciate all the kind messages ofoutstanding support received from fellow dressage spring day at Taupo in September. She was competing in temperament & performance the Zangersheide Studbook is competitors.” a test when LH Skyfall suffered an aneurysm and died instantly.

CEVIN Z

famous. He carries the double crosses of both Cor de la Bryere and Capitol 1 in his pedigree. He wasGRADE the second highest priced BEST PERFORMED ADVANCED MARE from this prestigious stud in AWARD. For the top placed marefoal competing in 2016/17 Dressage Super 5 League. To promote and increase 1997. Cevin Z isrecognition highly regarded of top mare performance The award consists of a $400 both for talent andcash pedigree, with prize and Equibreed /WKS trophy to be presented at Dressage an exceptional temperament with Cevin Z was one of the most consistent 6Awards year olds in the Dinner Junecountry 2017 in Blenheim. which he stamps his progeny. in 2003 achieving 4th place in the Foxhunter Championships at NZ BREEDER AWARD. At the His Bates National first youngstock were placed the Horse of the Year Show. His international winnings totalled Championships (2/5 February 2017 @ Manfeild Park) an first and second at the Young £8000.00 when competing at Lisbon, Chantilly and/ WKS Vimeiro Equibreed prizeinof $400 plus a trophy will be awarded Horse Championships in 2006.

2007, with UK wins at both The Surrey County andofNew Forest the breeder the top placed NZ bred Advanced level horse Conquistador II being the only Shows. http://www.thebillystud.co.uk/index.php/stallions/cevin-z/ (Levels 6-9) horse to jump consistently In the event of there being a tie for points in either of these FOR SALE - FROZEN SEMEN clear throughout the Show and the highest grade horse will be deemed to be the SERVICE TO CEVIN Z $1500 | SERVICEawards, TO MASTER $500 therefore earning a Bonus Prize. winner

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OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 13

FEI WORLD CUP™ DRESSAGE 2016/2017 - PREVIEW

Hans Peter Minderhoud and Glock’s Flirt enjoy a #TwoHearts moment after claiming the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage 2016 title at Gothenburg (SWE) last March Photo: Arnd Bronkhorst

Since the FEI’s successful #TwoHearts campaign was launched in the countdown to the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the concept of horse and rider as a single athletic entity has captivated and inspired competitors and fans and, in the discipline of Dressage, that singularity of body and mind is particularly evident.

titles in Rio they will retire at London’s Olympia Horse Show in December.

So there is great anticipation ahead of the first leg of the FEI World Cup™ Dressage Western European League 2016/2017, which gets underway at Odense Horse Show in Denmark this weekend.

STARTING POINT Odense is an ideal starting point for the Western European League. The city that was birthplace to the much-loved author Hans Christian Andersen is located on Denmark’s second-largest island, Fyn, and is a hugely popular holiday destination with its gently rolling hills, orchards, hedgerows and thatched, half-timbered farmhouses.

Few have captured the #TwoHearts symbolism as perfectly as the multiple record-breaking partnership of Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin and her wonderful gelding Valegro, who have dominated the sport in recent years.

Together, they have demonstrated that freedom of movement, lightness, selfcarriage and the most pleasing harmony are all achievable through good training and sympathetic horsemanship, but having raised the bar to a whole new level after securing back-to-back Olympic

The question now is who is going to step into those dancing horse shoes, and by the time the FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final takes place in Omaha, Nebraska (USA) next March, we should have some answers.

Odense Horse Show celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and several Olympic combinations will be setting out to pick up some early qualifying points on the #RidetoOmaha.

MAKING IT REAL Spanish sensations Severo Jurado Lopez and Lorenzo, who finished fifth in the

14 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | OCTOBER 2016

fantastic Freestyle Final at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and grabbed global headlines thanks to their love of music

by Santana and Bon Jovi, will take the crowds by storm in Denmark.

Also in action will be Denmark’s Anna Kasprzak and Donnperignon, winners of their home leg of the FEI World Cup™ Dressage series back in 2013, who topped the Grand Prix at Odense 12 months ago only to be beaten in the Freestyle by The Netherlands’ Edward Gal and Glock’s Voice.

Each leg of the FEI World Cup™ Dressage series sees riders compete in a preliminary Grand Prix before performing a Freestyle to music, and it is this crowdpleasing competition that decides the qualifying points that lead riders to the Final.

POPULARITY Dutchwoman Anky van Grunsven played a major role in bringing the popularity of Freestyle to where it is today, with her nine FEI World Cup™ Dressage titles over a 13-year period between 1995 and

2008 seeing her become the sport’s first real super-star. The Dutch record in this series is highly impressive, and when Hans Peter Minderhoud steered Glock’s Flirt to victory in Gothenburg (SWE) at the 2016 Final he moved the Dutch tally onto an impressive 13 titles.

There will be nine qualifiers in the Western European League, with Lyon (FRA) taking place less than a week after the opener in Odense, and Stuttgart (GER) playing host in November.

Salzburg (AUT) will stage the next leg in early December and then the Christmas show at Olympia in London (GBR) is bound to be a sell-out because although Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro won’t be competing in the qualifier, Valegro will be honoured in an official retirement ceremony that is likely to be extremely emotional.

The New Year will get underway with the sixth leg in Amsterdam (NED) and then it’s on to Neumunster (GER) and Gothenburg in February before the last qualifying opportunity for the Omaha

Final at ’s-Hertogenbosch (NED) in March.

Fashion designer Reem Acra, who has dressed global icons of style for red carpet appearances, awards ceremonies and weddings, remains closely linked with the FEI World Cup™ Dressage series as official partner for the Western European League as well as the Final in Omaha.

FINAL - OPEN CONTEST The dancing shoes will be out in force when the series Final kicks off in Omaha, where the best combinations from all four qualifying regions - Western Europe, Central Europe, North America and Asia/Pacific - will compete, and it is likely to be a wide open contest.

Just two Americans have ever claimed the FEI World Cup™ Dressage crown, Debbie McDonald with Brentina in 2003 and Steffen Peters and Ravel in 2009, and this time around the host-nation favourites for a top spot may well be Laura Graves and Verdades. They finished just off the podium in Rio, slotting into fourth spot behind Germany’s Kristina Bröring-

Sprehe and Desperados in bronze medal position while fellow-countrywoman Isabel Werth took silver with Weihegold.

Werth of course is quite a phenomenon, one of the most decorated equestrian athletes of all time and a double FEI World Cup™ Dressage champion. It is 24 years since she posted her first victory with Fabienne in Gothenburg in 1992 and since then she has rarely finished outside the top-10. The 2017 Final could be the year for her to make it a hat-trick, but it’s a long road from Odense to Omaha for Europe’s top riders and their dancing horses.

Don’t miss a hoofbeat! Watch it all LIVE on www.feitv.org FEI World Cup™ Dressage - see complete rules, calendar, series ranking and results here & check out the latest on www.fei.org Social media: #FEIWorldCupWEL #RidetoOmaha #FEIWorldCupFinals #TwoHearts Rider biographies: view online and download from www.fei.org/bios

NORTH LOBURN EQUESTRIAN CENTRE DRESSAGE FOR EVERYONE WITH OVER $1500 IN SPONSORSHIP PRIZES

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Download schedule at WWW.NLEC.CO.NZ // info@nlec.co.nz - 03 313 1247

OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 15

JAIME AMIAN AT EQUIDAYS Report by Scott McKenna Photo by Debbie Stevens

For the dressage enthusiasts amongst us one of the highlights of the Equidays program this year was the masterclass presented by Jaime Amian.

Jaime travelled from his base in Miami Florida to share his expertise with an appreciative and attentive Equidays audience. He worked with 4 horses, the first being Amy De Langen’s starry young German riding pony stallion Golden Strike. Having grown up in Spain Jaime has no lack of Spanish flair, however his work with Golden Strike displayed his commitment to correct basics, no doubt gained from 16 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | OCTOBER 2016

his time earning his stripes in Germany under the tutelage of living legend Klaus Balkenhol.

Golden Strike, who has only just turned 5, was understandably a little excited by the atmosphere in the impressive Equidays main arena. Jamie’s first advice was to get Golden Strike to relax and he did this using transitions between walk and trot. Once the pony was accepting these aids and beginning to take some contact with Amy’s hands he moved on to some shallow leg yields to relax Golden Strike’s back only when the horse had relaxed his back, established a steady rhythm and a nice contact with the riders hands did Jaime move on to the training

“At all times the horse must want to stretch its back and reach into the riders contact in a relaxed way.”

properly. For a 5 year old with the basics established the training was all about beginning to introduce a little collection. Jaime used transitions within the gait to achieve this. What Jaime wanted was for the rider to be able to adjust the horses gait with minimal rein aids and in a way that didn’t interrupt the horses tempo or shorten the horses neck. By the end of the session we could see the positive effect of that work in the prodigious quality of Golden Strikes basic gaits.

The next cab off the ranks was Madison Schollum on her FEI young rider mount Amador. Amador had a tendency to be a little hollow and hold his back, and so to correct this Jaime used lateral work primarily leg yield, as well as encouraging Madison to ride the horse more into the contact to encourage the horse to lengthen its back. Only when Amador worked over his back did Jaime start to work on some movements from the tests.

When Madison started some half passes Amador started to return to being a little hollow and tight in the back, each time this happened Jaime had Madison transition from half pass back to a shoulder in on a line parallel to the long side only restarting half pass when the horse gave its back.

After this Jaime showed us how he improves the natural gaits of the horse and increases the level of collection using transitions within the gait. With an older stronger horse we could see in trot with transitions within the gait the beginnings of passage in a way that did not appear to put any pressure on the horse.

Next we were shown a short demonstration of how Jaime works his horses in hand. The demonstration model was Amy De Langen’s ridiculously cute 10 year old German riding pony stallion Hillkens Denali. Jaime first worked with Denali as a 5 year old and 5 years on you can see the benefit of having been given an early yet pressure free introduction to the piaffe. Jaime uses no auxiliary reins or gadgets to work the horses in hand, only a normal bridle and a normal dressage whip. The horse must simply respond to the whip without being afraid

of it. Denali really showed that when the horse is not pressured this difficult work can be a fun game for the horse. Denali was like a little beach ball bouncing around between Jaime’s hand and whip in an exemplary piaffe.

Finally Jaime worked with myself and my very green Grand Prix horse Regent Diamond. We started with some trot work, returning to the theme of transitions within the gait. With the more established horse this became transitions to passage then back to a forward working trot. We then started some shoulder in and then half passes and included within those movements transitions forward and back to ensure you can also make half halts within the movements in order to maintain the quality.

We then moved on to some canter work, starting with half passes then working pirouettes. The theme remained throughout this work retaining the basics while doing more difficult movements. Regent Diamond is an exceptionally sensitive horse, it’s been this work that has made it possible to reach the Grand Prix level with such a highly strung horse.

With Jaime there is no compromise, at all times the horse must want to stretch its back and reach into the riders contact in a relaxed way, if it doesn’t then it is not worth doing the exercises until the horse relaxes again.

We finished with some transitions from passage to extended trot and back to passage, this was a chance to show the range of movement that can be achieved with a talented horse with a relaxed back. On that note an enlightening session of simply yet effective dressage mixed with a little Spanish flair came to an end.

Editor’s Note: Scott McKenna was recently named as another NZL based Bates Saddles advocate “This is my first sponsorship” he said “so I’m really excited about it.” Bates Saddles support a number of riders across the disciplines in many countries.

OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 17

2.

Out & About across New Zealand 1. Anna Wilson - Glenwood Neon (Waikato DG).

2. Rebecca Rowlands - Southwell Rendevouz (SCNO).

3. Kylie Baker - Woodsbee (AMDG).

4. Hielke De Graaf - Southern Hit (SCNO).

5. Georgia Wheatcroft - Quarry Hill Arend (AMDG).

6. Rhiannon Moss - Gymnastik Gift (SCNO).

7. Jennifer Hobson - Just Rosey (SCNO).

8. Matisse Ferris learning her test (AMDG).

9. Julie Evans - Dantelegro (AMDG).

10. Margo Verveer - Ritmo Della Danza (Taranaki DG).

11. Vanessa Way - NRM KH Arion (Taranaki DG) 12. Nick Stackpole - Delta Duet (AMDG).

1.

12.

18 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | OCTOBER 2016

10.

8.

11.

9.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Thank you to the photographers, please support them by visiting their websites, arranging for photos to be taken and purchasing their wonderful product. Without photographers our sport wouldn’t be the same!

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: 1. Waikato Dressage Group LJ Photography. www.facebook.com/photographybylj 2,4,6,7. South Canterbury North Otago Dressage Group NZ Equine Photography. Email: john@nzequine.co.nz Web: www.nzequine.co.nz 3,5,8,9,12. Auckland-Manukau Dressage Group Eye Witness Images. Email: zkalb@xtra.co.nz Web: www.zkalbblog.wordpress.com 10,11. Taranaki Dressage Group Seahorse Photography. www.facebook.com/Seahorse-Photography-1737425403174470/

7.

OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 19

FROM THE JUDGES BOX Article by Sue Hobson - Judges Officer

The Dressage NZ Judges Committee has recently been busy finalising a Power Point presentation for the training of judges. This is an excellent tool for our Judge Mentors to guide judges from List 5 to List 3. We have conducted four clinics using this so far, and it has proved very positive and rewarding. I have facilitated at Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and Southern Hawkes Bay, and my colleague Linda Warren Davey facilitated a presentation in Canterbury.

Linda has recently completed her criteria to sit her FEI 3* exam and is planning to travel to Austria later this year to sit the exam along with one of our Australian colleagues, Kerri Swan-Bates who also just completed the criteria CDIW in

Sydney. We wish both these judges every success in their efforts to be promoted to 3* and we look forward to hearing about their experience when they return.

A further Australian Judges Exchange Programme has been implemented with Dressage NSW. This means two more of our judges have an opportunity to exchange with two NSW judges. This means NZL is able to send five NZ judges each year to gain valuable experience with new colleagues across the Tasman ie Queensland (2), Victoria (1) and now NSW (2). These exchanges are becoming very sought after with our high listed judges.

We recently caught up with Aucklands Jacqui Winspear in Sydney. Jacqui is

getting a lot of experience at these bigger Aussie events. She still commutes regularly between NZ and Australia, trying to have a family life, ride horses and judge, so well done Jacqui.

I would remind judges to please make sure they are up to date with all the rule changes before we get underway with the regional events. Some minor changes have taken place and it is important that all judges have a rule book with them when judging and also a good idea to have the Technical Manual printed off.

Cell phones: Please remember that judges and writers cell phones are not allowed to be turned on whilst judging.

OFFICIAL JUDGES CLINIC WITH KATRINA WUEST Freestyle – Black Box or more accuracy in judging by standardizing the Degree of Difficulty?

Thursday 2nd Feb 2017 - 7pm in Manfeild Park Upstairs suites in conjunction with Bates Nationals Katrina Wuest, German 5* FEI judge, very experienced rider and judge educator will conduct this clinic and talk about the new FEI system of scoring freestyles which is being implemented in the Western European World Cup League this year. For judges with particular reference how to mark the Degree of Difficulty and for riders, how to compile tests to get maximum

marks – a must for all riders and judges.

It is hoped that all judges, riders and interested parties will attend and we would certainly hope all List 2 and above judges will definitely make the effort as this is imperative to the judges training and education programme. I would reiterate that the JSC are hoping that many people will attend and be part of this evening session. Please follow the link to the registration (link) form on the ESNZ/Dressage website and get back to me with any enquiries you may have.

20 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | OCTOBER 2016

Please note accommodation is Feilding is already booked out for the weekend, but there is still accommodation in Palmerston North To find out more go to http://www. nzequestrian.org.nz/dressage/resources/ officials/judges-information/clinics/

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OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 21

BETTY ENJOYS BANDUNG EXPERIENCE Auckland’s Betty Brown (FEI 3* Judge NZL) recently acted as president of the ground jury at the XIX PON Games 2016 in Bandung (West Java - Indonesia) The Games are held every 4 years, and feature 44 sports. Equestrian included eventing, dressage and jumping.

Bandung is in the highlands so the temperature is much cooler than in Jakarta, meaning it was a good venue for the equestrian events. Indonesia is a developing country in equestrian, not yet having their own national rules and tests, but use the FEI rules tests.

The dressage judges team also included 3*Maria Zvonimirova Todorovska-Omari (BUL - domiciled in Turkey) and national judge Paulien Alberts (NED) Helen Christie from Southland was at the Games as the President of the ground jury for eventing.

Day one began with eventing dressage, followed by Preliminary World Challenge test. This was a team competition of 4 from different provinces. There were many Lusitanos and a few imported warmbloods in the 26 strong class. The

winner was a lovely imported mare. The prize givings were very colorful and the crowd very enthusiastic and of course thousands of photos taken! Gold, silver and bronze medals were presented to riders.

It is the rainy season and was very overcast and rain threatened all day, but the locals told us they had employed a “rain stopper” to ensure the competition time was dry. We finished at 5:30 judging, prize giving finished at 6:15 and the heavens opened up as if on cue! The first night we had a spectacular thunder and lightening storm and very heavy rain.

The next morning the arena had virtually washed away! So we transferred to what had been the warm up arena.

Day 2 was the FEI Junior Test - level 5 NZL equivalent. The standard was not so high in this test with two of the horses really not able to perform the movements.

The second horse had a course error and when he finished the crowd began to complain. It turned out the letters were in the correct order but the measurement of where they should be was not! We

22 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | OCTOBER 2016

decided to give the rider a re-ride at the end of the day after we re-measured.

Again a dry day till after the prize giving!

The rain stopper was earning his keep!

Day 3 was the Prix St Georges.

Sixteen horses fronted up and they were surprisingly good!

The Freestyle was on the final day at FEI Young Rider level. It was the first time they had ever run a Freestyle in Indonesia. Most did a really good job.

Judging freestyles is not always easy. The last horse did quite a good test, but the shoulder in to the left was done after the first halt on the center line and was not clear. At the end of the test there was quite a discussion amongst the judges as to whether or not the shoulder in left has in fact been performed and as a panel we could not agree.

The Indonesian hospitality was amazing.

We were given a back pack with track suit, cap and two polo shirts on arrival and gifts at dinner every night. We had a driver and an English speaking guide everyday. When not judging they took us sightseeing and bit of shopping of course!

Photo: Libby Law

GOLD ACHIEVEMENT AWARD A THRILL FOR RHIANNON SCOTT Te Aroha’s Rhiannon Scott had a dream - to ride at Advanced Level - to wear the top hat and tails. She had her pony “Annie” working at Level 4/5 and then suddenly she was too old to compete in pony classes. There were no doubts in Rhiannon’s mind that if she wanted to ride that dream she just had to carry on.

So in her final years competing her Welsh Section C pony, two big goals were realised. Riding Prix St Georges level

and achieving her Gold Award (63%) and riding Level 7 and scoring over 60%.

“I would like to see more young riders stay with their ponies and keep training them through the grades. I think there is a lot of experience to be gained by sticking with your ponies, even though you might not be as competitive in Advanced against bigger and better bred horses. Dressage NZ already provides lots of super opportunities for pony

riders to compete at higher levels, like the World Dressage Challenge and in open classes at Nationals and Horse of the Year – you just have to do it. Fulfilling this goal I have had since I was fourteen years old, getting bronze, silver and gold incentive awards on my beautiful pony Annie is my best achievement so far. The gold award seemed impossible and I almost gave up trying, but we finally got there”

ABOUT THE ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

GOLD: Ride test FEI Prix St Georges, 6B, Int I, Int A, Int B or Int II and gain 63% with at least one List 1, 2A or 2 Judge

progressively more difficult at each level.

For more details go to www.nzequestrian. org.nz/dressage/resources/riders

BRONZE: Ride test 2D or 3D & gain 63% with at least one List 1, 2A or List 2 Judge

At each level riders must describe the scale of training and the importance of each requirement on the scale

SILVER: Ride test 4D or 5D & gain 63% with at least one List 1 2A or List 2 Judge

Answer five questions. Four out of 5 must be answered correctly. The questions are

PLATINUM AWARD – HONORARY AWARD: Ride test FEI Grand Prix or FEI Grand Prix Special and gain 63% with at least one List I or FEI 3*or above Judge

OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 23

KEY DRESSAGE EVENTS 2016/17 NORTH ISLAND RE, ICH & INT EVENTS 2016/17

Venue

Qualifiers

28 Oct

Pryde’s Easifeed FEI World Dressage Challenge

Manfeild Park

INT

N

28/29 Oct

Kieffer/Equiscan CDIW & Heritage Equine CDIY

Manfeild Park

INT

N

28/30 Oct

Central Districts Dressage Champs

Manfeild Park

RE

Y

11/13 Nov

Dressage Waikato Festival

Kihikihi

RE

Y

12/13 Nov

Wellington Dressage Champs

Masterton

RE

Y

19/20 Nov

Gisborne Dressage Champs

Gisborne

RE

Y

27/28 Nov

Northern Hawkes Bay Dressage Champs

Hastings

RE

Y

3/4 Dec

Southern Hawkes Bay Dressage Champs

Dannevirke

RE

Y

9/11 Dec

Waitemata Dressage Champs

Woodhill Sands

RE

Y

17/18 Dec

Taihape Dressage Champs

Taihape

RE

Y

13/15 Jan

Taranaki Dressage Champs

Hawera

RE

Y

14/15 Jan

Northland Dressage Champs

Whangarei

RE

Y

20/22 Jan

Auckland-Manukau Dressage Champs

Clevedon

RE

Y

21/22 Jan

Wairarapa Dressage Champs

Masterton

RE

Y

1/5 Feb

Bates National Championships CDIW/Y/P

Manfeild Park

NCH/INT

Y

1/4 Feb

Pacific League World Cup Final

Manfeild Park

INT

N

7/12 Mar

Horse of the Year Show

Hastings

1/2 April

Equestrian Entries U25 Youth Champs

Taupo NEC

NCH/INT

Y

NCH

AMS only

SOUTH ISLAND RE, ICH EVENTS 12/13 Nov

Otago Dressage Champs

Mosgiel

RE

Y

19/20 Nov

Ashburton Dressage Champs

Ashburton

RE

Y

3/4 Dec

Canterbury Dressage Champs

McLeans Is NEC

RE

Y

9/11 Dec

Southland Dressage Championships

Gore

RE

Y

21/22 Jan

Malborough Dressage Champs

Blenheim

RE

Y

28/29 Jan

Nelson Dressage Champs

Rough Island

RE

Y

10/12 Feb

Harper Horsecoaches SI Dresssage Champs

Gore

ICH

Y

8/9 April

Festival of Future Stars Championships

Canty Ag Park

RE

QUALIFICATION TERMS

RE (Qualifying scores for NCH but not series finals. Squad eligibility scores) REQ (Qualifying scores for NCH, HOY series finals. Squad eligibility scores) Series = Super 5 League, Zilco Musicals, Prestige Futures, AMS Pony & YR Performance League ICH = Island Championship (also REQ) NCH = National Championship CDIY = International Young Rider Event CDIP = International Pony Rider Event YDH = Elite Equine YDH Championships 4,5,6 yr old horses PAL = FEI Pacific League WC™ PALF = FEI Pacific League WC™ Final

24 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | OCTOBER 2016

WHAT’S ON OCTOBER | NORTH ISLAND

OCTOBER | SOUTH ISLAND

Boeckmann Horse Floats NI Championships

ICH

23/24

White Horse Equestrian Goup

LE

28

Pryde’s Easifeed FEI World Dressage Challenge

INT

29/30

Nelson Dressage Group Spring Tournament

LE

28/29

Kieffer - Equiscan CDIW & Heritage Equine CDIY

INT

29/30

Southland Dressage Group

LE

28/30

Dressage Central Districts Championship Show

REQ

Northern Equestrian Group Spring Series Day 3

LE

22/24

30

Waikato Equestrian Centre Spring Dressage Show

LE

30

Warkworth Dressage Group

LE

NOVEMBER | NORTH ISLAND

30

NOVEMBER | SOUTH ISLAND 6

Canterbury Dressage Group - Series with Ctby A& P

LE

9/11

Canterbury A&P Show - Series with Ctby Dressage

LE

12/13

Dressage Otago Summer Championship

REQ

19/20

Ashburton Dressage Group Summer Championships

REQ

5

Morrinsville Te Aroha DG Dressage Tournament

LE

6

Dressage Waitemata

LE

6

Dressage Tauranga

LE

10

Central Hawkes Bay A & P Show

LE

20

North Loburn Equestrian Centre

LE

27

Northern Equestrian Group Summer Series Day 1

LE

11/13

Dressage Waikato Festival

REQ

12/13

Wellington Dressage Champs

REQ

18

Egmont A & P Show

DECEMBER | SOUTH ISLAND

LE

3/4

Canterbury Championships

REQ

Southland Dressage Championships

REQ

19/20

Gisborne Dressage Championships

REQ

9/11

20

Auckland-Manukau Dressage Group

LE

11

Marlborough

LE

20

Dressage Northland

LE

11

NEG Summer Series Day 2

LE

27

Warkworth Dressage

LE

18

North Loburn Equestrian Centre

LE

27/28

Northern Hawkes Bay Regional Championships

REQ

DECEMBER | NORTH ISLAND 3/4

Southern Hawkes Bay Dressage Championship

10

Dressage Taranaki Christmas Cracker

LE

9/11

Dressage Waitemata Championships

REQ

17/18

Dressage Taihape Championships

REQ

18

Auckland-Manukau Dressage Group

REQ

LE

JANUARY | NORTH ISLAND 8

Dressage Waitemata

LE

13/15

Dressage Taranaki Championships

REQ

14/15

Dressage Northland

REQ

18

Wairoa Riding Club

LE

19

Wairoa A&P Show

LE

20/22

Auckland-Manukau Dressage Group Championships

REQ

21/22

Wairarapa Dressage Regional Championship Show

REQ

22

Warkworth Dressage

LE

31

Dressage Rotorua Anniversary Day Show

LE

For more details of each event & venue, and contact details go to www.nzequestrian.org.nz/dressage/competition/calendar

JANUARY | SOUTH ISLAND 14/15

Southland Dressage Group

LE

15

North Loburn Equestrian Centre

LE

22

Marlborough Regional Show

22

NEG Summer Series Day 3

REQ LE

28/29

Nelson Championship Tournament

28/29

South Canterbury/North Otago Dressage

LE

Canterbury Dressage New Year Opener

LE

29

REQ

Photo: Libby Law

OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 25

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26 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | OCTOBER 2016

THE MUSCLES The Strength and Conditioning Journey, Part 2

Article by Debbie Rolmanis Photos provided by Hayley Beresford and Libby Law

Debbie Rolmanis, founder of db Muscle Therapy is a fully qualified Personal Trainer, Human Sports Massage Therapist and Equine Sports Therapist.

I WANT YOU TO START A LOVE AFFAIR. Rest assured! You can tell your spouse all about this one (I am sure they will be excited), because I want you to start a love affair with your horses’ muscles.

Debbie holds a BSc (Equine), BHSAI, Diplomas in Human Personal Training and Sports Therapy and Equine Sports Therapy, all gained in the UK.

I may be biased (and a little nerdy), but there is nothing more satisfying that running your hands over a horses’ muscles which ripple and bounce back underneath your fingertips. I have been known to shriek with excitement over a particularly soft pectoral.

Debbie currently works/lives in the UK, with regular trips to clients in Germany including successful Grand Prix rider Hayley Beresford.

Everything you see your horse do, everything you feel and everything you want him to be able to do depends upon the health and education of his skeletal muscles.

www.dbmuscletherapy.com

SO WHY THE OBSESSION AND WHY DO I WANT IT TO BE YOURS TOO?

Understanding their importance and learning how to treat them like your overworking best friend; nurture, rest, build, nourish, you will become a much bigger and more proactive OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 27

player in the soundness and well-being of your horse.

LET’S TAKE A LOOK No one really needs to know the horrendously long and unpronounceable muscular names that some clever Latin speaking person dished out, but what you do need to know is how skeletal muscles work.

THEY TEND TO BE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: STABILISING MUSCLES; these are normally located deeper in the body and are short, strong and densely packed with fibres. They are primarily responsible for maintaining the correct position of a bone, or controlling a particular joint. A good example of a group of stabilising muscles would be the Multifidi, which stabilise the vertebrae. These muscles are also highly innervated, so they respond rapidly to changes in postural positioning.

To target these muscles is the job of the

initial stages of conditioning, the long, low, slow work with controlled steps.

From a place of alignment, always.

MOVEMENT MUSCLES The Superficial layer of muscles, ie those directly underneath the skin and fascia, attach to, and are responsible for, moving the skeleton.

These muscles connect, via tendons to the bone that they are in charge of moving.

The Origin (where the muscle originates from) tends to be at a fixed point that is close to the centre of the body. The muscle then, via its tendon Inserts onto the bone it is responsible for moving.

This point is normally further away from the centre of the horse.

Every time your horse takes a step you are educating these muscles and creating a platform for change. Whether this is good or bad depends upon how appropriate these steps are for his age, skill level and stage of conditioning.

ANATOMY OF A SKELETAL MUSCLE Skeletal muscles contain hundreds and sometimes thousands of muscle fibres which are all bundled together and wrapped in connective tissue. These fibres will have different contractile qualities, which in the horse will be largely dependent upon breed and the work he is being asked to do. For example TB horses tend to have fibres that react quickly and fatigue quickly (fast twitch), whereas the warmblood will tend to have more fibres which react slower and last longer (slow twitch).

The Nervous system is responsible for sending the instruction to the muscle to contract, and to relax, which explains why the first stage of training is relaxation. If the nervous system is too excitable or stressed, the signals for the muscles to relax are not sent so easily.

As we will see, the relaxation stage for any muscle is crucial for it to maintain an ability to work, and for maintaining comfort within the body.

Not all the fibres contained in a skeletal muscle will be utilised with every contraction. The number of fibres recruited depends on the phase of conditioning a muscle is in.

A GP horse, for example will be recruiting more muscle fibres than a prelim horse. The objective then, of Strength and Conditioning is to build the muscle fibres in size, and to train more fibres to be used.

28 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | OCTOBER 2016

HOW MUSCLES GROW; THE BALANCE OF STRESS AND REST The science of conditioning muscles is based on the fact that in order to build, they first must be stressed. Any amount of work will cause micro trauma to the muscle fibres, which the body then heals.

This increases the density and therefore the strength of that muscle.

By gradually increasing the load (intensity), healthy muscles are able to respond by recruiting more muscle fibres. The more muscle fibres that are recruited, the more healing and building occurs and more muscle mass is developed.

The key factor here is deciphering the appropriate amount of stress! Too much

stress will create too much damage, and not enough stress will achieve no change at all. This means that your training programme must be specific to the stage of training of your horse and your intended outcomes.

‘Physical adaptation requires specificity and patience’

SOME POSITIVE STRESS GUIDELINES Intensity=Load or degree of ‘collection’ Reps= number of steps TYPE OF EXERCISE

GOAL

FOR WHO

LOW INTENSITY, LOW REPS

Initial Conditioning to prepare for future work.

Returning to work after injury or sustained period of time off.

Young horses.

Walk, trot, straight lines, short periods of time LOW INTENSITY, HIGH REPS The Basics; shapes, transitions, basic paces, lateral work; foundation training.

Helps to target stabilising muscles To tone muscles and teach correct technique to activate correct muscles at the correct time; improve proprioception.

Basic work, straightness training, speed control etc

HIGH INTENSITY, LOW REPS Introduction of collected work; collected work for short periods of time.

To train strength and power endurance

Second stage S and C, the stage where most horses should stay the longest. This is an evolutionary stage, meaning that the intensity will gradually increase over time. Levels 1+ 3rd stage training, level 3+

Increase strength and power endurance to PSG-GP sustain muscle health throughout the GP Repeated periods of high intensity, each one followed by lots of rest (within session) test HIGH INTENSITY, HIGH REPS

OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 29

‘Overstress the same thing, in the same way every day and eventually it will break’

The objective is that your skills training or your sport specific work is running in parallel, hand in hand with your strength and conditioning aims. The focus needs to be on what each step is doing to the body, as well as trying to improve technique.

THE IMPORTANCE OF REST Growth in the muscle fibres is only possible if the body has a chance to heal the micro trauma that occurs as a result of exercise. This can only happen if the muscle has a chance to take a day off, or to receive a different stimulus after a day of intensity. Nothing will heal or grow if things are overstressed every day. It is in the rest period that the development occurs. Work creates the catalyst for change, rest enables the change to be realised. ‘overstress the same thing, in the same way every day and eventually it will break’ MUSCLE FATIGUE Muscle fatigue occurs when the demand for energy cannot be met, and when the waste cannot be removed. There are a number of physiological factors that will contribute to muscle fatigue but for the purpose of this article, we will take a look at the physical function of muscles and what happens when you ride.

Imagine for a moment, or cast your mind back to when you had a jumping session and had to adopt the jumping/2-point position. If you can’t remember, I invite you to stand up now and pretend you are in this position. Bend your knees, push your bottom backwards, bend forward from the hips and push your arms out in front of you. Hold this position for about

30 seconds or so and see how your thighs start to feel.

try to pass the job onto somewhere else in the body.

If you are not used to this position, I would imagine that your thighs will start to ‘burn’. This is the beginning of muscular fatigue. The burning is the increased metabolic activity/energy your muscles are using and the waste that this is creating in the form of lactic acid.

None of these options are desirable! By giving your horse regular 2 minute walk breaks through your training session, you can keep muscles and mind happy. This will help to avoid the negative cycle that muscular fatigue can ignite.

Now imagine you are doing rising trot (don’t worry, nobody is watching) and see how you feel after 30 seconds. The right answer folks is that you feel quite comfortable after rising trot and could do it for longer than staying in the static jumping position.

HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO YOUR HORSE? The static contraction of your muscles in the jumping position means that they are holding an isometric contraction; one that maintains the length of the muscles under force. They fatigue more quickly as they do not have a chance to relax and replenish with adequate blood flow. A relevant example of this is when horses are expected to hold themselves in a frame. The muscles of the neck (especially if they are forced into position, or if the core isn’t sufficiently strong to support the neck position) will fatigue and start to ache quite quickly.

THE CYCLE OF FATIGUE Once a muscle has reached a level of fatigue, it means that its performance level lowers. That means that the force of its contraction is weakened and it cannot perform its job as well as it needs to. The body has limited options in this scenario; have a tantrum, find a distraction (spook) or become a bit more unresponsive and

30 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | OCTOBER 2016

‘By giving your horse regular 2 minute walk breaks through your training session, you can keep muscles and mind happy’ THE TENDON CONNECTION A pliable, healthy muscle which is able to move through its full range of movement without hindrance, ensures that the tendon of that muscle gets the best chance of maintaining its integrity.

Muscle fibres contain a large amount of elasticity; they are able to stretch, recoil and be adaptive to unexpected stresses (within reason). Tendons however, are connective tissue; responsible for transmitting force and eliciting a tangible reaction; moving a bone. For this reason, tendons are not very elastic. I would compare them to the rope used in Tug of War. If the rope was too elastic, force would be dissipated and movement wouldn’t occur.

Muscles always want to maintain their natural length, which is a relief otherwise we would all be the size of hobbits very quickly. When a muscle experiences overload or is forced beyond it’s natural range of movement, too much damage within a portion of the muscle fibres occurs. This damage, in straightforward terms, causes a loss of structure within the muscle body so in order to maintain

their length, the fibres either side of the damaged portion have to sit in a more stretched position. Being forced to work in this position will limit range and ease of movement, but it also leaves the tendon more vulnerable to unexpected stressors; if the muscle cannot absorb any more stretch, it is unable to support the tendon in times of uneven ground, unbalanced shoeing or sudden changes of speed or direction. Working in these conditions over a period of time, will probably result in some sort of tendon injury.

FIT FOR PURPOSE Know what it is that you want your horse to do. This may sound simple, but you need to be building the right muscle groups for the intended job. There is no point building an Arnie Schwarzenegger and then expecting him to be a figure skater.

The dressage horse has the hardest job; it has to be a blend of weight lifter, ballerina and gymnast. This means that training has to support all of these areas.

SO HOW DO YOU DO THAT?!

To achieve strength and conditioning that is specific for the dressage horse, we need to build a balanced, fully functioning unit that • Has a high level of skill and • Is as resistant to injury as possible The only way to do that is to challenge all areas of the body. This happens by varying the stress points and as we have already seen, allowing the body time to heal.

In practical terms, this means that a week in the life of your dressage horse should include a bit of variety, eg: DAY 1: Intense Training; (intensity will be relative to age and stage of training) DAY 2: Low Intensity, High Reps DAY 3: Active Recovery; Hack or day off DAY 4: Gymnastic; trot poles DAY 5: Intense DAY 6: Day off and turnout DAY 7: Low intensity, high reps The general rule is that a hard day is followed by an easier day. The aim isn’t to confuse the muscles, but to have a

plan for each day and each week that compliments the work you are doing in each session. The aim should be to progressively add in more load, for the dressage horse that correlates to more collection.

Every strength and conditioning programme is so athlete specific that there is no one size fits all answer.

Consult your team to get the right balance for you and your horse.

KEY TAKEAWAYS As soon as a muscle fatigues, the cycle of compensation, damage and injury begins

Tendon health is reliant on muscle health Intensity and reps need to be specific to stage of training, age and stage of conditioning A regular 2 minute walk break on a long rein is the best thing you can do for your horse during any workout, it allows the muscles to replenish their energy reserves and remove waste, enabling them to work better for longer.

Next month we take a close look at Proprioception and delve into a strength and conditioning plan.

Muscles require movement and rest in order to stay healthy OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 31

Have you ever joked that your horse eats better than yourself? We are very pleased to have Fitfood joining us as monthly contributors, sharing tips and ideas for how we can add that little bit more spark to our training and performances through wholesome, simple nutrition.

CUPCAKES OR PROTEIN? DEBUNKING THE MYTH There’s an old saying that goes, “Lifting weights makes women huge? False!

Cupcakes make women huge!”

This little quote always gives me the giggles and it is no more true when it first surfaced as it is now! So, this month what I wanted to do is start debunking some of the common myths and misconceptions around weight training and protein intake for women.

One popular myth is that women shouldn’t train like men. The truth is that women should train exactly how they like and not feel that “training like men will make them manly”. The biggest piece of advice I can give surrounding this myth is women need to train for whatever goals they are aspiring to. For example, if fat loss is your goal then I wouldn’t recommend training for huge single rep power lifts but a faster paced moderate weight regime instead. Whatever the goal, the training needs to suit, so if your goals are for a bigger bench press or bigger biceps then you should definitely train like your male counterparts.

While we are on the subject of weight training another popular myth is that lifting weights will make a woman look manly. This is a personal favourite of mine as this myth heralds no truth whatsoever. There are countless studies that have shown that women who do some form of resistance training are stronger, leaner and healthier than woman who don’t lift weights. How you look is completely up to you and your DNA. The differences in a women’s physique stems from a combination of factors such as genetics, how you eat, what you eat and the movements, volume, intensity and the load used within your training program. In short lifting weights builds lean muscle and increases fat burning capabilities.

The next big myth I want to discuss is that eating protein makes you huge. This is yet another absolute classic myth that needs immediate debunking. So what is the truth surrounding this myth and how did it come about? So it was proven early on that protein is necessary for muscle synthesis, therefore the easiest way to sell

it was to market it towards men who were the only interested parties when it came to weight training. Times have changed since the early days of weight training and now there are almost as many women as men hitting the weights floor. However, that early myth that protein is only for men seems to still linger. So what’s the truth when it comes to protein? The truth is simple; every single person needs protein to function. So what’s the role of protein in the human body? Put simply, proteins are large, complex molecules that play many critical roles in the body.

They do most of the work in cells and are required for the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs. Of the 20 amino acids that make up protein, nine are essential.

“Essential” means that your body can’t manufacture these amino acids on its own. The only way they can be consumed is through food. Dietary protein supplies the building blocks of muscle tissue. It also supplies the materials needed for neurotransmitters and hormones.

So, back to why it’s a great idea for

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32 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | OCTOBER 2016

“Women who do some form of resistance training are stronger, leaner and healthier than woman who don’t lift weights...” such as whey protein powder, it has the same benefits as its meaty counterparts but it has a little added x-factor to it as it contains glutathione, a tripeptide that helps strengthen immune function! As you can see protein isn’t the demon some people think it is but more of a blessing than a curse.

Fitfood sponsored athlete and Les Mills Ambassador Anjuli Mack.

Follow her journey www.facebook.com/AnjuliFitForLife

women to consume protein. If you’re constantly hungry throughout the day, you’re probably not eating enough protein at every meal. Compared to carbohydrates, protein takes longer to break down and digest. This slow digestion time means you’ll stay fuller longer and keep hunger at bay, making it easier to hit your caloric intake and macros for bodyweight maintenance.

Protein has the highest thermic effect of food (TEF), which is the amount of calories it takes your body to process

and utilize a nutrient. At 20-35 percent, protein has the highest TEF. This means that your body actually uses 20-35 percent of the energy from protein consumed just to digest and absorb it! Since your body expends more energy to process proteins than it does to digest carbohydrates and fats, people who consume more protein throughout the day might see faster fat-loss results than people on a lower-protein diet. Another excellent protein source that can be easily added to your diet is supplemental proteins

Where a lack of protein can be problematic for anyone, it’s especially troubling for women who are extremely active in the gym training with weights, or even wrestling for control of a horse.

Tell me that after some training sessions your arms and legs are fried from being in the saddle all day. This is where protein really comes into its own. While your body needs carbs and healthy fats for energy, protein is essential for tissue growth and repair. If you’re pushing your muscles to fatigue, then a lack of protein in your diet can hinder your body’s ability to recover and grow! If you’re worried that eating too much protein will make you huge, don’t. Excess protein won’t necessarily increase your muscle mass to your male counterpart’s size but it will get broken down into amino acids to either be used as fuel or excreted. Remember that a female’s body contains just a fraction of the testosterone needed to build up lean muscle tissue so even with the addition of protein, you’re not going to pack on muscle the same way a male might.

So, just to recap, training with weights and consuming protein will make a stronger, leaner more powerful version of yourself. Associate this with lean muscle gains and not a masculine physique and you are on the road to a healthier better you. There you have it, weight training and protein will not make you huge, however I can’t guarantee the same for cupcakes. Eat fit, live well.

OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 33

TEN MINUTES WITH PETER HOLLER FEI 5* (GER) and Olympic Judge 2016

HOW DID YOU FIND THE AUDIENCE DURING YOUR LAST SEMINARS AND SHOWS IN NEW ZEALAND? I think they were very interested, active and enthusiastic people. Many showed expertise and proved to be horse people.

Many judges showed knowledge and experience.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE LEVEL OF DRESSAGE IN NEW ZEALAND? I think as is everywhere in the world there are talented riders and nice horses.

They can easily improve with the right training and help. However the situation in your country is completely different from the dressage scene in Europe or America. New Zealand has the problem to bring in the right horses and trainers because it is so far away. Moreover as there are almost no international competitions in this part of the world it is very hard to compare with top riders and horses which is an important step to improve. What I can say from my

34 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | OCTOBER 2016

experience is that the riders should not only concentrate on the technical part of dressage but also on basic quality, good paces, lightness and ease. Trips to Europe or America or watching events from overseas on television and internet are a good possibility to widen the knowledge and get the right ideas.

CAN YOU REMEMBER THE MOST IMPRESSIVE COMPETITION IN YOUR CAREER? This is easy. After I had judged many important competitions like the World Cup finals at Las Vegas, the World Championship for young horses and competitions like the CDIO in Aachen where I had the pleasure to judge exciting horses like Totilas, Valegro, Satchmo, Parzival, Desperados, Damon Hill, Verdades, Undercover and so on, and after judging several European championships on different levels, the absolute highlight in my judging career was of course judging the Olympic Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. This was an unforgettable experience, not only because of the fantastic atmosphere, but

also the fact that I was really involved and part of the Games. In addition of course, the incredibly high level of all the performances from Grand Prix through Grand Prix Special until the freestyle was a lifetime experience. I liked that our judges’ panel with seven very experienced and amiable colleagues had a wonderful time, and we were really happy with our team and the fact that we did a good job.

WHAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT IMPRESSION FOR YOU AT RIO? I was very impressed how well the riders and horses did under so much pressure and difficult weather conditions.

Moreover I found it very exciting that the harmony between riders and horses was so obvious, and that we judged many happy horses which fulfilled their tests according to the training scale. I liked that the competitors did not focus too much on expression and did not ask their hoses for too much but were looking for natural paces, a good contact and a swinging back.

IF YOU WERE ASKED TO CHOOSE A HORSE, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU PREFER FROM THE HORSES ON SUCH A HIGH LEVEL? It is really hard to say, because all of them have advantages and disadvantages. All of them are top horses with different personalities. I like them more or less the same. I think Valegro has been the most impressive dressage horse during recent years because of the quality, and also his outstanding presence in the arena.

Maybe he has been the most complete one. But the other two medal winners are exceptional. There are some upcoming top-class horses well ridden by young, talented riders too. So, that is why it is so hard to make a decision.

IF YOU CHOOSE A YOUNG HORSE FOR YOURSELF OR ONE OF YOUR STUDENTS, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? As a rider or trainer, I first of all I look for a nice character, harmonious type with a good conformation. I must like the expression and the charm and presence.

The horse should have three regular, quality paces and no major problems in walk, trot and canter. Natural impulsion, balance and uphill tendency are also of great importance. The horse should be eager to work, rather a little more active, sharp and attentive than too lazy. And what is really very important: If I sit on it, I must have a good feeling and sit comfortably.

WHAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT CRITERIA WHEN YOU ARE JUDGING? Judging is a very complex thing. But one of the most important rules is: The more basic the mistakes are, the more the judge should mark them down and vice versa.

To be positive before criticizing motivates the riders. There are fundamental things like the rhythm, suppleness, contact, engagement, activity or submission and the willingness to follow the rider’s aids.

If there are problems here, the mistakes are very severe. Formal things like a lack of precision (size of a circle, halt before or after the marker etc), however are minor mistakes on the lower levels. Here the basics like the seat and the aids have to be all right. Another guideline: The horse should always be happy, like to do the job and should never be forced or asked for things that it cannot do because of the age, the talent or the level of education.

In the top level clases, judging asks for perfection.

By the way: All the things that we are looking for as judges are written down in the rules and the handbook of the FEI. It is good to know both. Only if the basic riding that you do every single day is correct and good will you make a career in dressage and get good marks from the judges.

OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 35

ARE HIGHER MARKS ELUDING YOU?

By Isobel Wessels Photo by Libby Law

Do you sometimes wonder how you could get better marks in your test? You know how great it can feel at home in your own safe environment.....

Five-star dressage judge Isobel Wessels and FEI Grand Prix competitor sees it all from inside and outside of the arena and offers some easy to apply advice that every rider can benefit from. .

36 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | OCTOBER 2016

1. GET OUT COMPETING ON A REGULAR BASIS One of the main problems I see is riders becoming very tight and nervous the minute the bell rings.

Riders who have this problem need to compete on a regular basis and become more at ease in the test situation.

2. SET YOURSELF REALISTIC TARGETS Try riding at venues where the horse tends to be relaxed and go well and do not attempt a level or test that is too difficult. It is better to get mileage at a local friendly venue and enter for tests that are easier and familiar so that it is not necessary to have

a caller. I think many riders feel they have to go to the higher profile shows and sometimes, if the combination is not secure at the level, this can lead to bitter disappointment and a big gash in confidence.

3. WORK AT A HIGHER LEVEL AT HOME Try to make sure your horse is working at a higher level at home than you’re competing at. This gives the rider the opportunity to show off. If you’re going out at a level barely within your grasp, the overall picture won’t be one of lightness and harmony.

4. PLAN AHEAD Just planning well, arriving in good time not being rushed and stressed can make a huge difference.

5. KNOW THE TEST INSIDE OUT The rider should know the test inside out and feel confident about riding it in a competition. Confidence is at the root of success. Lack of confidence will translate to your horse.

6. CONCENTRATE ON WHAT YOU’RE DOING Don’t look at other people too much and don’t feel inhibited by working in alongside “big names”. Concentrate on what you are doing with your own horse.

If your horse becomes distracted during a test, put it behind you and concentrate on riding the next movement well.

7. TAKE YOUR TIME I often see the rider presenting the horse at breakneck speed, cutting corners with no preparation for the movements in the test. The way of going — which is under scrutiny throughout the entire test — is totally lost and naturally the horse has little chance to be shown at his best. The rider must be confident enough to take time, use the corners, make good use of the half halt and ensure that the horse is in the right balance to show off his training — not his lack of it.

8. GET THE BASICS RIGHT Getting things right at the beginning is vital to progress. If the horse shows a really good way of going in confidence with his rider and the tasks in the test, the chances are that climbing the higher

levels will be easy. Excessive spooking and tension is often a sign that the horse is not secure in the basics and needs more time.

9. ASK FOR FEEDBACK Most judges are happy to discuss a test if they have time afterwards. Bring your sheet with you and, as long as you are polite rather than confrontational, the judge will be happy to explain why you got the marks you did.

ABOUT ISOBEL WESSELS UK based Isobel Wessels is the current ESNZ High Performance Dressage Coach for Eventing, and NZL based Dressage & Eventing riders are privileged to be able to work with her right here in New Zealand thanks to support from a High Performance Sport NZ Scholarship.

Her involvement with riding, training and judging dressage spans 30 years after being inspired initially as a teenager living in Vienna and working with Ernst Bachinger from the Spanish Riding School. She enjoyed a very successful dressage competition career whilst living in South Africa, winning the National Championship on an ex race horse.

1985 saw Isobel return to the UK to take advantage of more opportunities. This move resulted in many wins and national titles from Young Horse to Grand Prix level. During this time her main training was with Stephen Clarke, Henk van Bergen and Carl Hester. To date Isobel has trained some 8 horses to Grand Prix level and currently competes Chagall at national Grand Prix level.

She became an FEI 3* judge in 2000 and was promoted to 4* in 2002 after finishing her international riding career.

In 2011 the FEI conferred 5* status and in this capacity Isobel judges now around 20-25 International shows each year and has been honoured to officiate at some of the biggest shows in Europe, the World Breeding Championships for young horses and European championships for Ponies, Juniors and Young Riders.

OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 37

Continued from page 37...

WAIKATO MASTER CLASS WITH ISOBEL WESSELS Thanks to support from a High Performance Sport NZ Scholarship and ESNZ High Performance, Isobel Wessels will conduct a Dressage Masterclass at the Waikato Equestrian Centre (Hamilton) on Friday 18th November from 7pm - 8.30pm.

Dressage Waikato has generously agreed to organise this. The masterclass will concentrate on getting the basics right to enable combinations to more easily move through the grades.

A $15 admission fee applies to cover the cost of venue hire. Everyone welcome. More details to follow on the ESNZ Dressage website and Facebook pages

Photo: Libby Law

38 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | OCTOBER 2016

Jody Hartstone & Ali Baba Photo: Lisa Thurgood

WAIKATO EQUESTRIAN CENTRE A WELCOMING EXPERIENCE The Waikato Equestrian Centre is a busy place. It hosts all Dressage Waikato shows other than the Regional Festival and attracts 200 entries on a regular basis. It’s key to success surely is that it caters for all ages and levels of riders, and provides a great venue.

becoming stuck in the carpark. Riders enjoyed large warm up areas, plus three sand and three grass arenas in which to show off their winter training progress.

Tina Klevering, the new Dressage Waikato Event Secretary, is undergoing dressage event organisation baptism by fire, rapidly coming up to speed with a secretarys need to know requirements, just in time for the Waikato Festival in mid November.

How inspirational for riders to see their local heroes getting in some practice before the big events coming up in late October. Jody Hartstone, Gaylene Lennard, Bill Millar and Kallista Field all rocked up to ride the Grand Prix which resulted in a win for Jody and Ali Baba on 67.8%. Jody was thrilled with the new sense of security and relaxation her horse showed in the test. Bill Millar and Raukura Satori MH chased hard for 66.65% and Gaylene Lennard on Donzello scored 63.00% in their first Grand Prix start.

Despite Horse Trials being held just two weeks before the second day of their spring series, the grounds were in good condition, and only one truck needed assistance leaving the grounds after

Wendy Skelton on Rocky received the highest score of the day with a 73.69%, closely followed by Holly Leach on her stunning stallion HP Fresco on 72.50%.

Holly also won both of the Level 6

classes on her new ride Federico, who showed good expression but a few errors preventing higher scores.

Meta Mair, aboard the talented eight year old Prestige VDL gelding Phoenix Spirit, scored two wins in Level 4 ahead of young rider Caitlyn DeLangen who enjoyed a good start to her dressage career with two second placings on Hilken’s Denali.

Waikato squad member Vicki Gibbs had good wins in both the Level 3 classes on her elegant thoroughbred Cabernet II. To complete the day, Dressage Waikato had a number of judges ‘sitting in’ for upgrading, however there were no real delays in getting the score sheets and results out as can sometimes happen.

A large number of riders were having their first graded starts of the season, and the welcoming, friendly environment offered at WEC by Dressage Waikato was a good start to the season for many.

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OVERSEAS RIDER REVIEW TOM OLDRIDGE - GER In 2013, Tom Oldridge quit his day job in Christchurch to concentrate on his passion riding and training dressage horses. He worked at this professionally in New Zealand for just over a year training his own horses, and those of clients.

However, he soon realised that the thought which had been looming in the back of his mind for years was fast becoming a reality - that the next step to further his career was to find a training position overseas.

In 2014 my partner Ryan was offered his dream job in Paris, and this was just the motivation I needed to also look for a riding job in Europe. Having always admired the German style of dressage training, it seemed natural to start contacting stables there. After just a short search, I was lucky enough to receive a phone call from Hubertus Hufendiek, a rider / coach whose training I had admired during his clinics in New Zealand. Ryan and I moved to Paris in December 2014, and after spending Christmas and New Year in Paris, I set off to spend a few days in Germany with Hubertus as a trial period. The riding went well, so after returning to Paris to collect my things, I made the move to the little-known (and little in size) town of Herford, Germany.

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Stables in Germany are something I have come to highly admire. The professionalism, attention to detail and total dedication to what they do, is nothing like I have ever experienced in New Zealand. So, as you can imagine, I was happy to get my hands dirty and learn as much as possible both about riding and training, but also about the process of operating a professional dressage stable.

An average day here in the stables starts at 6:30am with the necessary jobs - cleaning the boxes, feeding hay/ silage, maintenance of the arena and getting the first round of horses out to the paddocks. After a quick breakfast we then head out again to start riding. For me, the main part of the day consists of

“The main objective for the rider is developing a correct independent seat while maintaining a balanced horse swinging freely over the back.”

riding 4 or 5 horses under the close eye of both Hubertus, and his partner AnneLene Holmen (a Grand Prix rider from Norway). Our morning session finishes at 1:30pm with lunch, after which we head back out at 3:00pm to do the final jobs (some riding, paddock rotations and feeding up) finishing our day at 5:30pm.

The majority of the horses I train here are young horses of 4-6 years old, plus a couple of rides per week on the Grand Prix horses. The opportunity here is more than I could have ever imagined, and something I will never take for granted. As a dressage rider striving to improve, having two top Grand Prix riders watching you on every horse is the most amazing thing I could ask for, but it’s also been the most daunting and terrifying experience I have had so far in my equestrian career. The knowledge and experience they have individually is incredible but to have them together is unreal.

this there was no chance for me to be continuing my learning - being told some of the techniques you’ve used for a decade are wrong can be tough to hear. However, after almost two years of training here, I feel like the bad habits have disappeared, and it’s full steam ahead with the German style.

Although training is my main motivation while here in Germany, I have also been lucky enough to compete at a couple of shows. Fair to say, nothing in NZ prepared me for the atmosphere of the competitions in Germany. First of all I was shocked and extremely nervous to be told that not only did I have to compete with my test being called in German, I had to do this with two other riders in the same arena (many young horse tests have three riders competing simultaneously).

Thankfully, for my first competition I was lucky enough to have two experienced riders in the arena with me and, being the third rider, I happily played follow the leader. The second competition, however, ran much smoother and now I feel prepared enough to tackle more of them in the future. In addition to the differences in the competition style, it

can be quite unnerving to read the highprofile names of the other competitors in your class e.g. Helen Langehanenberg in my first competition!

The future has always been pretty clear to me: I need to continue training and developing my own knowledge. Whether I will remain here in Germany or moving on to the next stage of my training and career, I am unsure. However it is clear in my mind that I want to manage my own stables and train horses to the top level in the hope of representing my country on the international scene. My advice to any riders wanting to move and train overseas – do it, but be prepared for hard work and bring along a sense of humility. The opportunities here are endless, the training is world class, and, even with the language barrier in the beginning, European riders can be the most supportive and helpful people you come to know.

The training style employed here is a very classical German technique which follows closely with the scale of training (rhythm, suppleness, contact, impulsion, straightness and finally collection).

The main objective for the rider is developing a correct independent seat while maintaining a balanced horse swinging freely over the back. It sounds easy enough to write on a piece of paper but putting this into practice, as I have now learnt, isn’t quite as straight-forward.

Personally, I think rider humility should also be on the training scale, as without OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 41

‘If you can run, bike, swim or jog at a comfortable pace and have the breath afterwards to tell me what you had for breakfast that morning, you have a base!’

RIDER FITNESS...

DOES IT MATTER? Article by Ricki Jacobs

Ricki Jacobs is the head trainer at the Mega Sports Centre in Rangiora, Canterbury.

As a former semi professional rugby player he specializes in helping athletes improve movement quality and physical performance.

Ricki has a diploma in sport an exercise prescription, numerous strength an conditioning qualifications and is currently working towards a degree in sport and exercise science

“You can’t build a great building on a weak foundation” - Gordon B Hinckley The majority of you reading this right now might be thinking, how does the above quote have anything to do with fitness? well, the saying reigns true among anyone looking to improve health, longevity or even increase physical performance.

It is relevant in the fact that if you want to be a strong, fit healthy individual, building an aerobic “foundation” is the first and most important step in achieving these goals.

What is aerobic fitness?

Aerobic fitness is the body’s ability to move at an intensity in which your body has the ability to transport and utilise blood, oxygen and nutrients around the body in order to move and co-ordinate efficiently.

If you are not aerobically fit, your body begins to rely on another energy system referred to as the anaerobic system which means you are now working at an intensity in which your body cannot transport the blood and oxygen in time to keep up with the demands placed upon it, it is in this stage when we have a build-up of lactate in our muscles which results in the burning feeling we have during intense bouts of exercise (if you have been to a personal trainer before, you probably know what I’m talking about!)

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Once reaching this threshold any intensity during exercise will start to decline rapidly around the 45 second mark.

Having a solid aerobic foundation means we prolong the onset of this progression and can therefore maintain our intensity of exercise for much longer.

If we were to apply this knowledge to the sport of dressage, your aim is to have your routine seem effortless, all the while staying calm to keep your horse in the same state.

If you can imagine as your activity increases your heart rate will increase, this will in turn lead to a decrease in co-ordination, making movements seem harder, more frustrating and less rhythmic and we can all see where that would lead....

There are many more benefits to having a solid aerobic foundation including (but not limited to): 1. Improved recovery 2. greater work capacity 3. decrease their risk of coronary artery disease, cancer and diabetes.

4. Improves blood volume, distribution, and delivery to muscles 5. Helps decrease anxiety and stress 6. Strengthens muscles, ligaments, tendons and bones 7. Improves the body’s ability to use fat as an energy source therefore improves body composition by decreasing body fat

I’m sure many of you may already know these qualities, or for the few of you thinking how do I achieve this? Below is a great place to start.

1. perform 10-30 minutes of “light” exercise everyday 2. 3 out of these seven days, push the intensity a little, whether it be walking, biking, swimming, rowing or anything sustainable 3. record times and distances, try to improve one of the two variables week to week

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4. start off easy and gradually build in small increments over time 5. If you need to start off lighter than prescribed, performed light intervals of work EG 1 min worth of jogging followed by 1 minute of walking will help improve your fitness level, aim to slowly increase the work time Follow these guidelines and your body will thank you for it, unless you have any specific fitness goals in mind - eg running a marathon, you don’t need to be doing anything too crazy.

A tip I like to use with my clients is if you can run, bike, swim or jog at a comfortable pace and have the breath afterwards to tell me what you had for breakfast that morning, you have a base!

This does not mean stopping or slowing down in order to save energy! A steady sustained pace will do the trick.

Good luck in building your fitness foundation.

In my next instalment I will give an insight as to how to improve movement

IF YOU CAN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT IT, DON’T STOP WORKING FOR IT

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DRESSAGE NORTHLAND NURTURES NEWCOMERS To kick start the new season, Dressage Northland held a well attended information and lesson day at the Barge Park RDA indoor arena in mid September.

Talented and generous local coaches, Linzi Jobbitt, Ann Comins, Julie Harrison and Melanie Dougan offered free coaching sessions to C1 and C2 riders.

The ten 30 minute lessons were in high demand.

Judges were available throughout the day to give advice and answer any questions that riders and members might have.

Some riders chose to run through a test as part of their lesson with a judge watching and then have a discussion afterwards. All members were encouraged to come along and watch the lessons to pick up lots of tips and new methods to go home and try out.

A shared lunch was enjoyed by all and the Dressage Northland awards for 2015/16 season were presented by our major sponsor, Judith Matthews (Matthews Hanoverians) who came down from Kaitaia to present these awards along with Dressage Northland President Carol Going. Mark Cromie Holden who have been long standing sponsors of the Amateur Rider Circuit were unfortunately unable to attend.

Dressage Northland congratulates the following award winners: RIDER OF THE YEAR – Nikita Osborne YOUNG RIDER OF THE YEAR – Mihi Shepherd MOST IMPROVED RIDER – Rebecca Donovan JUDGE OF THE YEAR – Julie Harrison SPORT SPIRIT AWARD – Angela Hales EBONY TROPHY – Linda Henderson Following the awards, members were treated to an excellent presentation by Richard Viskovic and Melanie Dougan “Putting together a Musical Freestyle on your Computer”. This was very informative covering choreography and the various steps to complete your freestyle, where to get music, downloading it, the computer software and how to use it. We all came away having a better understanding of how to go about it and encouraged to give it a go.

MATTHEWS HANOVERIANS OPEN CIRCUIT 2015/2016 1st Candice Herman, 2nd Mihi Shepherd, 3rd Catherine Scott, 4th Rebecca Donovan, 5th Sarah Scott, 6th Carrisa Flavell.

MARK CROMIE HOLDEN AMATEUR CIRCUIT 1ST Anne Nicol, 2nd Kerry Holland, 3rd Christine Eastlake, 4th Kerrin Paget, 5th Vicki Berger

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Waikato Squad Members CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: 1. Sandie Podmore. Photo: Paula Stuart 2. Morgan Beere.

3. Vicki Gibbs.

4. Maree Lynch 5. Raewyn Nel 6. Viv Matchett. Photo: Lazy Acres Photography

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DRESSAGE WAIKATO SQUAD SELECTED Written by Jess Roberts

Modelled on a similar successful initiative running in Canterbury, the squad – consisting of six combinations - aims to provide support to amateur riders who are working towards riding at Advanced level.

As the selection process for the squad was required to be totally transparent, the criteria was very simple: members of Dressage Waikato highest placed on last seasons Superior Rubber Surfaces Accumulator Leaderboard (Riders Category 1- Category 4) were selected.

Waikato and Auckland Manukau – as well as the Nationals and HOY if they qualify. They will be provided with support when competing at the bigger shows, with experienced riders Scott McKenna, Christine Weal and Jody Hartstone already offering their help.

Selected riders are Maree Lynch (Don Incendio), Raewyn Nel (Donnerchole), Vicki Gibbs (Cabernet 11), Viv Matchett (Minobie), Sandie Podmore (GS Anabella) and the teams only pony rider, Morgan Beere (Wembleybrooke Sergio).

Squad member Maree Lynch, who is currently competing at L2 on her Donnerubin gelding, is grateful for the support. “Sometimes people are a bit put off with all the pros out there so it’s (the squad) just to give people a bit of a leg up. It is great that Amateur riders were selected and there was no criteria on the age of the rider or the horse as everyone has something to learn,” she says. “There is a sense of camaraderie going on already and it is a really cool thing.”

The riders are granted $500 towards their training, to be spent with their coach of choice, and also receive mentoring from Advanced riders within Dressage Waikato. The expectation is that they will attend regional shows – such as Bay of Plenty,

UPCOMING EVENTS AT ST PETER’S EQUESTRIAN ACADEMY, CAMBRIDGE Sunday, 6 November 2016 Waikato School of Dressage/Parenga Pony Club Spring Tournament Sunday, 20 November 2016 Practice Show Jumping Saturday, 3 & Sunday, 4 December 2016 Pukete Show Jumping 1* Show Sunday, 19 February 2017 Waikato School of Dressage/Parenga Pony Club Summer Tournament Sunday, 26 March 2017 Waikato School of Dressage/Parenga Pony Club Autumn Tournament Friday, 31 March 2017 N.I.S.S Dressage Championships For further information visit www.stpeters.school.nz - Equestrian Academy

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What you need to know about WARM UP ARENA ETIQUETTE Sometimes, surviving the warm up arena can be more difficult than getting through your test! Busy periods require “arena etiquette” to ensure everyone has a safe, stress-free warm up. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind next time you find yourself in the warm up arena.

LOOK UP! Many riders are so focused on their own horse – watching their neck and head – they forget to look around. Awareness of other horses and riders around you is crucial if you want to avoid accidents (or the odd word of abuse!). Does your horse need brake lights? Don’t stop suddenly without being aware of who is behind you. If you need to stop to adjust equipment or dismount, move to the centre of the warm up arena or exit the warm up arena. If you do accidentally happen to cut someone off or force them to halt, a quick “sorry!” is polite.

KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN! Remember that the sounds you may make (clicking, growling or whatever!) may help your horse, but may not help another rider whose horse may not react the same way.

LUNGING Try to stay as far as possible from other horses if you’re lunging. Keep to the outskirts of the warm up area, or the designated lunging area if one exists.

KEEPING A DISTANCE In a busy warm up arena, it is difficult to do, but try to avoid riding too close to another horse.

Particularly when passing from behind; the horse you are passing may feel threatened and decide to kick or panic and run off. Many horses get upset when another horse crowds its space. Just use your common sense – don’t ride up another horses rear end don’t pass too close – we’re not playing dodgem cars!

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Melissa Galloway // Watson Equine Photography

COACHING/LESSONS If a coach is warming you up, make sure they are standing on the edge of the area, not in the middle.

Make sure your coach is discrete! Shouting across the arena may provide others with a free lesson, but they may not appreciate it at the time!

LEFT SHOULDER TO LEFT SHOULDER When you and another rider are approaching head on, stay on the “right side of the road”, with your left shoulder toward the approaching rider’s left shoulder. If you’re walking or doing slow work, keep to the inside track/centre of the arena.

Photo: Libby Law

NO SUDDEN STOPPING Don’t halt or stop suddenly. There may be a horse and rider just behind you and remember - you don’t have braking lights!

THE OUTSIDE TRACK When walking use the inside track or centre of the arena somewhere and still be aware of what’s going on around you even if you and your horse are having some relaxation. Leave the outside track for riders using a faster pace. Don’t stop on the outside track to chat to your groom, coach, friend or family.

MISBEHAVING HORSES If your horse is having “behavioural problems”, please move to the edge of the arena so as not to upset other horses. Likewise, if you see another horse misbehaving, stay away and if you have to ride near it, do so quietly. If a rider falls off or there is a loose horse, you should halt until the situation is under control. A horse may be requested to leave the warm up area by a steward if it is considered its behaviour is disruptive to other combinations.

RIDE IN YOUR DESIGNATED WARM UP AREA IF THERE IS ONE

Check if the show has designated any particular area for your level and or for lunging BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHERS AT ALL TIMES Everyone has equal right in the warm up area. FEI and junior riders alike. Always give way if a collision is likely – even if you’re in the “right”. Everyone has special “needs” so please bear the following in mind • Juniors and beginners – less experienced, may not have much control over there mount, may be intimidated by other riders. Be aware they may unknowingly get in the way, please show some tolerance.

• Young/green horses – inexperienced, easily upset by other horses. Ride quietly around them and keep your distance.

• FEI riders - lower level riders must be aware of an upper level rider who is practicing a movement – they are expected to have more precision and their movements are more complicated. Let them complete the movement by giving them a little extra space. Lateral work always has right of way.

NO GALLOPING! Above all, use your common sense and make it a safe environment for everyone to enjoy.

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“The South Talent ID clinic, perhaps the best opportunity a young rider aspiring to achieve could be presented with, not only for the close guidance received from John Thompson but also the multiple workshops held throughout the weekend.”

SOUTH ISLAND YOUNG RIDER TALENT ID CLINIC 2016 Compiled by Julia Thomson, Kerry Goldthorpe and including comments from all SI TID Young Riders “Great venue, passionate coaches, enthusiastic riders and lots of food” were the perfect components of a very successful South Island Young Rider Talent ID Clinic held on 23rd-25th September and Selwyn Equestrian Centre in Christchurch.

The mile of ‘Prydes’ blew us all away with their generosity of sponsorship for the riders, and the Equitak Excel Jackets and wormer were a huge hit.

I think a few jackets were even slept in!!

Jaws literally dropped at John Thompson’s engaging energy and enthusiasm…and that was just his introduction! Riders commented they learnt so much and felt truly inspired to improve their riding.

Other sessions included Laura Dawson – Back in Motion Equestrian Pilates kicked off the weekend with a mounted workshop on Friday evening, any shyness or tension from either horse or rider soon turned to relaxation and laughter as relationships started to build. “Both mounted and mat classes supplied us with an arsenal of exercises from stretches to ridden patterns in order to improve our balance posture and flexibility while still remaining fun for horse and rider, all of this helped us to gain a greater awareness of the effect that our balance and position can have on a horse for the better or the worse.”

We were super lucky to have Dressage NZ Chairperson Lynda Clarke and Judy Alderdice, Board Member for Training & Development and National Selector join us on Saturday to talk us through the vast array of opportunities available to us and the pathway that Dressage NZ has in order to guide young riders to the top and how to utilise this. They also introduced us to the resources available on the ESNZ website and demonstrated how these could be used to our advantage.

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Jane Robertson, the Dressage NZ Steward General also held a workshop in which we were provided with the contacts and systems that are available to us in order to provide support when out and about competing, and how to handle possible situations that may arise in the best way, to achieve the desired outcome for all parties.

Equicoach - Jane Pike gave us the tools required in order to hold the most effective competition mindset and allow us to ride the best test possible without succumbing to the distractions both internal and external that we encounter when competing. She also covered the importance of viewing a situation with a positive mind-set so the best possible outcome is achieved.

Equine Vet Becci Bishop gave a super informative, interactive workshop on Equine Nutrition for our competition dressage horses.

The delicious aroma of fresh baking constantly drifted from the kitchen as did the piklets cream and jam, and cheese toasties and coffee. In the background constantly hearing the whooping of “Awesome” and wolf whistles from John in on-going lessons for riders both Saturday and Sunday.

The very lucky ten selected riders & their grooms enjoyed an action packed weekend, all felt they gained a lot of knowledge, and enjoyed getting to know each other in a relaxed ‘family like’ atmosphere, where they rode, learnt, ate & slept under the same roof for the entire weekend.

Feedback suggests an extra day would make it even better!

Georgia Allison on Rockstar wi

ith John Thompson

Left to Right: Johannah Schwass-Marsh, Careys Gale, Georgia Allison, John Thompson, Naya Cook, Kerry Goldthorpe Sitting from left Millie Thompson, CharlotteThomas, Grace Thomson, Lucy Cochrane Lying in front Meila Picard

Meila Picard on Buckton Denniston

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NORTH ISLAND YOUNG RIDER TALENT ID CLINIC 2016 Article by Jo Telfer - NI Young Rider Convenor Photos by Lynley Schollum Dressage NZ received an impressive number of applicants from all North Island regions in the pursuit for a place at the Taupo clinic. Many took the opportunity to submit photos and video, and feedback on applications from the Selectors Robin Haderfield, Judy Alderdice and Helen Hughes-Keen was extremely positive “It was not an easy task as the calibre of combinations was very strong. It is certainly exciting and encouraging to see so many enthusiastic and talented young riders” – Helen Hughes-Keen Chair of Selectors Selected riders ranged from 12 to 20 years and travelled to the Fiber Fresh Taupo NEC from as far north as Kaeo and as far south as Upper Hutt.

TID Taupo was fortunate to have Penny Castle, John Thompson, Judy Alderdice and Sarah Massingham presenting during the weekend, these gals and guy certainly know how to pack in learnings with fun.

Judy’s sessions included the Performance Pathway, Code of Conduct, Ethical Training, behaviour with Social Media and Training Scale. There was also a search on Rules online, so no one has any excuse in regards to not being rule savvy, anytime, night or day as long as wifi and mobile data is present! After the theory in Charisma Hall, Judy was tasked with judging 20 tests from Level 1 to PSG and after each final salute riders took the opportunity for some one on one discussion High Performance Squad and Accelerator team members John Thompson and Penny Castle coached and mentored all weekend and showed true tenacity and dedication during some of Taupo’s best torrential rain ever. Riders had two individual lessons during the weekend plus support with warmups and feedback sessions before or after their test of choice. In addition there was a coaches and riders review session for the videoed tests on Saturday evening. It’s hard to say if the Blue Team were actually reviewing dressage tests - there seemed to be far too much hilarity coming from that corner of the room for it to have possibly been Dressage!

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Hawke’s Bays Sarah Massington is an extremely experienced Physiotherapist, and fitted in sessions both with and without a horse. It is probably an easy assumption to make, that riders with youth on their side are all naturally fit and limber. However it seems the majority of our young riders came to the same conclusion – they weren’t quite as fit as they thought they were. Although many already include some sort of fitness routine other than riding, the focus on flexibility and core strength has hopefully given everyone something more to contemplate.

It certainly highlights that there is a definite need for ongoing rider training of this type, even for the youthful.

It was unfortunate that selected riders Phoebe Brown, Amy Sage and Becki Williamson didn’t get the chance to saddle up this time around, but we look forward to seeing these young talents riding at a TID clnic in the very near future. A special thanks to parents for your support and contributions, to our video camera loaners Leanne Smith and Caroline Harrison, Anita Beere for the icecream run (and sorry for blowing up your printer) IT support Gerard Turnbull and Alyssa Harrison, our intrepid writers, Lynley Schollum, Debbie Dickons and Nicole Sage. A big yeeehaaa to Teena Terrill who made the trip up from New Plymouth to feed us all weekend and then sat out in the less than tropical Taupo climate to video all 20 tests. Last but not least - our young riders, just fantastic, so many talented combinations, impressive!!

Riders who participated in the camp Alison Addis,Alyssa Harrison, Amy Sage, Amy Vujcich, Brooke Harris, Emma Dickons, Emma Turnbull, Georgia Gibbons, Grace Farrell, Hannah Van der Horst, Irina Smith,Isabella Chatfield, Isabella Small, Kiri Marie Pape, Lilly Jefferies, Madison Schollum, Morgan Beere, Samuel Gradowski-Smith, Tayla McDonald,Tylah Brown A big thanks also to Equitak Excel and to Brett from Branding Solutions in Wellington for supporting this clinic

OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 53

SUPPLEMENTS FOR HORSES Article by Dr Lucy Waldron Equine Research Centre, Massey University

We all know there are a myriad of supplements out there – but do you need them, and, if you do, which one to feed?

For the majority of horses, feeding on good quality pasture or forage with a suitable complete feed that’s fully balanced should meet all their needs. However this does depend on certain factors: •

Are you feeding the right amount of complete feed for the weight and workload of your horse?

• Is your horse a good or bad doer? If so then you may want to feed a different amount from the recommended level • It is important to ensure you properly identify any special supplementary requirements your horse may require.

Many horse owners under or over feed their horses, as they don’t know what the animal weighs. Firstly, selecting the right type of food, based on breed, age and workload for your horse is important.

All good horse feeds have a table of guidelines for the amounts required by body weight – which is expressed in kilograms per day, normally assuming 50% of their feed is coming from pasture or forage. All horse diets are formulated by weight not volume, and the other common error owners make is feeding by the ‘handful’ or ‘ice cream tub’ with no idea what actual weight that represents.

Every feed room should have a set of kitchen scales to weigh feed and a weigh tape (at least) for your horse. Once this aspect has been covered and you can be sure that your horse is being fed the right amount for what it is doing, then the use of supplements can be addressed.

However, if your horse is a good or poor

doer, or you are working them at a higher level, you may have to redress various nutrient balances via other supplemental feeds.

Taking the case of good doers, this can be a problem as a complete feed will deliver all nutrient requirements plus energy. Whilst protein vitamins and minerals are required on a body weight and workload basis, the energy factor can be varied depending on whether the horse tends to be fat or thin. A good way to achieve this is by using a feed concentrate – which is formulated without the energy component included and is designed to be fed alongside a designated level of energy-rich feed materials, such as cereals, allowing the horse owner to moderate energy intake and thereby regulate the horses body weight (in terms of fat). For Animals in poor condition that need to build a top line, extra protein can be supplemented in the feed to increase protein supply to build muscle. Good examples of these types of supplements include high protein forages, such as lucerne, or specialist milk-based products, which are highly digestible. Be careful to assess whether the horse has good muscled topline or is just fat before working out your feeding strategy. The appropriate energy to protein ratio can then be applied to achieve the best body condition score.

If you have a horse that has been starved, then it will need additional nutrients to not only meet its day to day needs, but also to rebuild the tissue reserves it relies on as a store to call on in times when extra is needed. It may have depleted essential tissue reserves, such as minerals in bone or amino acids in the liver, which

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need to be repleted to maintain strength and function. You may want to include a pre or probiotic or live yeast supplement to restore correct hind gut function, by optimising the bacterial profiles allowing fibre to be used to produce energy.

So – what supplements should you use and when should you apply them?

If there is a deficiency in your pasture, then this can be addressed via a soil test and proper fertiliser treatment. If this is not an option, then do make sure that you understand what the animal needs before assuming what supplements are needed. This can be done via a blood test – however this needs to be done carefully as it is only a snapshot in time and will vary depending on time of the test following feeding. If you don’t want to feed extra hard feed because your horse is a good doer, then consider a complete vitamin and mineral supplement or extra protein, to allow for higher workload.

This will help replace and build the muscle required for competing and will supply lost electrolyte minerals (from sweat) as well as providing higher levels of antioxidant vitamins and minerals that as essential for combating the extra oxidising compounds released in the body during elevated respiration.

Individual mineral supplements should always be used with caution.

Nutritionists spend a great deal of time carefully balancing minerals in feeds, as this is crucial in ensuring they are taken up in correct amounts. This is especially true where inorganic (oxides and sulphates) minerals are used in the diet. These have to be supplied in specific ratios, as they dissociate into charged elements in the watery environment of

the gut. They are taken up based on their electric charge, and most are 2+, so any extra added single 2+ mineral will be taken up in higher levels compared to the others. This will ultimately lead to deficiencies in other minerals over time.

Check for ‘hidden’ sources of inorganic minerals, such as copper sulphate used in drinking water, as these will imbalance feed minerals as well, and have been shown to increase brittle and broken bones in cattle. The current issues regarding using magnesium oxide as a doping agent is another problem in this area.

Because of this, many companies use organic forms of minerals, i.e. those that are bound to small proteins. These forms are found in plant materials that the animal is adapted to digest and absorb.

Organic minerals do not compete for uptake from the gut based on charge, and are better stored in tissues such as the liver. They have lower toxicity (e.g. organic selenium) than their inorganic counterparts as well. Look for words such as ‘chelated’ or ‘proteinated’ on

Photo: Libby Law

packs. They are also safer to use on an individual mineral supply basis, as they do not interfere with the uptake of other minerals in the way that inorganic sources do.

Identifying the need for specific supplement requirements can be simple or complex. Certain situations can be alleviated simply, for example grass staggers can be addressed by feeding a proven mycotoxin binder. For horses with sub-clinical diarrhoea, various digestive enhancing products are available that can help re-establish digestive function.

These are good examples of targeted supplementation which is justifiable and will not interfere with anything else in the diet. Others, such as selenium, are more complicated. Selenium is and essential antioxidant mineral required in very small but vital levels in feed. In domesticated horses, selenium may be deficient (especially in NZ as soils typically contain little Se). However, as for many minerals, the toxicity symptoms are very similar to deficiency (e.g. poor hair and hoof quality), so it must be clearly established

that selenium is the actual problem before over-supplementing and potentially causing the horse more harm.

Other supplements can be used seasonally or according to needs.

Complete vitamin and mineral blocks can be put out in paddocks during the winter months when levels in grass and forage are lower. If you are planning to compete, then ramping up electrolyte levels in the diet in preparation for extra needs on the day should be incorporated into feeding management. Feed requirements should always be planned in advance, i.e. for where you are going not what you have already done.

Identifying what your horse is already getting and what it needs to fulfil its own requirements and the needs for competing helps with identifying what supplements you may need. Although there are a great many products on the market, stick to what you need and keep it simple is the best advice. If you only feed what you definitely know you need, you will not only do the best by your horse but also by your bank balance.

Dr Lucy Waldron holds a PhD in animal nutrition and is a fully registered animal nutritionists with the NZ Nutrition Society.

She has worked professionally as a nutritionist in all species since 1995 in 48 different countries. She is a Research Fellow at Massey University, and is involved in practical research on novel feeds and supplements. She works with various feed and ingredient companies as well as individual yards and horse owners, including providing training courses at all levels of scientific know-how.

OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 55

QUALIFICATION FOR NATIONAL EVENTS 2016/17 BATES NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2-5 FEBRUARY (OPEN & AMATEUR) Entries Close 16 Dec on Equestrian Entries Qualification Criteria: The following scores must be achieved at a Regional, Island or National Championship or Horse of the Year between 1st January 2016 and 30th January 2017.

Levels 1 - 2:

One total score of 63% and over Levels 3 - 5: One total score of 60% and over Levels 6 - 9:

One total score of 57% and over (A total score is the final combined marks of all judges) Level 6 - 9, Championships: Grading points at date of close of entry (16th December 2016).

Level 6: PSG Championship for horses that have gained not more than 60 points in Level 7 Level 7: Int I Championship for horses that have gained not more than 60 points in Level 8 Level 8: Inter II Championship for horses that have gained not more than 60 points in Level 9 Note: Level 6 &7 Freestyles at the NCH will be ridden as separate classes. Level 6 horses will be restricted to level 6 movements using the Dressage NZ Advanced Freestyle (ie 3x and 4x tempi changes and canter half pirouettes only). Level 7 will ride the FEI Int I Freestyle.

HORSE OF THE YEAR SHOW 7-12 MARCH 2017 Entries Close 24 January on Equestrian Entries HORSES Level 1:

Horses must have gained one score of 63% or more in a graded ESNZ test at a Regional, NI or SI Championship or Young Rider Championship show. Level 1 Horses that have qualified in a Zilco Level 2 Musical Freestyle Qualifier may enter either the HOY Level 1 Horse Title OR the HOY Level 2 Title classes.

Level 2:

63% (1 score) in a Zilco Musical Qualifier.

Level 3 and Level 4: 63% (1 score) in a Zilco Musical Qualifier.

Level 5 and 6/7:

60% (1 score) in a Zilco Musical Qualifier.

Level 8:

58% in a level 8 or 9 test (not FS) at a RE, ICH or NCH Grand Prix (CDI 3*) 58% in a Grand Prix, or GPS at a RE, ICH or NCH CDIY 60% in Test 6B, PSG/YR, Int I at a RE, ICH, YRCH or NCH PONIES Ponies do not qualify in a Musical Freestyle.

Levels 1, 2 & 3 must have gained 60% or more in a graded ESNZ competition since 1 August 2016 at the level they are entering.

The Dressage Pony of the Year Title is run under Dressage NZ Article 465 Special Conditions.

Ponies with more than 30 Level 5 points or above are eligible. All ponies compete on equal terms.

The Dressage Pony of the Year Title will be decided at Level 4 and will be open to ponies that have gained 60% or more in a Level 3 or above graded competition since 1 August 2016. Downgraded ponies are eligible EQUESTRIAN ENTRIES U25 DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS Taupo NEC 1/2 April 2017 New for 2017: The Waldebago Trophy for the NZ Young Rider Championship will be contested at Level 6, not Grand Prix. There will be a new U25 Championship introduced at Grand Prix level. Riders from 1625yrs may contest the U25 GP level Championship No prior qualification necessary for any class at this event 56 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | OCTOBER 2016

DRESSAGE NZ PROUDLY PRESENTS THE

2-5 FEBRUARY 2017 MANFEILD PARK SOUTH ST, FEILDING

Molly Lumb & Lucarne Dolley // Libby Law Photo

BATES NZ DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS

INCLUDING… » BATES NZ OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS » FEI CDI-P & CDI-Y » NORTH ISLAND SUPER 5 SEMI FINALS LEVELS 1-9 » NATIONAL AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS LEVELS 1-7 » ELITE EQUINE YOUNG DRESSAGE HORSE CHAMPIONSHIP » NATIONAL MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIPS » PARA EQUESTRIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Dressage Musical Spectacular featuring the

CARTOWN FEI PACIFIC LEAGUE WORLD CUP FINAL Grand Prix Musical Freestyle (CDIW) With Australian Competitors, Livamol Optimiser Jumping Class - Saturday Night, Stadium Opens 5.30pm. Arena Side Tables & Dinner $880 per table of 8 or $120 individual.

To book email: dressage@inspire.net.nz

ENTRY CLOSING DATE: Friday 16th December 2016 via www.equestrianentries.co.nz

GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS $15 AT DOOR OR EVENT OFFICE FROM 2ND FEB OR FROM WWW.TICKETDIRECT.CO.NZ + BOOKING FEES

EVENT LIVE STREAMED AT WWW.EQUESTRIANLIVE.CO.NZ OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 57

EXCITING NATIONAL EVENT SEASON UNDERWAY International & National Competition & Series

BÖCKMANN HORSE FLOATS NORTH ISLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS

22-24 October | Fiber Fresh National Equestrian Centre Taupo Dressage Bay of Plenty will host the Böckmann Floats 2016 North Island Dressage Championships and Para Dressage Championships on 22-24 October. Featuring all national series from Level 1 to Grand Prix plus Amateur and Open Divisions up to Level 3 and Young Dressage Horse Classes for 4, 5 and 6 year olds. Australian judges will be officiating. Go to www.dressagebayofplenty.co.nz

CENTRAL DRESSAGE FESTIVAL 28-30 October | Manfeild Park - Fielding Incorporating the...

PRYDE’S EASIFEED FEI WORLD DRESSAGE CHALLENGE and KIEFFER/EQUISCAN FEI CDI-W (WORLD CUP QUALIFIER™) and HERITAGE EQUINE CDI-Y Pryde’s Easifeed FEI World Dressage Challenge nominations close on Equestrian Entries on the 1st of September 2016.

CDIW/Y Entries close on the 30th of September 2016 on Equestrian Entries. All horses and riders must have current 2016 FEI registration.

CDIW horses require current FEI passports. CDIY horses require either an FEI passport or a current validated ESNZ ID Book (no exceptions) CDIY/W Schedule at http://www.nzequestrian.org.nz/dressage/ competition/calendar/2016/october/cdiwy/

58 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | OCTOBER 2016

BATES NZ DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS & FEI PACIFIC LEAGUE WORLD CUP FINAL™ 2-5 February 2017 | Manfeild Park – Feilding

Entries Close Friday 16 Dec 2016 on Equestrian Entries: Qualification Period 1 from 1 Jan 2016 • CDIW and Young Rider & Pony International Events (CDIY/P) • Bates All Grade Championships, Super 5 League Finals.

• Elite Equine NZ Young Dressage Horse Championship • Amateur Rider Championships and Masters Championships • Para Dressage National Championships • Dressage Musical Spectacular Sat 4th March. Door sales from 5.30pm NATIONAL AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS AT THE BATES NZ DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS Amateur Championship at levels 1 to 4 will be run alongside the Bates Open Championship at the Bates National Dressage Championships as separate classes. Amateur Awards will be awarded in higher grades based on Championship points earned in the Open classes. Eligibility is based around rider categories. Qualification for the Championships will be at Regional Events with the same qualification for both championships. The term “Amateur” is connected to rider category status and bears no reference to the term amateur vs professional in terms of earning income in the sport.

HARPER HORSECOACHES SOUTH ISLAND FESTIVAL OF DRESSAGE Gore |10 – 12 February 2017 Entries close on 31 December at www.equestrianentries.org.nz SI JUDGES CLINIC WITH 4* FEI JUDGE ANNE PRAIN (FRA) Gore|Monday 13th Feb Details SI Festival Dressage Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ SIDressage/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf

SUPER 5 DRESSAGE LEAGUE The 2016-17 Super 5 League comprises a points series in each island at all graded Levels 1-9 (top 5 points only to count) plus an island final at both the South Island Festival of Dressage and the Bates National Championships.

National Super 5 rankings will be determined from % in each level at both these events.

Tests used for Super at Regional and National Events: Levels 1 to 5 - C Tests, Level 6 - FEI PSG v 2015, Level 7 - FEI Intermediate I v 2015, Level 8 FEI Intermediate A v 2015, Level 9 Regional Events - FEI Intermediate II or Grand Prix 2015. South Island Festival of Dressage & Bates National Championships SRS Final - FEI Intermediate II 2016.

OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 59

NATIONAL SERIES training, with the potential to capably perform at International Dressage level.

The Elite Equine National Young Horse Dressage Championship & Age Group Championships will be held at the Bates National Championships, 2 –5 Feb 2017 at Manfeild Park.

ZILCO MUSICAL FREESTYLE SERIES - UPDATED CONDITIONS The series includes Levels 2 to 9 (Advanced levels 6/7 combined) With an increasing number of riders competing inter-island the series conditions for 2016/17 have been amended in order not to disadvantage riders competing outside their island of origin Only the top 5 points will count • Combinations earn points in their Island of origin Leaderboard regardless of the venue of the PRESTIGE Equestrian competition • The SI Leaderboard will complete at the South Island Championships.

• The NI Leaderboard will complete at HoY • South Island based riders can earn points for the SI Leaderboard at any RE or ICH except HoY. • South Island riders will not earn Leaderboard points at HoY, but can be placed in the class.

• North Island based riders can earn points towards the NI Leaderboard at any RE, ICH or HoY • North Island Leaderboard points will be attributed to the top 5 placed North Island combinations at HOY. • Scores of 70 plus % - gain 10 points • Scores of 65 to 69.99% gain 7 points • Scores of 60 – 64.99% gain 5 points • Scores of 57 – 59.99% gain 3 points.

• Scores less than 57% gain 1 point.

• Bonus points will be added at the South Island Festival of Dressage and at Horse of the Year - 2 extra points per placing for scores achieved. www.prestigeequestrian.co.nz

ELITE EQUINE YOUNG DRESSAGE HORSE CHAMPIONSHIPS The purpose of the competitions are to select the best young horse which is progressing on the correct way of 60 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | OCTOBER 2016

Ltd.

The Elite Equine South Island Young Horse Dressage Championships will be held at the Festival of Futures Stars Championships, Canterbury Agricultural Park, 8/9 April 2017 PRESTIGE EQUESTRIAN DRESSAGE FUTURES PRIZE The Prestige Equestrian Futures Prize will be awarded to the best performed combination competing in the Super 5 League at Regional & Island events from October 2016 – February 2017 and meeting the following eligibility conditions. 4-10 year old horses competing at Levels 1 - 7 with CN - C7 riders at 1 August 2016 (Riders not to have ever earned grading points at Level 8 or above as at 1 August 2016) AMS SADDLERY PONY & YOUNG RIDER PERFORMANCE LEAGUE AMS Saddlery Pony & Young Rider Performance League aims to increase participation at a Pony & Young Rider level and to establish a culture where these riders compete against their peers of a similar age and experience. Every Regional Event, the Pryde’s Easifeed South Island Festival of Dressage and North Island Championships will run Pony and Young Rider classes at Levels 1 and 2. The league will culminate at the U25 NZ Pony & Championships in April 2017. Competitors must be 20 years or under at 1 August 2016 to participate.

Scores will be taken from Super 5 tests at Level 3 and above. League winner to receive a fabulous dressage saddle.

NATIONAL SERIES EQUESTRIAN ENTRIES NZ U25 DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS (PONY RIDERS & RIDERS 16-25 YRS) 1-2 April 2017 | Fiber Fresh

National Equestrian Centre Taupo Featuring the Hyland Pony Championship & Waldebago Young Rider Championship, York Corporation Inter-Island Team Challenge plus the final of the AMS Saddlery Pony & Young Rider Performance League. Classes for riders up to 25yrs and including pony and young rider non-graded section up to 21yrs. No prior qualification required. www.facebook.com/NZ Pony & Young Rider Dressage Championships.

FLYING HORSE MASTERS TOP TEN LEAGUE This competition is designed to promote dressage competition and participation for Masters Riders. The Flying Horse series provides an opportunity for riders to compete against peers at five different levels at all levels of events and competition regardless whether riders compete locally, regionally or nationally.

The competition will be open to riders 50 years & over as at 1 April 2016 and is run in five main divisions plus special awards from 1st April 2016 until 31st March 2017.

ALLINFLEX AMATEUR TOP TEN LEAGUE The AllinFlex Amateur Top Ten League extends from 1 April 2016 until 31st March 2017. The competition is open to Category CN - C5 riders aged 21yrs and over as at 1 April 2016 (C5

riders have never earned grading points at any level above Level 5) Riders must be annual competitive members of the ESNZ. All participating horses must be registered and pay start levies for graded competitions.

HORSE SPORTS YOUNG RIDER AMATEUR TOP TEN LEAGUE Pony & Young Riders who have never earned points at level 5 or above, and are competing on horses or ponies up to Level 4 at 1/8/16 can compete in the Horse Sports League. All participating riders, ponies & horses must be fully ESNZ registered. Scores from 1/8/16 until 10/4/17 will count towards the Horse Sports League. Level 1 horses & ponies must be competed by riders with no Level 3 or above points, Level 2 by riders with no Level 4 or above points and Level 3 & 4 and above by riders with no points at level 5 and above as at 1/8/16.

The top 10 scores in graded competitions will count. There will be rosettes for the top placed horse and top placed pony in each area, plus national champions and reserves in all six divisions.

PRYDES EASIFEED SOUTH ISLAND YOUNG RIDER HI-POINTS SERIES Each of the seven South Island Regional Events will offer a Hi- Points Qualifier class with the finals being decided at the South Island Festival of Dressage in 10/12 Feb in Gore. Riders must be max 20yrs as at 1 Aug 2016. There is no minimum age limit for pony riders. Riders on horses must be at 12yrs in the calendar year 2016

VIEW THE FULL CONDITIONS FOR EACH SERIES AND ENTER ON WWW.EQUESTRIANENTRIES.CO.NZ

OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 61

STABLE OF STALLIONS AIRTHREY HIGHLANDER

SPORTHORSE - CLYD/ TB X

lmoughan@xtra.co.nz

www.airthreylodgesporthorses.co.nz

CRYSTAL MT XODO

FRIESIAN

sandy@crystalmountain.co.nz

www.crystalmountainstud.co.nz

DONNERUBIN

OLDENBURG/HAN

jacindayounger@xtra.co.nz

www.donnerubin.co.nz

CEVIN Z MASTER LINGH

ZANGERSCHEIDE/HOLSTEINER KWPN

lee@equibreed.co.nz

www.equibreed.co.nz

FLORIS

FRIESIAN

marianne@glenrosefriesians.co.nz

www.glenrosefriesians.co.nz

FUGATO SW

OLDENBURG

sheenamross@gmail.com

www.sterlingwarmbloods.co.nz

GOLDEN STRIKE

GERMAN RIDING PONY

adponystud@hotmail.com

A D Pony Stud - Facebook

GOSS GREEN MIRAGE

WARMBLOOD/BRITISH SPORTHORSE

info@gossgreensporthorses.com

www.gossgreensporthorses.com

GT JAKE

BY JAZZ (KWPN)

info@roystonequine.co.nz

www.roystonequine.wordpress.com

GYMNASTIK STAR

HANOVERIAN

pwjmatthews@xtra.co.nz

www.matthewshanoverians.co.nz

HP FRESCO

OLDENBURG

hpequine@vodafone.co.nz

www.hollywoodparkequine.com

JOLMER FAN TWILLENS

FRIESIAN

marianne@glenrosefriesians.co.nz

www.glenrosefriesians.co.nz

ROHDINGER

OLDENBURG/HAN

jacindayounger@xtra.co.nz

www.donnerubin.co.nz

WORLDLY

HANOVERIAN

renai@riverparkfarm.co.nz

www.riverparkfarm.co.nz

SWEDISH WARMBLOOD

The Stable of Stallions is a co-operative fund raising venture between Stud Owners and Dressage giving mare owners the opportunity to secure discounted service rates and support Dressage WHAT IS THE STABLE OF STALLIONS? The Stable of Stallions is a joint venture between Dressage NZ and stallion owners.

WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES OF THE STABLE OF STALLIONS PROJECT? The Stable of Stallions has four key objectives • For the Studs: To assist stallions owners promote their stallions in a cost effective way by utilising the marketing opportunities available via Dressage NZ • For the Breeders: To make available discounted stallion services from participating studs/stallions which makes the use of these studs more desirable and cost effective and with the knowledge they are also supporting the development of equestrian sport in New Zealand • For Equestrian Sport: The increased availability of quality purpose bred sport horses thus boosting the development of equestrian sport in all disciplines.

• For Dressage NZ Events: Increased funds to further develop the major events on the Dressage Calendar, the National Championships and the Under 25 Championships HOW DOES IT WORK? All participating studs have generously donated ONE SOS service. The stud retains any booking fee and any usual applicable stud charges and Dressage NZ benefits from the service fee balance. The good news is we discount all services by $200 giving our fans a great deal. You must call the stud and use the promo code Stable of Stallions - and contact Dressage NZ if you are the lucky purchaser.

Tell your friends - help us sell ALL of these services.

62 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | OCTOBER 2016

DRESSAGE DIRECTORY Dressage Area Group Websites and other useful links.

Equestrian Sports NZ/Dressage www.nzequestrian.org.nz/dressage www.facebook.com/Dressage NZ www.facebook.com/Equestrian Sports NZ www.facebook.com/DressageNZ U25 Championships www.facebook.com/Stable of the Stallions Dressage Bay of Islands www.sporty.co.nz/bayofislandsdressagegroup Dressage Northland www.sporty.co.nz/dressagenorthland

Dressage Central Districts www.sportsground.co.nz/dressagecentraldistricts

Dressage Waitemata www.dressagewaitemata.co.nz

Dressage Taranaki www.dressagetaranaki.co.nz

Dressage Warkworth www.warkworthdressage.webs.com

Dressage Wellington www.dressagewellington.org.nz

Dressage Auckland - Manukau www.amdg.org.nz

Dressage Horowhenua www.horowhenuadressage.com

Dressage Waikato www.dressagewaikato.co.nz

Dressage Wairarapa www.dressagewairarapa.com

Dressage Morrinsville -Te Aroha www.mtdg.co.nz

Dressage Nelson www.nelsondressage.webs.com

Dressage Gisborne www.gisbornedressage.org.nz

Dressage Marlborough

www.sporty.co.nz/marlboroughdressage

Dressage Bay of Plenty www.dressagebayofplenty.co.nz

Dressage Canterbury

www.freewebs.com/canterburydressage

Dressage Eastern Bay of Plenty www.sportsground.co.nz/ebd

Dressage Otago www.dressageotago.webs.com

Dressage Rotorua www.sportsground.co.nz/dressagerotorua

Dressage Southland www.dressage-southland.com

Dressage Tauranga www.dressagetauranga.co.nz

National Equestrian Centres www.nzequestrian.org.nz

Dressage Taupo www.sportsground.co.nz/taupodressagegroup

Tielcey Park Equestrian Centre www.tielceypark.co.nz (Manawatu)

Dressage Northern Hawkes Bay www.sportsground.co.nz/dressagenhb

North Loburn Equestrian Centre www.nlec.co.nz (Canterbury)

Dressage Central Hawkes Bay www.sportsground.co.nz/chbdressage

Northern Equestrian Group www.freewebs.com/northerneq (Canterbury)

Dressage Southern Hawkes Bay www.sportsground.co.nz/shbdressage

Northgate Lodge www.northgatelodgeequestrian.com (Northland)

OCTOBER 2016 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 63