Issue 08 | March 2017
From the Editor WELCOME TO THE EIGHTH ISSUE OF THE DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN February has been a month full of emotion. Such excitement tempered with such sadness. Dressage NZ and the wider equestrian community was to learn of the tragic horse related accident that took the life a vibrant young wife, mother, competitor and supporter Tracey Blackmore-Sorrell, followed by another tragic event which saw our friend, photographer extraordinaire and supporter, Barbara Thomson, lost doing something she loved – trout fishing. We often see quotes on social media about the fragility of our existence and these almost seem a little meaningless until we come face to face with such tragedies. Normally, many of us would have had the opportunity to have a chat and chuckle with both Tracey and Barbara at Horse of the Year Show. So when we are there this year, let us celebrate our involvement in their memory. Enjoy the time and remember that everyone is doing their best to be the best they can. Be kind and support one another. Take nothing for granted. The FEI World Cup Dressage Final has dressage fans in a whirl with the news that Wendi Williamson has committed to an absolutely HUGE undertaking to get to Omaha. It has been touch and go to get “DJ’ there. Every new travel option seemed to strike a snag which impacted another part of what seemed like a great plan. We should all be incredibly proud of Wendi’s commitment and determination to follow her dream of representing New Zealand in the international arena. Her husband Jon is an integral part of the team and so we thank him also for his support. Dressage NZ is supporting the trip financially, but it’s only a portion of the total cost, keeping funding required for WEG 2018 in mind. You can support this venture through the Team Williamson online facebook auction. There are some great prizes donated by friends and supporters. I’m certainly bidding. If you would like to show your support in other ways please contact Wendi or Dressage NZ direct with your ideas. First NZL combination in the 32 year history of the FEI Dressage World Cup. We’re all with you Team Williamson, taking it to the world.
Wendy. Cover Image: Wendi Williamson and Dejavu MH have created history by becoming the first NZ dressage combination to qualify for the FEI World Cup Dressage Final in Omaha. Photo Credit: Libby Law Back Page: Barbara Thomson Photo Credit: ESNZ
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 2017
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34 CONTENT
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WE REMEMBER BARBARA...
BATES NZ NATIONAL DRESSAGE...
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STRIKING A CHORD...
PSI DRESSAGE & JUMPING WITH THE STARS
Championships review.
We chat with German FEI5* judge Katrina Wuest after her Freestyle seminar at the recent Nationals.
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WHAT'S ON...
MIXING BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE...
COMPETITION ANXIETY...
SOUTH ISLAND DRESSAGE...
One of New Zealand's greatest.
We have your season sorted across the whole country!
David Jones-Parry.
Do you get it? Well Lindsay Cook tells us what to do with it!
is coming up!
Championships review.
MARCH 2017 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 3
IN MEMORIAM
Barbara's passion and ritual was fly fishing at the Waitahanui River Photo: Thomson Family
Barbara and Tom Thomson Photo: Thomson Family
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Barbara and Hannah van der Horst at the North Island Pony Club Dressage Championship 2012 Photo: Thomson Family
IN MEMORIAM
REMEMBERING BARBARA THOMSON Joan Gilchrist has written a moving tribute to Barbara Thomson who was taken sadly on Tuesday the 21st of February. Dressage NZ would like to acknowledge the legacy of Barbara, she will be sorely missed but never forgotten by all of us. Poroporoaki hoa. Thank you to Show Circuit Magazine for their kind permission to reprint this tribute One of the worst tasks any journalist is faced with is writing an obituary for a friend, and I cannot express my sadness at having to pay tribute to my colleague and friend of over 40 years, Barbara Thomson, one of the most popular and familiar personalities in the equestrian world. Barbara had a passion for fly-fishing, her early mornings on the Waitahanui Stream providing her with a challenge combined with peace and time to reflect. That she should lose her life in pursuit of that passion is ironic as well as tragic. Barbara was a lifetime horsewoman from a Hawke’s Bay farming family, riding to school, hunt meets and pony club with her sisters. She caught the photography bug from her father and after a spell in a photographic lab, went freelance in the sixties and followed the footsteps of the likes of Joyce Galbraith and Pam Howlett. Soon her work was
the standard for those who have come after her. There would be few equestrian households over the past 45-plus years that would not have a Barbara Thomson photo in their family album, if not on the wall. Her photos also went world wide as she travelled to Olympic and World Equestrian Games, starting with Stockholm in 1990. Apart from when overseas with her husband, Tom, as he served in the RNZAF, Barbara travelled from one end of the country to the other, always cheerful whether in hail, rain or shine, expanding her horizons to overseas events as New Zealand riders rose to the fore internationally. Her photos appeared in numerous overseas publications, including the iconic L’Annee Hippique. From Pony Club to horse trials, dressage, show jumping and Horse of the Year Show, no event was too small or too big for Barbara, although she frequently dragooned family and friends in to help at the majors that no one person could have covered adequately. She encouraged and helped young and aspiring photographers, was a regular sponsor at a range of events as well as supporting riders, including international team members Blyth Tait and Heelan Tompkins, as well as partowning several useful eventing horses, which she enjoyed following. Barbara was also keen on racing and was a member of a TB breeding syndicate and a racing syndicate. As a photographer, she was meticulous and professional – as well
as very patient with horses being asked to stand still and prick their ears for a portrait! She was extremely generous in allowing use of her photographs to promote the sport, something that wasn’t always appropriately appreciated. Her efficiently maintained archive is a unique record of the growth and development of equestrian sport in this country. As a person she was warm and had a lovely sense of humour and she and Tom were welcoming hosts in their Taupo home…many have happy memories of three-day event parties, with beautiful fresh whole trout on the table. As the former Editor of NZ Horse & Pony Magazine, I found Barbara a totally reliable contributor and lovely to deal with. Personally, I have lasting memories of happy – if sometimes damp and cold – hours spent with her photographing events both here and overseas, where we shared adventures in different countries. It seems unbelievable that we will no longer see her trim figure and warm smile around the circuit; she will be sadly missed by a great many people and by the sport she loved. Our sympathy goes out to Tom, their daughter and son, Michelle and Mark, and Barbara’s wider family with the hope that time will dull the sense of loss. Rest in peace, Barbara. Your memory lives on in those who loved and admired you. All the best my friend, Joan.
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS REVIEW
TO OMAHA AND BEYOND Article by Jess Roberts | Photo by Libby Law
Wendi Williamson and Dejavu MH have secured their ticket to the FEI World Cup Final in Omaha
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS REVIEW
As all attention turns toward the World Cup Final - looming just next month in Omaha, Nebraska - leaving Team Williamson knee-deep in the logistics and preparation for flying a horse around the globe, lets take a look back at the test that won Wendi the adventure of a lifetime: the FEI Pacific League Final, where she and Dejavu MH danced their way to the top with a score of 75.725 The PAL Final is judged solely on the Musical Freestyle class, so while Williamson had pocketed both the Inter II and the Grand Prix on the previous days, there were no guarantees heading into the Kur – if you were in it, you could win it. And hotly contested it was, with three combinations ending up in the seventies. Williamson’s 75.725 was nudging right up against Julie Broughams Australasian Freestyle record of 76.02 (set two years ago at HOY), the powerful, elastic quality of Dejavu’s work putting him into a class of his own. Last years’ National GP Champions John Thompson and JHT Antonello chased them into second place with 73.7, and apart from one very enthusiastic piaffe-passage transition, they pulled off a highdegree-of-difficulty test!
Williamson’s score is the highest ever in a PAL final (a claim previously held by Australian Brett Parbery, who scored 75.3 with Victory Salute back in 2009 in Werribee, Victoria). What was the first thing that went through her head when she realised she’d won? “I think shock was the first thing!” she says. “I just wanted to pull off the test, so I guess I did have some uncertainty over the new floor plan as I hadn’t ridden through it with the music before.
Vanessa Way debut’d her new choreography – which earned praise from the judges – and music, NRM Arawn finishing on 70.525 for third place. Burkner Medal winning (2015) combination Penny Castle and Magnus Spero were back in the lineup, scoring 69.150. Castle’s test cleverly showcased her 12-year-old APH Lubeck gelding’s strengths, particularly his beautiful passage.
Dejavu MH flies out on the first of March (accompanied by groom Hannah Comrie) headed for England via Melbourne, Singapore and the UAE. Williamson will join them there and, after a fortnight in the UK, they make their way to Amsterdam, staying with Helene Pen (nee Arnaud, former Dutch International A Team Dressage Rep). From Holland they meet their charter flight that takes them – and all the European horses – to America. “This is a very long journey … we hope that DJ copes well and enters the World Cup Final in good health,” says Wendi.
It’s a strong Grand Prix field when a great 68.850 score leaves you in fifth place, but Taranaki’s Abbie Deken and KH Ambrose were in fine fettle and their strong partnership was evident, Deken having started Ambrose as a 3-yr-old and trained him all the way up; he is now 14. Lusitano stallion Ali Baba (by Hostil) didn’t disappoint his (very vocal!) fans, chalking up a personal best of 67.650 with Jody Hartstone. William Millar and Raukura Satori MH scored 67.275, with one of the judges remarking that some of the duo’s piaffe was the best they’d seen all evening.
“DJ was very hot but also very rideable, before the test he felt great and even though he was fired up with the atmosphere he kept focus on me throughout the test,” she recollects, adding “he’s an amazing horse and I am pleased that we were able to show some of the power and expression that he is developing.”
“It was a massive decision to make,” says Williamson’s husband Jonnie. “There is that tension between horse welfare and achieving your lifelong dream on the international stage. Of course I really wanted Wendi to go but recognised … that ultimately she alone had to make and live by the decision.” He says his role was to support the outcome whatever it might be, and also to be “devil’s advocate given the
multitude of options to consider.” Post-World Cup, the plan is to return to Europe and compete at some CDI shows before bringing DJ back home. Dressage NZ wishes Team Williamson a safe journey and the best of luck as they proudly represent New Zealand in Omaha.
A LITTLE BACKGROUND… NZ currently has hosting rights to the PAL Final every third year, although there hasn’t been one here in almost 20 years - since 1998. It was last held at Ti Papa indoor in Brookby, South Auckland, and there was also a Jumping Pacific League so all the showjumpers were there too. Six Aussies bought their horses over for the dressage, one of them seizing the PAL title. That was Mary Hanna, and, although he was wearing yellow and green, the heart of her horse Mosaic had a little silver fern stamped on it. Mosaic (by Witzbold out of a big pony mare) was bred by Eric Ropiha. He competed and won at GP level on multiple trips to Australia with Sharon Field - who produced him - until “on one of the trips I didn’t bring him home, I sold him to Mary. I cried the whole way back on the plane,” remembers Sharon. “He didn’t have the strongest of necks but was a strong-bodied horse with lovely regular rhythm. He could do one-time changes from one end of the markers to the other. To fit 15 in I had to start at F – huge big lovely changes. Mary went to the Atlanta Olympics on him and got into the [GP] Special.” For more information on this year’s World Cup Final, go to www.omahaworldcup2017.com
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS REVIEW
A roundup of some of the highlights from another action-packed national champs show‌
Wendi Williamson - Dejavu MH
BATES NZ NATIONAL DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 Article by Jess Roberts | Photos by Libby Law
GRAND PRIX ADMITS TWO NEW MEMBERS TO THE 70% CLUB Penny Castle has been the exclusive member of this club for two years, when, back in 2015 at HOY, she became the first person to hit the 70% mark in a CDI Grand Prix, scoring 70.02 with Magnus Spero. Nobody has been able to reach that again until now: in the Matthews Hanoverians Bates Championship CDI-W Grand Prix Wendi Williamson won on 71.220
(Dejavu MH), with John Thompson and JHT Antonello less than a percent behind her to post 70.640, earning themselves an extra $500 bonus each from the Seventy Per Cent Club Inc for their efforts. Castle was back in the running again for third (66.180) with fourth going to Jody Hartstone and Ali Baba on 65.140. Vanessa Way and NRM Arawn finished on 64.020 followed by Abbie Deken and KH Ambrose, the pair unfortunately held up for ten minutes before entering
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the arena which may have contributed to a performance not quite up to their usual high standard (63.620). William Millar posted 62.80 on his chestnut De Niro gelding Raukura Satori MH. It was a shame to see Julie Brougham have to withdraw Vom Feinsten from the competition, with many fans and admirers looking forward to seeing the pair back on NZ soil after their Rio Olympics campaign. A slight lameness and subsequent veterinary advice meant Steiny stayed at home; we wish
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS REVIEW
him a speedy recovery and a welcome return to the arena very soon. The National Grand Prix title was won by Tracy Smith on her elegant Australian warmblood Don Diego DC. The 13-year-old gelding performed some beautiful work, finishing the show with a 66.425 in the musical freestyle, the international panel of judges the same one that judged the CDI-W. Penny Castle rode her second mount, BL About Time, into reserve spot, followed by Wellington’s Kate Tobin on her chestnut I Like It (Iberio/ Wolkenspiel). Please see the PAL Final story for a roundup of the Grand Prix Freestyle.
Princess as having three clear paces with great natural balance, cadence and uphill tendency. It was also pleasant to hear her praise the horse’s rider, Zoie Gray, for her subtle riding – not overasking or over-riding the young horse. The pair won both the first and second round for their age group with 78.4 and 77% respectively, in a high quality field including Wendi Williamson with Ruby Tuesday T, another Hanoverian mare by Royal Classic, and Matthews Hanoverian’s rider Hannah Burden on Aroha MH (Anamour). Bred by John and Angela Smith, Princess is out of Lusenka, whom the Smiths imported in 2006 from
Freiburg in Germany; she holds Foundation German State Premium Candidate Hanoverian status. Princess was inspected as a foal and received Premium status by the NZ Hanoverian Society German inspection in 2013. The Smiths have a small stud near Waiuku, breeding only from Germanbased stallions via AI. They say this gives them access to the best European stallions available, and a broad selection to choose from so they can pick the best match for individual mares. All their mares are graded through mare classification and/or mare performance test, and the stallions they use are assessed in Germany prior to getting their breeding approvals. Angela usually backs her horses herself, but illness early last year saw her send the mare to Christine Weal and Zoie Gray’s yard, where they continued her breaking-in and training. “Zoie has done the majority of the ridden work,” says Angela, “and has done a good job.” Next on Princess’s neatly-ticked to-do list is to try to achieve Elite Mare Status from the Hanoverian Society Tour when they visit NZ in February. And then? “John and I have yet to decide what we do going forward, either a competition future or breeding from [her],” says Angela.
STONEYLEA WELT PRINCESS WINS ELITE EQUINE YOUNG DRESSAGE HORSE FINAL The 4-year-old dark brown Weltmeyer mare was the pick of the three horses that made it through to the last round of the YDH competition. The winners of the age group categories comprise the final, so also lining up were 5-year-old stallion HP Fresco and Holly Leach, and 6-year-old River Park Luciana and Robyn Coupe . The judges were very complimentary about the presentation and quality of the trio, saying they were all modern types with good natural paces. Visiting German judge Katrina Wuest (FEI5*) described Stonleylea Welt MARCH 2017 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 9
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS REVIEW
Level 1- 4 Champions; Level 1 - John Thompson, Level 2 - Nicoli Fife, Level 4 - Melissa Galloway, Level 3 - Abbie Deken with David Jones-Parry and Pam Gilmour
DEVILS ADVOCATE: YOUNG RIDER FEI MEDALLIST LUCARNE DOLLEY A STANDOUT “I was so happy with how Nationals went, Matilda once again tried her heart out for me,” says Dolley of her mare Devils Chocolate. “Although we had a few little blips in our tests, I was still over the moon with our results, and with the comments we received from the international judges.” The pair were runners-up for this accolade in 2016 so it must have been a sweet step up to the top of the podium. The 18-year-old Dolley – who is now based in Taranaki with her coach Vanessa Way – has just returned from Australia where she competed in the Victorian Youth Championships, which were held at Melbourne’s Boneo Park. Winning the Brougham Orthopaedic Trust CDI-Y Individual (67.132), the South Street West CDI-Y Team Test (68.368) and the Glorias Fashions CDI-Y Musical (69.750),
Dolley’s refined style, combined with her accuracy and preparation for the movements put her into a class of her own. While this years’ YR field was smaller than previous years (just three started; poor Sophie Griffith made the long trek up from the Christchurch only for Frangelico F to develop an abscess on arrival, which ruled them out of the competition) all the riders had significant personal achievements both Hannah Van der Horst and Emma Turnbull were competing in their very first CDI-Y’s. Hannah riding Moby’ll Do scored a creditable 60.5 in the Individual Test and Emma very kindly coaxed an uncertain Axiom through his test, the Waikato University student having trained him through to this level herself. International judge Cesar Torrente (COL, FEI4*) said it is important to encourage our Young, Junior and child riders. “The young riders are doing well and to me it is clear that with the right training they will get better and better,”
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he observed. “However I did miss [seeing more] junior riders and more children. We all have to pay a lot of attention to children, junior and young riders because they are our future – that must be a priority for the Federation.”
OF NOTE THROUGH THE LEVELS… Lower levels were highly competitive, the Level One being no exception. The title was eventually won by John Thompson and JHT Replay, with reserve going to the very on-form Kieryn Walton and Wisdom WDS. Nicoli Fife was back in the winners circle, taking out the Level Two on Charlton Balero, which also won her the L1-4 Masters Championship Giuliani continued his strong Level Three campaign with Abbie Deken, going home with the purple rug just ahead of Sophie de Clifford and Kinnordy Golda. Level Four was another hot contest but up-and-coming Blenheim rider Melissa Galloway proved unbeatable in
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS REVIEW
Lucarne Dolley - Devils Chocolate
Jody Hartstone - Ali Baba
all three tests on Windermere J’Obei W – an enjoyable combination to watch, such an elastic horse with huge reach and freedom of shoulder in his half pass work – with Vanessa Way in reserve spot on NSC Pronto. Mention must also be made of Chelsea Callaghan, keeping everyone on their toes and riding expressive, harmonious tests with her part-Friesian mare Sisters II Etta J – the pair have a fantastic partnership and continue to be ones to watch as they keep progressing. Vanessa Way (NRM KH Arion) and Hannah Burden (Dante MH) had a good tussle for the Level Five title, taking out champion and reserve respectively. Scores were very tight, especially in Round Two where the top four scores ranged between 69.5 and 69.929 in a field packed with very experienced riders, including Kallista Field on her gorgeous bay gelding Seraphim FE. Way also pocketed the Level Six championship with the headturning NRM Andreas – adding to her L5/6 titles at North Island Champs.
Vanessa Way - NRM KH Arion
Waikato's Alex Matheson had a successful show on Lingh II, winning both the Level Seven open and amateur championships, while Sheena Ross and Parkridge Disco added to last year’s victory with another wide ribbon for their step up to Level Eight, just ahead of Susan Tomlin and Dancealong who took home reserve champion. This year saw the introduction of the very first international CDI-P pony classes, the medal going to Isabella Chatfield and her charming Davidoff mare Prima Bella. Caitlin deLangen did a great job at her first Nationals with German Riding Pony stallion Hilkens Denali. The Amateur championships for each level ran alongside the Open and were equally competitive. Dunstan Horsefeeds Level One and JLT Bloodstock Level Two were won by Emma Wilson (her scores climbing into the 70s) and Tania Smith respectively, both riding Donnerubin mares. Samantha Fechney and the attractive grey JK Lucazen took out
the Livamol Level Three with reserve going to Sharon Dixon and Garavani. 16-year-old Alison Addis and her pony Whistledown Kristopha had a busy show, competing in both the CDI-Y and the Bucas Blankets Level Four championship – which they won. Carole Christensen claimed the Level Five with Vollrath Leila (Lessing), finishing on 68.071 in her final class, while Wellington rider Jacqui Thompson and her lovely bay Gym Bello gelding Georgio wrapped up the Level Six championship, followed by Sara White on Rock of Cashel. Visiting French judge Anne Praine (FEI4*) is also an FEI5* Para judge so we were very fortunate to have her judging the Para classes alongside our own Mura Love (List 1). Praine has judged at a number of World Para Dressage Championships and Paralympic Games including London (2012) and Rio (2016). Jodie Thorne and her much-admired San Mateo Tech Effects won the Grade IA title, scoring 68.13 for their freestyle test.
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS REVIEW
Julie Broughamwith runners from Otaki & Waikanae PC
Holly Leach - HP Fresco
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Tania Smith - Donnerbella II Emma Wilson - Raupapa Donnerita
Alex Matheson - PSL Lingh II
Chontelle Honour (Letz Danse) and Aimee Prout (Laghmor) leapfrogged their way through the Grade II, Honor coming out on top after the final tally. A winning freestyle of 71.25 bagged Rachel Stock the Grade III championship on her classy chestnut gelding HPH Benedict, followed by Bates sponsored rider Anne Watts on both her horses Craighaven Allanon (reserve) and BJK Cashmir (third). Jayne Craike and the perennial Showfields Papanui Crusader took home the Grade IV title. The Saturday night Spectacular attracted a good crowd into the stadium, beginning with an Invitational
Para Championship line up, Rachel Stock, Chontelle Honour, Jayne Craike, Jodie Thorne
speed jumping class (the jump-off an edge-of-your-seat watch which was won by speed queen Lucy Olphert on Eve Saint Laurent), the YDH and CDI-Y, saving the very exciting PAL final til last. Visiting French judge Anne Praine is not only an FEI4* but also an FEI5* Para judge so we were very fortunate to have her at Nationals alongside our own Mura Love (List 1). Praine has judged at a number of World Para Dressage Championships and Paralympic Games including London (2012) and Rio (2016). Chontelle Honour and Letz Danse were the well-deserved winners of the Grade II championship.
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Thanks must, as usual, go to Celine Filbee and her wonderful team for another fantastic show – the last word best left to Colombian judge Cesar Torrente: “I have to say that everybody made me feel at home and by the end of the show I felt that many organisers, judges and competitors were old friends, it was an amazing feeling. All my gratitude to Wendy [Hamerton] and to all the judges, staff and riders that made such a great show [possible],” says Torrente, adding “before flying back home, I went to Waiheke Island and it is one of the most beautiful places I have seen in the world.”
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS REVIEW
BATES NATIONAL DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS LEVEL 1 AMATEUR CHAMPION
LEVEL 1 OPEN CHAMPION (Anzac Tophy)
LEVEL 2 AMATEUR CHAMPION
LEVEL 2 OPEN CHAMPION (Killala Trophy)
LEVEL 3 AMATEUR CHAMPION
LEVEL 3 OPEN CHAMPION (Tuna Lodge Trophy)
LEVEL 4 AMATEUR CHAMPION
LEVEL 4 OPEN CHAMPION (Doornbos Trophy)
LEVEL 5 AMATEUR CHAMPION
LEVEL 5 OPEN CHAMPION (Kentucky Trophy)
LEVEL 6 AMATEUR CHAMPION
LEVEL 6 OPEN CHAMPION (Hobson Trophy)
LEVEL 7 AMATEUR CHAMPION
LEVEL 7 OPEN CHAMPION (Surrey Trophy)
GATESHEAD MASTERS CHAMPION LEVEL 1-4
LEVEL 8 OPEN CHAMPION (Trotter Trophy)
GATESHEAD MASTERS CHAMPION LEVEL 5-9
LEVEL 9 OPEN CHAMPION (Burkner Medal)
FEI PONY MEDALLIST
PARA GRADE 1A
FEI YOUNG RIDER MEDALLIST
PARA GRADE II
Emma Wilson - Raupapa Donnerita RESERVE - Leanne Stokes - Don Royale Tania Smith - Donnerbella II RESERVE - Isabella Chatfield - AD Dennache Samantha Fechney - JK Lucazen RESERVE - Sharon Dixon - Garavani
Alison Addis - Whistledown Kristopha RESERVE - Angela Hooper - Surreal BC Carole Christensen - Vollrath Leila RESERVE - Rhiannon Leak - Lumino
Jackie Thompson - Georgio RESERVE - Sara White - Rock of Cashel Alex Matheson - PSL Lingh II RESERVE - Toni Louisson - Astute
Nicoli Fife - Charlton Baliro RESERVE - Diane Wallace - KP Dexter Susan Tomlin - Dancealong RESERVE - Susan Tomlin - Reflexions Isabella Chatfield - Prima Bella Lucarne Dolley - Devils Chocolate
ELITE EQUINE 4YO CHAMPION & OVERALL CHAMPION Zoie Gray - Stoneylea Welt Princess (owner - J & A Smith)
ELITE EQUINE 5YO CHAMPION Holly Leach - HP Fresco
ELITE EQUINE 6YO CHAMPION Robyn Coupe - RP Luciano
John Thompson - JHT Replay RESERVE - Kieryn Walton - Wisdom WDS
Nicoli Fife - Charlton Baliro RESERVE - Wendi Williamson - Presley MH
Abbie Deken - Giuliani RESERVE - Sophie de Clifford - Kinnordy Golda Melissa Galloway - Windermere JObèi W RESERVE - Vanessa Way - NSC Pronto Vanessa Way - NRM KH Arion RESERVE - Hannah Burden - Dante MH Vanessa Way - NRM Andreas RESERVE - Tracy Smith - Lord Louis Alex Matheson - PSL Lingh II RESERVE - Toni Louisson - Astute
Sheena Ross - Parkridge Disco SW RESERVE - Susan Tomlin - Dancealong
Wendi Williamson - Dejavu MH RESERVE - John Thompson - JHT Antonello Jodie Thorne - San Mateo Tech Effects Chontelle Honour - Letz Danse RESERVE - Aimee Prout - Laghmor
PARA GRADE III
Rachel Stock - HPH Benedict RESERVE - Anne Watts - Craighaven Allanon
PARA GRADE IV
Jayne Craike - Showfields Papanui Crusader RESERVE - Jo Jackson - Jd Flash
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS REVIEW
NATIONAL AWARDS GLENVAR TROPHY BREEDER OF YOUNG DRESSAGE HORSE CHAMPION Stoneylea Farm - John and Angela Smith
RAKAUNUI TROPHY BEST PERFORMED MARE Emma Wilson - Raupapa Donnerita
TIRONUI TROPHY GRAND PRIX FREESTYLE CHAMPION Wendy Williamson - Dejavu MH
NZ HANOVERIAN SOCIETY AWARD LEVEL 1 TO 3
NZ HANOVERIAN SOCIETY AWARD LEVEL 4 TO 9
Wendy Williamson - Presley MH
Wendy Williamson - Dejavu MH
ANAMOUR MEMORIAL AWARD Wendy Williamson - Dejavu MH
EQUIBREED/WKS ADVANCED BREEDER AWARD Wendy Williamson - Dejavu MH
HELEN HOLDEN MEMORIAL TROPHY - TEAMS EVENT Isabella Chatfield - Prima Bella
Waikato - Holly Leach, Sophie de Clifford, Alex Matheson, Lucarne Dolley
Tracy Smith & Penny Castle
Celine Filbee & Jos Gresham
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Thursday rainwear fashion
IN MEMORIAM
IN MEMORIAM TRACEY BLACKMORE-SORRELL It is with much sadness that Dressage NZ pays tribute to Tracey Blackmore-Sorrell from Tuakau who was tragically killed in a riding accident at home on the eve of the national dressage championships. Everyone at the event recognised her passion for dressage and contribution as a competitor and sponsor which spanned more than two decades by dedicating a minutes silence to Tracey and her family at the riders meeting. Tracey began competing the part-arab Beau Jangle in 1998 taking him successfully through
the grades to Level 5 followed by the purpose bred Vollrath Wildfire who she also competed to Level 5. More recently Tracey had competed CHB Ripley's Dream and CHB Royal Genie. She was described in her death notice as a "soul mate" to her husband Chris Sorrell and an adoring mother to two young girls, Maddie and Hayley. Tracey lived life to the fullest, always with a smile on her face and will be sorely missed by us all.
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MARCH 2017 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 15
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
WERTH AND WEIHEGOLD MAKE IT A HAT-TRICK IN AMSTERDAM Article by Louise Parkes
Isabell Werth and Weihegold Photo: FEI/Tony Parkes
As if to further cement their absolute supremacy, the world number one partnership of Germanys Isabell Werth and the fabulous mare Weihegold secured their third win of the FEI World Cup™ Dressage 2016/2017 Western European League in Amsterdam. Having produced a personal-best score to top the line-up at the second leg of the series in Lyon (FRA) in October, they fell just short of that when also securing pole position at the next round in Stuttgart (GER) the following month. In Amsterdam however, their Freestyle mark of 90.720 percent is the highest ever achieved by the 47-year-old rider who is widely acclaimed as the most medalled equestrian Olympian of all time.
Gal was first to post a score over 80 percent when 11th to go of the 15 starters. And, next into the ring, Minderhoud looked set to overtake him with some wonderful work from his 16-year-old gelding until it fell apart for this pair in the closing stages. Kittel’s test just bubbled with excitement as his magical mare danced to the strains of Stevie Wonder to go out in front with a mark of 80.269 but then, with consummate ease, Werth raised the game with a performance that was in a class of its own. She said afterwards that this was her “very best Freestyle”, and that’s quite a statement from the six-time Olympic gold medallist who took the first of her two FEI World Cup™ titles back in 1992.
Runners-up were the winners of the previous leg at London Olympia, Great Britain’s Carl Hester and Nip Tuck, while Sweden’s Patrik Kittel produced an inspired ride with the delightful mare Deja to slot into third. Dutch riders filled the next five places, headed up by 2010 FEI World Cup™ Dressage champion Edward Gal who slotted into fourth with Glock’s Voice and 2016 title-holders Hans-Peter Minderhoud and Glock’s Flirt in fifth.
The roars of approval for her score were still ringing out as, last to go, Hester entered the arena with Nip Tuck who gave him “the nicest feeling I’ve had in a test with him - ever!”, posting 83.325 for second spot. But it was Werth who stole the hearts of the crowd who gave her, and her 12-year-old mare, a noisy standing ovation. “I’m so happy, this is our best form ever and I hope to save that for as long as I can! We are becoming safer
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with the music, more confident and together with it, this was really a perfect day!” she said. Werth has now moved to the top of the Western European League table ahead of Hester in second and Ireland’s Judy Reynolds in third, and the German rider looks a hot favourite for the title when the series Final gets underway in Omaha, Nebraska (USA) in eight weeks time.
RESULT: 1, Weihegold Old (Isabell Werth) GER 90.720; 2, Nip Tuck (Carl Hester) GBR 83.325; 3, Deja (Patrik Kittel) SWE 80.269; 4, Glock’s Voice (Edward Gal) NED 80.425; 5, Glock’s Flirt (Hans Peter Minderhoud) NED 79.610; 6, Apache (Emmelie Scholtens) NED 78.016; 7, Cennin (Madeleine Witte-Vrees) NED 77.649; 8. Zippo (Patrick van der Meer) NED 75.320; 9, Tiamo (Jorinde Verwimp) BEL 75.095; 10. Zaire-E (Jessica von Bredow-Werndl) GER 75.055; 11, Foco Loco W (Borja Carrascosa) ESP 74.170; 12, Rustique (Mai Tofte Olesen) DEN 72.399; 13, Don Gregorius (Inna Logutenkova) UKR 71.121; 14, Amorak (Stephanie Brieussel) FRA 68.904; 15, Lorenzo (Severo Jesus Jurado Lopez) ESP Elim.
MARCH 2017 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 17
MITAVITE QUESTION OF THE MONTH
Pictured Right: Andrea Bank training Stephanie Baker with her 5-year-old NPE Daku who is by Andrea's stallion Doringcourt (Dressage Royal)
YOUR MITAVITE QUESTION OF THE MONTH QUESTION FROM STEPHANIE BAKER: I have a young warmblood in his first season out competing and I wanted to gain knowledge on how to get the same results I get training at home transferred to a competition. At a competition he can get a bit hot and strong into the contact and may also come slightly above the bit due to all the distractions and wanting to look around. How do I get the same soft contact and relaxation whilst at a competition and help keep his mind on the job?
Do you have a query regarding the care, maintenance or training of your dressage horse? Go to the DressageNZ Bulletin Facebook page and submit your training questions A question will be selected and sent to one of our participating coaches to answer for you! The winning question will receive a bag of Mitavite feed selected by the expert Mitavite team for your \ horse! Thank you Mitavite – for supporting Dressage NZ Congratulations Stephanie!
ANSWER FROM ANDREA BANK: Make sure you get to the competition early enough so you give yourself plenty of time. You may even have to ride your horse early before the test, even if it is just a walk and light trot around to get rid of excess energy and tension. Make it fun for your horse, if he has a lot of energy and he needs to release some tension at the beginning of your ride, find somewhere in the warm up arena where you have some room and it is safe to canter him around in two point position until you can feel him relaxing his mind and body. Your want to have the feeling that he lets you into his back and allows you to put your legs on and ride him. Transitions, transitions, transitions. You must keep your horse busy and thinking on you. Lots of circles and transitions. You must enter the warm up with confidence and have a plan in place. Use a lot of positive reinforcement! Talk to him, but quietly so the judge cannot hear. Sometimes I find you can quietly rub their neck in the arena to let them know they are doing well, boosting their confidence so they want to perform for you is very important. The most important point for me is to not get frustrated with your horse when it doesn’t perform in the competition arena like it does at home. This is every riders challenge, even the top riders in the world riding Grand Prix. It will take time for the horse to learn to relax and be confident in the competition arena, many surfaces are different and
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the environment changes depending where you are competing. Your main goal has to be for the horse to trust you and follow your aids and body language. Remember, the horses feel everything. Sometimes the rider has to make sure they are breathing and not holding tension in their bodies. We can be doing this's without realising. Perhaps when you are at home training one day test yourself and think about your breath and your horses breath, you should be able to hear them breathing also. Perhaps when you go around the dressage arena before you enter shake your shoulders and arms and release the tension out of your body. Take advantage of trainings days that are run by local dressage groups and have your regular lessons at different locations so your instructor can see how you and your horse react in a different environment. Then they will be able to give you some new tools that will help you in the competition arena. Remember everyone has their ups and downs with young horses, it is important to remember to have fun, enjoy your horse and be confident in the training that you have done at home.
MITAVITE EQUINE NUTRITION
SUPPORTING THE YOUNG HORSE & COOL PERFORMANCE WITH VITAMITE® SHOW PRIMER® Article by Gail Sramek BAppSc Agr– Nutritionist to Mitavite
Maximizing both the physical and emotional health of any horse begins with diet and the environment. Young horses in a strange environment, mixed with potential nerves from the rider can add to the tension the horse experiences and cause them to react quite differently to how they would at home. Training and experience is vitally important to continue to improve the horse’s performance and responses, but feeding appropriately can also play an important role. Vitamite® Show Primer® is a cool, low dose, high oil supplement low in sugar and starch, for use when prize winning condition and presentation is required in a manageable form. Suitable and safe for horses and ponies, Vitamite® Show Primer® is highly palatable and easy to use in conjunction with your horse's usual diet. By keeping sugar and starch levels to a minimum in feeds, horses that are easily excited or hard to manage may be kept calmer due to potentially producing less dopamine.
The production of dopamine has been linked with high levels of brain glucose (the units which sugar and starch are made from) which can increase awareness and excitability. Poorly digested sugar and starch in the small intestine can pass through to the hindgut and also produce heat, acid and gas that may contribute to agitation and excitability in some horses. By feeding a nutrient balancer with no added grains, with a steam extruded rice based energy supplement such as Vitamite® Show Primer®, fluctuations in sugar and starch may be lowered, which may minimise unpredictable behaviour. Lowered resting heart rates and lactate accumulation and manageability and control may also be improved when rice based feeds are fed. Minimising digestive disorders may be an important factor in managing horse’s behavior. If sugars and starches pass through the small intestine undigested, lactic acid, heat and gas are produced in the hind gut. This can affect the delicate pH and balance of microbes in the hindgut that may lead to disorders such as hindgut acidosis, colic and diarrhoea.
Vitamite® Show Primer® also contains added Echinacea herbs for all-round good health and wellbeing. Trials have show that Echinacea supplementation can act as a blood booster by increasing the concentration of red blood cells in horses, supporting oxygen supply. Magnesium is an important electrolyte that has a role in the metabolism of bone and energy in the horse. Cool, calm behaviour can be encouraged by providing the correct level of Magnesium in the diet, as deficiencies may have a negative impact on the nervous system. Vitamite® Show Primer® is an excellent energy supplement by providing high levels of oil to fuel the high performance horse whilst being cool and promoting overall well being. The amount of Show Primer® fed can be adjusted depending on the makeup and workload of the horse.
MARCH 2017 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 19
OUT & ABOUT
South Island Level 3: Rachael Powell, Julie Manson, Rhiannon Moss, Dani Simpson, Rebecca Rowlands
South Island Level 8: Andrea Raves (Sponsor), Kirsty Schist
South Island Level 2: Kristin Cottam, Jodi Gardner, Jackie Thomas, Marlene Parkinson, Lorraine Ward-Smith
North Island Level 4: Gretel Webber (Sponsor), Vanessa Way, Chelsea Callaghan, Sophie de Clifford, Kathryn Corrie, Hannah Burden
Super 5 League Season Highlights South Island Championship photos: Kristel Mack Saunders | National championship photos: Libby Law Photography
9.
South Island Level 4: Mary Davis, Kerrie Morrison, Julie Fraser, Sonya McLachlan, Rebecca Rowlands
20 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | MARCH 2017
8.
OUT & ABOUT
North Island Level 1: Pam Gilmour, John Thompson, Wendi Williamson, Kieryn Walton, Emma Wilson,Ellen Mitchell
South Island Level 6: Jude Nickolls, Lauren Haig, Sarah Waddell, Fiona Sharp
South Island Level 7: Agnes Irwin, Joy White, Barbara Chalmers
North Island Level 3: Pam Gilmour, Sophie de Clifford, Abbie Deken, Sharon Dixon, Willa Aitken, Robyn Coupe
North Island Level 7: Matt Zeludko & Alicia Collin (sponsors), Pam Gilmour, Toni Louisson, Vanessa Fenemor, Alex Matheson, Louisa Ayres, Sophie de Clifford
MARCH 2017 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 21
NATIONAL SUPER 5 LEAGUE CHAMPIONS DECIDED
YOUR BUSINESS COULD BE HERE jeremy@snaffledesign.co.nz
VETPRO LEVEL 1 JHT Replay
John Thompson
Waikato
74.327
1
Don Vito MH
Wendi Williamson
Waitemata
72.019
2
Wisdom WDS
Kieryn Walton
Waikato
70.769
3
Raupapa Donnerita
Emma Wilson
Wellington
69.808
4
Southern Hit
Hielke De Graaf
Otago
69.615
5
MATTHEWS HANOVERIANS LEVEL 2 Fernlea Diamond Day
Lorraine Ward-Smith
SCNO
75.521
1
Parkridge Luke
Marlene Parkinson
Southland
69.479
2
Sartorial Hit SW
Jackie Thomas
Otago
69.271
3
KP Dexter
Diane Wallace
Marlborough
68.750
4
Presley MH
Wendi Williamson
Waitemata
68.438
5
BATESON TRAILERS NZ LEVEL 3 Kinnordy Golda
Sophie de Clifford
Waikato
72.027
1
Giuliani
Abbie Deken
Taranaki
71.081
2
Garavani
Sharon Dixon
Wellington
68.919
3
Solo
Rebecca Rowlands
Canterbury
68.716
4
Greenmoor Euphoria
Dani Simpson
Canterbury
68.514
5
Marlborough
74.662
1 2
DUNSTAN HORSEFEEDS LEVEL 4 Windermere JObei W
Melissa Galloway
NSC Pronto
Vanessa Way
Taranaki
70.203
Decadance MH
Hannah Burden
Northland
69.054
3
Southwell Rendevouz
Rebecca Rowlands
Canterbury
68.243
4
Alamo BL
Sophie de Clifford
Waikato
68.041
5
Dante MH
Hannah Burden
Northland
70.163
1
NRM KH Arion
Vanessa Way
Taranaki
68.862
2
Vollrath Leila
Carole Christensen
Wellington
68.293
3
Sparks Will Fly
Mandy Littlejohn
Central Districts
67.805
4
Waikato
67.683
5
FIBER FRESH LEVEL 5
Rosari Don Carlos
Kieryn Walton
HOBSON HORSECOACHES LEVEL 6 NRM Andreas
Vanessa Way
Taranaki
67.149
1
Letty Lei
Victoria Wall
Waitemata
65.307
2
First Impression
Lisa Blackbourn
Waikato
65.307
3
Leo Dreams Of Gold
Fiona Sharp
Southland
64.868
4
Georgio
Jacqui Thompson
Wellington
64.825
5
22 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | MARCH 2017
Sheena Ross - Parkridge Disco SW Photo: Libby Law
The National Super 5 League Champions have been decided for 2017 following Island finals at the Bates Nationals and Harpers Horsecoaches SI Championships. The judges were not the same in the semis, but the rankings were determined on % in a similar way to the FEI World Dressage Challenge rankings. Scores achieved show the standard is high and similar across the country, particularly at the lower levels. A huge thanks to the Super 5 League sponsors for supporting this new concept and a huge congratulations to all the riders who participated and especially those who scored a top 5 finish. In all, 400 combinations earned Super 5 League points throughout the series. CUSTOM LOGISTICS LEVEL 7 Rossellini
Barbara Chalmers
Otago
67.204
1 2
PSL Lingh II
Alex Matheson
Waikato
66.842
Astute
Toni Louisson
Central Districts
65.395
3
Donnerheim
Vanessa Fenemor
Auckland
65.175
4
Gammon Ks
Joy White
Canterbury
58.026
5
ANDREA RAVES FETTERMAN LEVEL 8 Parkridge Disco SW
Sheena Ross
Auckland
65.509
1
Dancealong
Susan Tomlin
Central Districts
65.046
2
Aztec Lad
Paula Stuart
Waikato
64.259
3
Amorette
Joanne Brown
Wairarapa
61.435
4
Kirsty Schist
Canterbury
61.417
5
Kinnordy Gambado
SUPERIOR RUBBER SURFACES - LEVEL 9 Dejavu MH
Wendi Williamson
Waitemata
70.421
1
K H Ambrose
Abbie Deken
Taranaki
68.421
2
Magnus Spero
Penny Castle
Central Districts
67.500
3
Ali Baba
Jody Hartstone
Waikato
65.842
4
Raukura Satori MH
William Millar
Waikato
65.132
5
MARCH 2017 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 23
INTERVIEW
STRIKING A CHORD Article by Jess Roberts | Photos by Libby Law
Frequently acknowledged as one of the world’s leading authorities on Musical Freestyles and the way they are judged, we were lucky enough to have German FEI5* judge Katrina Wuest attend the Bates National Championships. She judged a variety of classes – including the PAL Final - as well as presenting a seminar on the keys to a successful freestyle. Wuest is a most interesting woman, having trained and competed her own horses to Grand Prix (she was a member of the German B Team in the 1970s-80s), and has a major in German and American Literature, as well as studying History of Arts in Italy. She stopped competing to spend time with
her family – she has three children – and moved more toward dressage judging, gaining 5* classification in 2006. She has judged many international shows including four World Cup Finals, and Championships (including the Europeans) on all levels from Young Horse up to Seniors. Wuest was also a member of the Dressage Task Force in 2009-10, which worked towards modernising the judging system. As outlined in her seminar, she, along with software developer Daniel Goehlen (also GP rider and judge) has developed a system to revolutionise the marking of freestyle tests. Riders have to submit their floor plan before the show, mentioning all the difficulties they want to show –e.g. movements, transitions, combinations etc. The difficulties are then rated following a code of points.
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This information is run through special computer software, which then calculates the technical marks as well as the artistic mark for the degree of difficulty. This new system gives the rider the opportunity to point out all his hidden difficulties. This has resulted in greater transparency and accuracy in the assessment of freestyles, and will be used in the World Cup Final in Omaha. Wuest lists the five ‘keys’ to good choreography: structure, originality, use of arena, balance (within the paces) and suitability for the horse. She says while every horse is better at some movements and not so good at others, it is important not to “show the weak points of the horse on a silver platter. The idea is to show the strengths, and mask the weaknesses.” Furthermore she explained what the mark for the degree of difficulty is based on, and how to objectify the mark for the music, first
INTERVIEW of all asking yourself whether it fits to all paces and to the appearance of rider and horse. If the movements are underlined by the music – even better! Our conversation skates over many topics, from the improving quality of our Kiwi horses to Munich’s dressage scene… here’re some snippets of what she had to say.
ON THE PACIFIC LEAGUE FINAL… “Compared to what I’ve seen [when I was here] three years ago, good progress regarding the creativity and the choreography. Riders knew quite well what the horses are good at and showed it effectively. “The degree of difficulty was generally well adjusted to the ability of rider and horse, which is better than trying too much and things going wrong. The music was fitting for most of them though for very high marks I would love to have still more emotion in it. You can catch the audience with the music - sure you can have it only underlining the rhythm but good music should make people dream a little.”
ON UNDERSTANDING THE CONFLICTS INHERENT TO DRESSAGE JUDGING… “I remember the first ten I have ever given, to a horse with a huge canter in the inter II, extended canter – he grew and grew and I thought ah now! That’s a ten! I want to give a ten. And the judge behind gave a 6 because the horse was crooked. Differences in marks can often be explained by the different angles that judges look at a presentation from but that is what people often don’t understand. I think we should work more together with the press and invite them to sit in with us so we can make it understandable what we do. “
mistake at a big championship there are four others to balance it out.”
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PRECISION…
AN EXPERIMENT WITH REMOVING THE HIGHEST AND LOWEST MARKS…
“I still feel there were some unnecessary losses of points in many classes here in New Zealand, for example a simple change has three to five walk steps, not one, or nine! Unnecessary losses – throwaway points actually. And that is the difference to the experienced young and junior riders in Europe; they ride precisely through every corner and from marker to marker. Not arriving in the middle of nowhere.”
“I’ve done a lot of research about scratching the highest and lowest marks. But why should we? In ice-skating they [the judges] all sit in one line, they [view it from] the same angle. But here [in dressage] we sit around [the arena]. The half pass looks totally different from the front when you see the horses’ bend, or from the long side you see whether a horse is tight in the neck or not. Sometimes the horse has his tongue out for some seconds and only one judge can see it. Why take away his [the judge’s] marks? That is so crazy. “I experimented after some shows taking away highest and lowest scores per movement - and the difference in the overall score was just fractions of a percent. Also, [this way of thinking] makes judges timid and they don’t go down or up [in their scoring] and that’s not good, I think.”
SO IT ACTUALLY DOESN’T MAKE THAT MUCH DIFFERENCE? “No, it doesn’t. And why not say ok, this is what I see. For example: the shoulder in. I can see from behind that it’s not enough angle, maybe I give a 5 or 6. Then the judge at E or B says ‘oh it’s nicely cadenced’, he cannot see the angle clearly, he will give a 7, maybe more. That’s why we all sit around, it gives us a much clearer view than like all the iceskating judges sitting in one line.”
STARTING WITH THE BASICS… “There were some uneven horses. In this last class [one of the lower level tests in the outdoor arenas] there was one very uneven horse and I think it’s a question of the welfare of the horse to either take this horse out or to be really low with the marks and write down [on the test sheet] to have the horse checked out. Often inexperienced horses don’t realise that their horse is so uneven and it is our job to make them aware. Of course horses can lose balance for a few moments, which happens, but when I can identify on which leg the horse is uneven or lame then I think this should not be accepted.”
ON JUDGING THE EUROPEAN PONY CHAMPIONSHIPS… “You can give tens to the good ones, often unbelievable in trot and canter! And the good ones win with nearly 80% because the ponies just have to have three really good paces, be correctly trained, nice on the aids and professionally presented by the kids – they don’t have to show piaffe or [anything] – they can just show themselves and be gorgeous, I love it!”
AND ON STRIVING TO GET IT RIGHT… “Judging ethic should be to get the right winner and to be fair. I am a little angry when there is so much discussion about the judges – I think we don’t deserve it. We mostly have the right winner; even if one judge makes a MARCH 2017 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 25
JUDGES BOX
FROM THE JUDGES BOX Article by Sue Hobson - Judges Officer
First of all I would like to offer our congratulations to Judith Cunningham from Waitemata who has been invited to List 1 judge status. Judith has worked very hard to gain the experience required for this level. She has the ability to work well with other judges and is a valuable member of the Judges sub-committee. Well done Judith!! Our senior judges have been very busy this month with the Bates Nationals at Manfeild and the SI Champs in Gore. We have welcomed many International judges to our shores including, Katrina Weust from Germany as FEI Foreign Judge at Manfeild FEJ, was Course Director of the North Island Official Clinic and also judged many national classes. Our clinic (after a shaky start with technical issues) was a huge success and Katrina worked through Musical freestyles and the new FEI system that is in place regarding scoring the Degree of Difficulty at Grand Prix level. There was a great attendance and thank you to all who stayed and showed patience when the technical issues had to be dealt with – it was appreciated. It was a very informative clinic. We also welcomed Mary Seefried from Australia who we all know so well, and it was great working with her again. Anne Prain (FRA)came to NZL for the first time with came as our Para-Equestrian 5* credentials, and was also a member of the ground jury on the CDI classes as a 4* judge. Cesar Torrente 4* from Colombia who was also making his first trip down under and really enjoyed the hospitality and experience. Helen Hughes Keen
and myself completed the team. Our national judges did an excellent job and worked well with the Internationals, many doing sit ins and working very hard on their upgrading. Unfortunately at these large CDI competitions it is very difficult to allow shadow judging in the main arenas as everyone is extremely busy with scoring, writing etc on officials tests without having to add shadow judging to the mix. However in saying that we still managed to assist quite a few national judges with many sit ins and writing experiences. Congratulations to our Grand Prix riders who once again achieved record scores – it is just so exciting to see the progress we are making – higher and more consistent scores are being achieved and very well deserved. The Saturday evening competition was very exciting and a great atmosphere for both judges and riders. After Nationals it was straight onto SI Champs in Gore and Anne Prain stayed on to travel south after a day in Wellington where Helen Hughes Keen spent the day with her showing her around the city and Wellington as we all know did put on a howling gale!!!! Anne joined the SI team of national judges and also judged Paraequestrian and also officiated at the official SI clinic which took place at the conclusion of the competition on the Monday. She spent the morning going over theory and then we had some practical work in the afternoon (in very trying circumstances – weather came in and rain but we still managed to complete the days plans). A fantastic number of over 40 judges attended so
26 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | MARCH 2017
thank you all – I am sure you all gained much knowledge from Anne. I would thank the demo riders also for braving the weather and presenting their horses so well for Anne. Everyone did a great job and it was obvious we had some great horses to work with. We also welcomed Jobina Kennedy an exchange judge from Australia to our team. This was the first trip Jobina had made to NZ. I have since received a letter from her saying how much she enjoyed it and would love to return at some stage. Great news for our exchange scheme between Australia and New Zealand. Again an excellent atmosphere with national judges also and some good judging with some great horses thus some very good scores. Judges Exchange Programme with Australia: This exchange is becoming more and more popular and many of our senior judges are gaining experience in travelling across the Tasman as are our Australia counterparts coming to NZL. We are continuing to receive invites and many of our larger areas are reciprocating with the larger regional shows where we have many more GP horse which therefore makes it possible to get sign offs without extra pressure on our national events. This is also good for shadow judging and sit ins so as to not add extra workload to the CDI’s which are major events to orchestrate. Also pleasing is the many judges who offer to write for organisers. This is a huge assistance and many judges put their hands up to write at Nationals this year. Thank you all!!
TIP OF THE MONTH
Isabell Werth & Weihegold winners of the freestyle FEI World Cup Dressage™ Amsterdam Photo Arnd Bronkhorst
Tip of the month
Transitions make up a huge amount of marks in a test. Half halts help rebalance and prepare for transitions – you must clearly show good transitions to gain high marks, even in lower level tests – that is why they are there. Always read the requirements of the test you are riding. Remember after every movement there will be a transition – prepare, prepare, prepare!!!!
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MARCH 2017 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 27
INTERNATIONAL JUDGING NEWS
IDOC Members: front row from L: Natallia RUBASHKO (BLR) Alison KING (HKG) Stephen Clarke (GBR) Olivier SMEETS (BEL) Back row from L: Jacques VAN DAELE (BEL) Janet FOY (USA) RaphaĂŤl SALEH (FRA) Marian CUNNINGHAM (PER) Corry VERBOCHT (BEL)
INTERNATIONAL JUDGING NEWS INTERNATIONAL DRESSAGE OFFICIAL CLUB ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT The newly elected president of the International Dressage Officials Club, Hans-Christian Matthiesen, aims to steer IDOC in a direction in which communication and education will be paramount for the future of dressage judging. IDOC unites dressage judges worldwide and assists them in reaching higher levels of professionalism by promoting the principles of horsemanship, more particularly of the schooling according to the basic rules of classic equitation; by maintaining an independent position of the dressage judges as well as an impartial exercise of the judgment activities; and by cooperating with international equestrian associations and other
associations in matters which pertain to the judgment of dressage training.
common interest, even though we work in different parts of 'stage'."
At the 2017 IDOC General Assembly, Matthiesen was elected president, succeeding Stephen Clarke who finished his four-year term. The Danish 5* judge believes that this year "a lot of the focus will be on the communication part including the education, with seminars and education material to our members."
Under his leadership, 45-year old Matthiesen, who is a veterinarian by profession, hopes to enhance the communication and education of judges on all levels.
In an interview with Eurodressage he explained the relevance of IDOC in the system. "I think that IDOC is very important and with a huge potential. When you look to our "colleagues" the riders and the trainers club, they have shown that our dressage community needs something, which is not the FEI, to connect them. The IDOC works for all officials involved in dressage. We have the sport and discipline as a
28 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | MARCH 2017
"We have to work together, not only with the FEI but also in close connection with the Judge General, to keep the line in judging and stay true to the good system we already have, but we are also obliged to look into other and new ways on how to improve the sport. I think for all officials the welfare of the horse is paramount and it will always be important to work close together with all involved parties to keep up with the highest standards in this regard."
INTERNATIONAL JUDGING NEWS STEPHEN CLARKE RE-ELECTED AS JUDGE GENERAL. At the FEI 5* judges meeting following the IDOC General Assembly, British judge Stephen Clarke was reelected FEI Judge General. The 2017 IDOC General Assembly took place during the 2017 CDI-W Amsterdam and included an official board meeting, educational seminars, and the general assembly. The board meeting was held on 26 January, where topics such as the continuing education and support of its members via regional seminars were planned and discussed. The FEI held a FEI 5* dressage judges meeting right after the IDOC GA.
dropping the high and low scores from individual judges. I truly wish we could get away from this obsession that all judges must come up with identical scores. Surely the principle of having three, five or even seven judges is to end up with a fair and balanced score that takes into account the impression from all the various angles. There are several movements that can, and should, receive a different score depending on the angle of view. For instance a horse that is
"Stephen has fought for judges' pay and working conditions and has led the judges with remarkable humour, knowledge and common sense," said IDOC board member Janet Foy. "His logical approach to our sport was always appreciated."
STEPHEN DISCUSSES MOVING AWAY FROM IDENTICAL SCORE OBSESSION I read with interest Michael Klimke's guest column on Eurodressage, particularly his comments regarding
However, human nature being as it is, has anyone even considered the psychological effect it would have on the officiating judges at the competition, and the 'knock on effect' it would have on the riders? No judge would want it to be their mark that was constantly dropped (be it the high mark or the low mark) and could therefore have the effect of making individual judges 'too careful' rather than encouraging them to be brave enough to react truly and confidently to what they see. Also this principle, if adopted, would reverberate throughout the judge training situation within the FEI Courses and Seminars. Presently, as Course Directors we are constantly striving to encourage judges to be confident enough to reward good work with high scores, which the riders deserve! And to award low marks when there are obvious problems.
Stephen Clarke's 4-year mandate as IDOC president came to an end and he is succeeded by Hans-Christian Matthiesen, who won the election. Clarke was reelected at the *5 judges meeting.
The International Dressage Officials Club (IDOC) stems from the International Dressage Judges Club (IDJC) and was founded in 1990. Amongst its goals, IDOC aims for the promotion of the principles of horsemanship, more particularly of the schooling according to the basic rules of classic equitation; the maintenance of an independent position of the dressage judges as well as an impartial exercise of the judgment activities; and the cooperation with international equestrian associations and other associations in matters which pertain to the judgment of dressage training.
statistical analysis, makes no significant difference to the end result. Therefore I would wonder why are we even considering it?
This system of dropping high and low scores would make a mockery of the way in which we try to train our judges, but more seriously it could create a 'dumbing down' of the scores which would be absolutely unfair to the riders that spend years of training in order to produce their horses to the high level that we see today.
constantly a little short in the neck and behind the vertical will be more obvious to see from the side rather than the front view, and should receive lower scores from the judges on the long side. The same situation would apply for the last piaffe at X that maybe travels too much forwards. To the side judges it would be obvious, whereas from in front it may still appear fairly good. Therefore it would be correct to have different scores from the different positions around the arena. There are many other examples. This idea of dropping the high and low scores, as has been pointed out through
Isn't that why we have the JSP there to act as a 'safety net' should a judge make an actual honest mistake, which noone minds being corrected? As David Stickland implies, with this 'dropping of high and low scores', the JSP would become redundant. If this system is to be even considered, I would suggest that we do some serious psychological studies as well as mathematical ones.... I see a lot of 6.5's on the horizon if this idea was to be taken forward, and for sure we can certainly kiss goodbye to the 10's... If that's what the riders want, then so be it.....but personally I see it as a hugely backward step for the sport.
MARCH 2017 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 29
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Isabell Werth and Don Johnson Photo: FEI/Tony Parkes
2017 FEI WORLD CUP DRESSAGE & JUMPING FINALS The FEI World Cup™ Finals are equestrian sports’ top annual indoor championship for both jumping and dressage horses and attract the top names in the sport, including Olympic, World and European Champions. The 2017 FEI World Cup™ Finals at the Century Link Center in Omaha on 29 March - 2 April 2017 include the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final and the FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final. Riders representing over 25 countries are expected for the Midwest’s first-ever international showdown and 70 of the world’s top riders in two Olympic disciplines will join more than 60,000 fans from all 50 states and 20 countries for 5 days of action-packed competition and so much more! The FEI has appointed the ground jury for the Dressage Final. Swedish born American judge Anne Gribbons will be president of the ground jury, and will be joined by Maribel Alonso (MEX), Mariette Sanders-van
Gansewinkel (NED), Katrina Wuest (GER), Andrew Gardner (GBR), Raphael Saleh (FRA) and Leif Tornblad (DEN). The Judging Supervisory Panel will include Henk van Bergen (NED), Uwe Mechlem (GER) and Linda Zang (USA) The stewards working in Omaha are Elizabeth Williams (USA) as chief steward, flanked by Frances Cross, Camille Kopcik, Walter Bagley, Lisa Gorretta, and Ann Sushko.
WERTH TO SHOWCASE DRESSAGE IN OMAHA Isabell Werth of Germany, the most decorated dressage rider in Olympic history, will headline the special
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‘Dressage Showcase’ at the FEI World Cup™ Final. “Young Horses to Grand Prix with Olympic Champion Isabell Werth Presented by the Dressage Foundation” will take place on Friday March 31st “We are so excited that the legendary Isabell Werth is coming to Omaha!” said Lisa Roskens, Chairman of the Omaha Equestrian Foundation, producer of the 2017 FEI World Cup™ Finals. “The Dressage Showcase segment with Isabell Werth will give fans a rare opportunity to learn from an international star who has won more Olympic medals than any dressage rider in history and we are delighted that she has chosen Omaha for her first-ever exhibition in the US!”
Dressage Masterclass with Johannes Westendarp (GER) Jumping Masterclass with John Cottle (NZL)
Australia’s premier young horse event Young Dressage, Jumping & Eventing Horses
24 / 25 / 26 March 2017
Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre www.djwts.com.au
•
@dressagewiththestars
MARCH 2017 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 31
INTERNATIONAL EVENT PREVIEW
Johannes Westendarp riding a son of Breitling/ Di Maggio Sohn, 4- and 6-year-old finalist at the Bundeschampionate in Germany.
YOUNG HORSES IN THE SPOTLIGHT DRESSAGE & JUMPING WITH THE STARS IS COMING UP P.S.I. Dressage & Jumping with the Stars is Australia’s answer to the ‘Bundeschampionate’ attracting the country’s best young dressage and jumping horses. But it is just as well known for the international guest stars and the Masterclasses they present. This year the event is focussing on young horse education and has invited Johannes Westendarp from Germany. Some of the horses Johannes has ‘discovered’ need no introduction to dressage fans, think Maree Tomkinson’s wonderful mares Diamantina and Donna Elena or Grand Prix stallion Ferrero Rocher. Then there's the late Hanoverian sire Wolkentanz II and countless 32 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | MARCH 2017
Bundeschampionate winners, most notably Champion stallion Fürstenball, who was trained and competed by Johannes’ wife Ines Westendarp. Johannes is a much respected trainer of young dressage horses and his stable is the go-to address for performance horse buyers from around the world, who value his expert eye for future stars. In his Saddleworld Dressage Masterclass Johannes will demonstrate his approach to young horse training and share his tips and tricks. The event is welcoming applications from riders and owners of young dressage horses ponies, aged three to seven years old. Applications close Monday 27th February, 2017.
INTERNATIONAL EVENT PREVIEW
Johannes Westendarp in front of his barn with homebred filly Fiesta Danza, Bronze medallist in the 3-year-old riding horses class at the Bundeschampionate in Germany.
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| DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 33
HORSE HEALTH AND FITNESS
WARMING UP AND COOLING DOWN Article by Debbie Rolmanis www.dbmuscletherapy.com
Why Your Horse needs You to Know How...
The warm up procedure of competitors at a show gives you a glimpse of what riders do at home. There are those who are focused on their horse; attentive to how it is feeling, systematic in their gradual increase of work intensity; considerate of environmental conditions and empathetic to the time required for the brain to become more work focused.
their watch. Chat to the people on the side lines, watch others in the arena. Walk a little bit more, canter a 20m circle and head in to do their test. These riders are generally the ones who, after their test sit on their horse at the exit of the arena and dissect what they have just done in a fashion that suggests they are writing their own version of ‘War and Peace’.
Then there are the others who walk a little bit, have a little trot. Stop. Check
The habits you display at a show do tend to mirror your habits at home, so
Hayley Beresford encouraging the horse to stretch and relax Photo: supplied
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if you don’t have a warm-up and cool down practice in place every time you ride, not only are you not getting the best out of your horse, you are also creating an environment that isn’t just inviting injury, but practically begging it to show up. Let’s take a look at why the beginning and end of your training session are imperative to your horses’ welfare and performance.
HORSE HEALTH AND FITNESS
Tracy Smith doing a lovely job in the warm up on Don Arion at the recent National Dressage Championships Photo: Dark Horse Photography
THE WARM-UP The warm up is the time where exercise intensity is gradually increased to prepare the horse’s body for the demands of athletic effort.
raising the respiratory and heart rates and allowing the horse to feed and cleanse the muscles more rapidly. This highway of nutrients and removal of waste is essential to keep muscles from fatiguing when work load and waste accumulation rises.
An efficient warm up practice has multi-dimensional benefits that fall into both physiological and cerebral categories.
As the soft tissues (muscles, tendons and ligaments) become warmer, their malleability increases and their tolerance to force rises considerably, making them much more resistant to injury.
PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS; WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BODY
As the horse begins to move faster across the ground, the joint stabilising muscles (which play a key role in injury prevention) have to switch on so they can respond to the rapid fire of messages and support the joints as they begin to move faster across the ground under an increased amount of load.
As the body is moved, an increased amount of blood begins to be directed away from the organs and the digestive tract and is sent towards the working skeletal muscles and the connective tissues of the limbs. With this increased flow of blood comes a rise in temperature of the horses’ body,
Environmental conditions (heat and cold) need to be taken into
consideration, as this will effect the amount of time it takes for the soft tissues to become warmer.
CEREBRAL BENEFITS Having a warm up routine allows the horse to transition into work mode not only for the body, but also for his brain. It allows him the opportunity to explore how his body is feeling, how he needs to regulate his temperature to the environment, what the rider is asking for and what might be lurking in the hedge. If you are warming up at a competition, this part of your preparation may require more time than when you are training at home, as the amount of external stimulation is far greater. The warm-up is also essential for the rider, as it can provide feedback of encyclopaedic value if the right
MARCH 2017 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 35
HORSE HEALTH AND FITNESS attention is given; what feels easy, what feels more challenging, how attentive is he, has he learnt anything from yesterday, what needs to be focused on once we are warmed up, etc should all be part of the dialogue that you run through every time you get on. Horses are not dissimilar to people; their bodies will feel different dependant on what they did the day before, or 2 days ago, how much movement they have had, how hot or cold it is, when they last ate, what equipment they are wearing and how the rider is feeling.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS It may sound obvious, but you would be surprised at the number of people who don’t warm up with a rug over the horses’ hind quarters in cold weather. The whole premise of preparing your horse for training is to warm the soft tissues and increase heart and respiratory rates. Cold weather means that the internal temperature of the muscles will be lower than on a warm day. By keeping the back and hind quarters under a rug, for at least the first 10-15 mins will aid your preparation and allow the horse to relax into his work far quicker. Warm days present their own challenges; the muscles will be at a naturally higher temperature even at resting, so your pre-work regime may be modified so that you don’t overheat your horse. There is no one formula, but the principles do remain the same; • Warm the tissues so they are pliable and can cope with increased load via elastic stretch • Allow the horse time to focus the mind on the job • Glean invaluable information on how your horses body is feeling, so you can adapt your training session accordingly.
THE WARM UP PROCESS; HAVING A PLAN The warm up should have as considered an approach as the main training session. There needs to be a plan, which is adaptable but anchored with a consistent regime/theme. Comparison can only be made of peas in the same pod; it is much harder to compare how your horse is feeling from one day to the next if your work is not consistent. There is no one formula that is suitable for every horse, but there needs to be a formula that is suitable for yours. As with any athletes training programme, you need to be consistent but adaptable. If you need longer in the warm up phase to go through more suppling exercises, more transitions etc then take the time you need. It may mean that this is all your horse requires on that particular day. The key objective is to become disciplined about your warm up. Don’t waste steps or energy, be efficient and fair and empathetic to practicality. If you can’t start in walk because it would be unsafe, move forward in trot. Return to the walk once you can! Use this time to be attentive to how your horse is feeling. Not only will this help guide your training, but it may also alert you to potential problems.
THE WARM DOWN Once exercise has been completed, the body needs to be gradually returned to its resting temperature and preexercise physiological condition. Failing to warm the horse down correctly is as damaging to the body as failing to warm it up.
CIRCULATORY SYSTEM As we have seen, exercise sends oxygenated blood towards the working skeletal muscles and away from the organs. The warm down period is when this volume of blood is gradually redistributed around the body, sending more back to the organs and the digestive tract.
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MUSCULAR HEALTH Physiologically, the main adhesions within soft tissues will occur as they begin to cool down. All that energy and micro trauma that has been created through work starts to settle in as the tissues cool and it is in these moments where muscular restrictions can start to take hold. By cooling the horse gradually through steady movement, the systems have a chance to effectively catch up with waste removal from the muscles. The stretching and contracting mechanism that happens to soft tissues as they are moving allows the fibres to gradually return to their resting length, cleansing as they go. The cool down requirement will depend upon the intensity of your training session. As a general rule, the more intense work you have done, the longer your cool down should be but all should consist of a steady trot with a lowered frame (not a loose, on the forehand frame) for 2 mins around the arena in both directions to start, moving into at least 10 minutes of walking. This can be increased to 15 or 20 if you have been doing higher level movements and intense collection. It is a good idea to do the latter stages of the cool down in hand. Of course, weather plays a role in how you manage your cool down as well. In hot temperatures, you may need to reduce the horses body temperature with water and longer walking in hand. If it is cold, put a rug over his hindquarters; sweat will cool quicker than water, so a sweaty horse on a cold day can begin to chill quite quickly. The success of your training and competition experiences can be predicted on the effectiveness and intelligence of your warm up and cool down. You are in charge of preparing an athlete for training and for allowing the body to recover from training in a safe and controlled manner. For soundness, welfare and performance reasons, neither end of your training session should be neglected.
HORSE HEALTH AND FITNESS
Debbie Rolmanis, founder of db Muscle Therapy is a fully qualified Personal Trainer, Human Sports Massage Therapist and Equine Sports Therapist. Debbie holds a BSc (Equine), BHSAI, Diplomas in Human Personal Training and Sports Therapy and Equine Sports Therapy, all gained in the UK.
A solid warm up ensures that the correct muscles can be developed and used correctly. Photo: Libby Law
Debbie currently works/lives in the UK, with regular trips to clients in Germany including successful Grand Prix rider Hayley Beresford.
DEBBIE'S GUIDE TO PLANNING A WARM UP A guiding template might look like this: TIME 0-5 mins 5-15 mins 15-25 mins
MAIN PACE Walk
ACTIVITY Long rein, around arena
Q'S TO ASK How is my body feeling? How relaxed is the horse?
Walk
How is his body feeling? Is he even into the contact? How responsive to my aids? How supple does he feel? Rhythm? Connection? Attention? L vs R
25-30 mins 30-35 mins
Trot/Canter
Contact, walk/halt transitions. Active. Introduce to seat/aids Stretching top line into contact, straight lines, changes of rein, transitions Canter straight lines, large circles, both reins. Transitions Dependant upon what is required, 1-2 min walk before main session begins.
Trot
Walk/Trot/Canter
Is he listening to my seat? Straightness? Balance? What do I need to tweak about my training plan today to align with how things are feeling?
MARCH 2017 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 37
NATIONAL COMPETITION CALENDER
MARCH 2017 | NORTH ISLAND 4 7/12
WHAT’S ON
Waikato Equestrian Centre Autumn Show Horse of the Year Show
LE INT/HOY ZILCO FINALS
Waikato Equestrian Centre Hastings Showgrounds
12
Dressage Waitemata
LE
Woodhill Sands
18
MTDG March Dressage Tournament
LE
Waihou Recreation Grounds
19
Horowhenua DG Autumn Tournament
LE
Foxton Racecourse
19
Warkworth Dressage
LE
Warkworth
26
Auckland-Manukau Dressage Group
LE
Clevedon Show Grounds
26
Taupo Dressage Group
TE
Taupo NEC
26
Gisborne Dressage Autumn Series #1
LE
Gisborne Showgrounds
APRIL 2017 | NORTH ISLAND 1/2
Equestrian Entries U25 Dressage Champs
NCH
Taupo NEC
2
Auckland-Manukau Dressage Group
LE
Clevedon Show Grounds
2
MTDG Autumn Non-Graded Ribbon Day 1
TE
Waihou Recreation Grounds
Dressage Northland
LE
Kaitaia A&P Grounds
9
NHB Winter Series Day 1
LE
HB Equestrian Park
16
Dressage Waitemata
8/9
LE/YDH
Woodhill Sands
Dressage Rotorua Championship Show
LE
Riverdale, Rotorua
23
Gisborne Dressage Autumn Series #2
LE
Gisborne Showgrounds
23
Solway Dressage Autumn Series #1
TE
Solway Showgrounds
23
Warkworth Dressage
LE
Warkworth
25
Dressage Taranaki ANZAC Day Event
LE
Egmont Showgounds
16/17
MAY 2017 | NORTH ISLAND 7
Auckland-Manukau Dressage Group
LE
Clevedon Show Grounds
7
Dressage Northland
LE
Barge Park Whangarei
7
Solway Dressage Autumn Series #2
TE
Solway Showgrounds
7
Waikato Equestrian Centre Winter Series Dressage - Day 1
TE
Waikato Equestrian Centre
14
Dressage Waitemata
LE
Woodhill Sands
14
Horowhenua DG Ribbon Day
TE
Waikanae Park
14
MTDG Group Autumn Non-Graded Dressage Ribbon Day 2
TE
Waihou Recreation Grounds
14
NHB Winter Series Day 2
LE
HB Equestrian Park
Dressage Central Districts Winter Show (tbc)
LE
Manfeild Park
Dressage Northland
LE
Barge Park Whangarei
Dressage Taranaki Winter Event
LE
Egmont Showgrounds
28
Gisborne Dressage Autumn Series #2
LE
Gisborne Showgrounds
28
Waikato Equestrian Centre Winter Pony Series Day One
TE
Waikato Equestrian Centre
20/21 21 27/28
JUN 2017 | NORTH ISLAND 4
Solway Dressage Autumn Series #3
TE
Solway Showgrounds
4
Waikato Equestrian Centre Winter Series Dressage - Day 2
TE
Waikato Equestrian Centre
11
Horowhenua DG Ribbon Day
TE
Waikanae Park
11
NHB Winter Series Day 3
LE
HB Equestrian Park
Dressage Taranaki Winter Event
LE
Egmont Showgrounds
Waikato Equestrian Centre Winter Pony Series Day Two
TE
Waikato Equestrian Centre
24/25 25
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NATIONAL COMPETITION CALENDER
MARCH 2017 | SOUTH ISLAND 4/5
WHAT’S ON
Dressage Otago Autumn Championship
LE
Otago Taieri A&P SG
5
Canterbury Autumn Series Day 1
LE
SINEC
19
North Loburn Equestrian Centre
LE
Rangiora Showgrounds
26
NEG Autumn Series Day 1
LE
Harrs Road
APRIL 2017 | SOUTH ISLAND 1/2
Southland Dressage Group
LE
Gore Showgrounds
1/2
Zilco Festival of Future Stars Championships
LE
SINEC
Marlborough Training Event
TE
Marlborough Equestrian Park
8/9
Dressage Central Otago
LE
Cromwell Racecourse
16
North Loburn Equestrian Centre
LE
Rangiora Showgrounds
23
Ashburton Dressage
TE
Ashburton Showgrounds
30
Nelson Winter Series #1
LE
Rough Island Equestrian Park
30
NEG Autumn Series Day 2
LE
Harrs Road
30
SCNO Dressage Group
LE
Winchester Showgrounds
2
MAY 2017 | SOUTH ISLAND 7
Canterbury Autumn Series Day 3
LE
SINEC
7
Marlborough Training Event
TE
Marlborough Equestrian Park
21
Ashburton Dressage
TE
Ashburton Showgrounds
21
North Loburn Equestrian Centre
LE
Rangiora Showgrounds
28
NEG Autumn Series Day 3
LE
Harrs Road
28
Nelson Winter Series #2
LE
Rough Island Equestrian Park
JUN 2017 | SOUTH ISLAND 4
Canterbury Winter Series Day 1
LE
SINEC
4
Marlborough Training Event
TE
Marlborough Equestrian Park
18
Ashburton Dressage
TE
Ashburton Showgrounds
18
North Loburn Equestrian Centre
LE
Rangiora Showgrounds
25
Nelson Winter Series #3
LE
Rough Island Equestrian Park
For more details of each event & venue, and contact details go to www.nzequestrian.org.nz/dressage/competition/calendar
MARCH 2017 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 39
SPONSOR PROFILE
MIXING BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE Article by Jess Roberts | Photos by Libby Law Pictured Left: David presents Kieryn Walton with the Level 1 Open Reserve Champion title at the recent Nationals.
Next year will be a special one for the Bates National Dressage Championships, marking 20 years of partnership with its primary sponsor Bates Saddles. Front-man David Jones-Parry has worked with Bates Saddles for more than 30 years, his job taking him all around the world. And not only through Europe – Belgium, Holland, Germany, to name a few – but South Africa (“I had a really interesting time in Johannesburg, that was quite frightening; quite intimidating how you had to operate in that city”) and the United States, where he found himself in New York fitting saddles for the Mounted Police.
“The NYPD Mounted Division purchased 120 Bates saddles for their squads and I was lucky enough to be asked to go over and show them how to fit the saddles to their horses. The Mounted Division have a base on the edge of the Hudson River in Manhattan. We’d arrived a bit early and the woman in reception said to go up
40 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | MARCH 2017
and have a coffee in the cafeteria. I said ‘ok, can I just pop my tool kit under your desk?’ We were making coffee and the next thing two policemen barged in and said ‘what’s in your bag?’ “I said ‘it’s just my tools’ but they marched me downstairs and there were all these police standing around the desk looking at my bag which was
SPONSOR PROFILE whirring! It was going ‘zzzzzzzzzzzzz!’ I stepped forward and everybody stepped back. I said ‘don’t worry, it’s just my drill – I carry it with me and somebody’s knocked it [on].’ “I opened it up and turned the drill off and they were all so relieved and terribly apologetic. They were so embarrassed that they sent a squad car round and put the lights on and took us up to a bagel house in Manhattan for breakfast, then when we had finished the session they gave us a police escort out of the city – we felt like rockstars!” he laughs. David has always had a passion for horses, and for horse people. One reason he likes being with the Bates brand is that they value long term relationships. “We’ve had some riders that have been on board for a very long time,” he says. “One example is Louisa Hill. It’s been over 25 years since Lou first came on board. She’s had such a successful career including two Olympic Games and trained numerous horses to Grand Prix and there have also been some periods in that time that there has been no competing: that’s horses, and Bates understands this and is there regardless. Lou has a really nice young horse at the moment that she’s pretty excited about, so watch this space!” “And our relationship with the Noble family,” he continues. “It’s been wonderful, all those years. And how that started, was Bill actually won one of our saddles at HOY, I don’t know how long ago, maybe fifteen years ago! And I went round and fitted it - I can’t even remember the horse it was fitted to now, but he’s been in them ever since, and now both Anya and Felicity are advocates as well. And that’s how it happens.” Multi medal-winning German rider Isabell Werth is also a long-time sponsored rider and ambassador for Bates, having designed her own saddle for their range. “People say ‘oh yes, but does she really ride in the brand at home?’” says David, pulling out his phone from his last visit to Werth’s
stables. He scrolls through many photos, from the immaculate indoor arena to some of his favourite horses there, including a beautiful full sister to Werth’s Bella Rose. He shows me a wall lined with Bates and Wintec saddles: “that’s one of her tackrooms.
they never put the product onto the horse, they didn’t understand how it worked. That part had been missing all those years so they made a saddle fitting qualification and encouraged their saddlers – and others who were members of the Society – to do it.”
“It always surprises me when I’m working on a Wintec trade stand and occasionally I get people saying to me ‘oh no, I must have leather.’ I then quietly tell them that did they realise that Isabell went to Beijing and Rio [Olympics] on Satchmo and Bella Rose – both horses in Wintec saddles. When you ask Isabell why she chose to ride these horses in Wintec Synthetic and not Bates Leather at the Olympics, her answer was simple: ‘these horses go well in these saddles, why would I change just for the look?’”
Every weekend for the next 12 months, David worked with a saddler and saddle-fitter from the Society as they went on their customer rounds. He became familiar with the English saddle brands and says it made him realise that saddle-fitting principles are the same no matter what the brand. “The key is really understanding what you can do with them, whether you can alter them and make them fit. Or not.”
Despite running a huge operation and being the world’s most decorated dressage rider, David says the thing he admires most about Werth is the compassion she has for all her horses and their wellbeing. “Satchmo [now 23 years old] is still there, he has his stable and is very much still part of her team – he’s got all his teddy bears hanging up in his stable.” Moving to the UK in 2002 for his work with Weatherbeeta, David got involved with the Society of Master Saddlers, who had just developed a Saddle Fitting qualification to offer their members. “They [the SMS] have been responsible for training saddlers through an apprentice scheme,” he explains. “They’ve done that traditionally for over 40 years and then realised they were producing all these wonderful saddlers but so many of them were ‘bench saddlers’ – they’d never actually seen a saddle on a horse, they’d just made them. “They made them on the bench and they were very, very good at it but
“So then I did the qualification and I think it would be one of the most nerve wracking exams I’ve ever done! It was very intense and very methodical. There’s different stages to it, so there’s a written, and then you go through various stations of fitting and commenting on soundness of saddles and going through the saddle fitting process step by step and picking a saddle out of a range of about 30 saddles that you’ve got to get on that horse and then get the rider up and do a rider-up assessment,” he remembers. “So it was quite hair-raising and I was very very relieved to have passed it!” Growing up in a completely unhorsey family in suburban Takapuna (Auckland), David’s family situation changed and as a teenager, he went to live with his horsey Aunt and Uncle. He evented successfully up to 1*, his favourite horse being a thoroughbred called Airborne. “He’s the horse I remember the most, and had the most fun on. He was a lovely, lovely horse.” He’s been back in NZ for the last ten years and calls Karapiro, near Cambridge, home. He reflects on a career that has taken him on a journey he could never have imagined. All due, he reflects, to Bates Saddles and their NZ distributor Weatherbeeta Ltd. “It’s funny how life works out,” he says, shaking his head. “A little turn happens and it changes completely.”
MARCH 2017 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 41
NEWS
DRESSAGE NZ NOTICE BOARD NOTICE OF MEETING: DRESSAGE NZ PLANNING MEETING 2017 The Annual Planning meeting will be held at the West Plaza Hotel Wellington on Wednesday 12th April beginning at 9am and finishing at 4pm A one day meeting is being trialled for 2017 in order that delegates can spend less time away from their usual duties. Delegates are requested to organise flights to enable them to attend ALL of the one day meeting. Accommodation has been booked at the West Plaza if delegates do wish to fly in the day or evening prior.
REMITS 2017 All remits must be received by the Sport Manager no later than Wednesday 1st March at 5pm. Remits are discussed at the Planning meeting then taken back to areas for further consultation. The remits are then put to June Conference for a final decision. NO NEW remits are accepted for discussion at conference. Remit submission forms are available on the ESNZ website or email the Sport Manager http://www.nzequestrian.org. nz/dressage/resources/area-groupsmembers-ocs/documents-forms/
BOARD VACANCY MARKETING PORTFOLIO The retirement of Kat MacMillan at 31 Dec 2016 means there is still a Marketing portfolio Dressage NZ board vacancy. Expressions of interest for this position are invited. This position will be for three years from 24 June 2017, but consideration could be given to an earlier appointment date to fill the current vacancy. Contact the Sport Manager for a role description, or contact Kat Macmillan
at dressagenzmarketing@gmail.com or 021 02392608 or contact Lynda Clark, Board Chair on 027 432 3286. Kat has offered support to a new board member to become established and can offer ongoing support where time allows. A reminder that board positions are voluntary and require some travel to Wellington and national events. Travel and accommodation expenses are covered. Board Election 2017: The Training and Development portfolio currently held by Judy Alderdice will come up for election at Conference 2017 with the successful candidate being appointed for three years.
BOARD APPOINTMENT 2017: Marketing portfolio as above In 2018 the appointed position of Finance Officer and elected position of Judges Officer will become vacant and appointed/elected for a three year term from 2018. In 2019 the appointed position of Rules Officer and elected position of Chair will become vacant and appointed/elected for a three year term from 2019.
NEW HELMET STANDARDS & HELMET TAGGING Riders with helmets that meet the new standards will be able to get these “red tagged” at the ESNZ TENT at Horse of the Year Show. Area groups will be issued with red tag supplies at the Dressage Planning Meeting in April. Get in early and save the spring rush. All Dressage officials on the ESNZ list are authorised to red tag helmets. In addition there will be further authorised “taggers” at the events.
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Dressage NZ would like to thank supporters of the Bates NZ Dressage Championships 2017
ATES SAD D LES
Gateshead Equestrian
south street west MANFEILD PARK
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RIDER HEALTH AND FITNESS
MOBILITY VERSUS FLEXIBILITY WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? Article by Ricki Jacobs
Muscles, strength, fat loss and health are primary words that spring to mind when most people think of fitness, but there is a few components to health and fitness that are often overlooked by the general public (even trainers and athletes) that contributes just as much if not more than the attributes listed above. 44 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | MARCH 2017
Mobility and flexibility, what are they and could you describe the difference if you had to? How can these two help with your quality of life and to become a better dressage rider? I like to think that an athlete with good mobility is a person who can perform functional movement patterns such as squatting, lunging, hinging (bending over),
RIDER HEALTH AND FITNESS pushing, pulling and twisting with no restrictions through the entire range of motion (R.O.M). An athlete who is flexible may have the adequate R.O.M in the muscles and joints required to perform the movement i.e flexible hamstrings, glutes and hip flexors but may not have the strength, balance or coordination to express that flexibility whilst moving. Some of us may consider ourselves "flexible" but if we find some of the movements above a challenge, this means we do not have the required mobility to perform the task. There are a lot of imbalances/issues that can cause this lack of mobility and stretching tends to be the go to cure whenever we feel sore or tight however, after reading the information above you may have figured that increased flexibility may not lead to increased mobility, rather like the execution of a dressage test mobility is acquired through repetition of movement and technique. Surprisingly the majority of people in some form of training do have the required flexibility to perform functional movements, (in most cases) more often than not it is mobility that is lacking, so what are some methods to improve our mobility? In the fitness industry we refer to it as the three S's, Stretch, Strengthen and Soft tissue work.
STRETCH As stated above, more often than not flexibility of certain muscles isn’t often a limiting factor however, postural muscles in particular can change their functional resting length to adapt to the length at which the muscle is habitually used or positioned .eg shortened hamstrings and hip flexors from sitting at a desk and also a common occurance in horse riders. To improve the flexibility of a muscle stretches must be done frequently (daily) and held for up to two minutes at a time, a lot longer than the 15-30 seconds is most beneficial.
STRENGTHENING Engaging in strength training using functional bodyweight movements such as squats, lunges (forward and lateral), push ups, chin ups and any rotational exercises are the most effective way to improve an athletes coordination, stability and balance therefore enhancing mobility. This is due to improvements an coordination and kinaesthetic awareness from the increased amount of musculature recruited through multiple joint angles forces the body to remain stable and balanced. I detailed some of these exercises in a previous article titled "strength training for dressage". Once bodyweight control has been achieved these attributes can be further enhanced by the incorporation of external loads i.e weights.
SOFT TISSUE WORK (MYOFASCIAL RELEASE) Myofascial release is the treatment of muscle tissue (fascia) a thin, elastic like connective tissue surrounding most structures within the body. Fascia can become restricted mainly due to overuse, postural habits i.e slouching, and inactivity. This can restrict movement through certain muscles which can give the impression of a "tight" or "inflexible" muscle. We can treat this by using a foam roller or lacrosse ball some of us may have seen or heard of before. Focus on common areas which are often perceived as tight or are affected by bad posture such as the neck, upper, mid and lower back, hip flexors, hamstrings and calfs. Following the three S's above will help you to figure out and address any flexibility or mobility issues that may arise, hopefully by now you have a better understanding as to the difference between the two and can now work more efficiently to keeping your body moving well and pain free both on and off the horse!
YOUR BUSINESS COULD BE HERE jeremy@snaffledesign.co.nz
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RIDER HEALTH AND FITNESS
Why is it that we can ride at home producing some of our very best work, yet when we go to a competition it all falls apart or doesn’t go quite as we expected?
Photo: Eye Witness Images
PRE COMPETITION ANXIETY Article by Lindsay Cook - Open Minds Equestrian Performance
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RIDER HEALTH AND FITNESS This is the first of two articles designed to help you get the best from your riding and competing. Let’s start with defining what success really is. Is success winning? Well yes it probably is to many. But isn’t success more about knowing that you rode to the very best of your ability and gave it your very best shot? That feeling where you were in complete harmony with your horse and it all just flowed and it was easy. Horse riding is unique – in the horse we have another being, another mind, which makes the sport all the more challenging as we have to work on developing a partnership together, a bond. And as horses are prey animals they will very naturally flee in order to avoid danger. So imagine what the horse thinks when we ride happily and confidently at home, but when we’re out at a competition suddenly we become all tense and anxious? If we have doubts, then he will have doubts, and the horse picks up on all this. He senses danger, senses that his rider – his leader – is not in control, and so prepares himself for the worst and often his resulting behaviour is far from what we expected! If a horse can feel a fly on his coat, he’ll very certainly feel tension in our legs, seat and through our hands not to mention picking up on our emotional state! Emotional state? There are a few riders who are not in the best emotional state when they’re out competing! Anyone relating to this? Well, read on for some tips and pointers… There are 5 main attributes that we as riders need for success -
• Physical Fitness • Coaching, Training, Development of Skills • Concentration • Confidence • Relaxation And of these 5 factors you’ll see that the last three – Concentration, Confidence and Relaxation - that’s 60% are emotionally based. So why do we spend so much time, energy and money on the physical aspects of training, when these emotional components account for so much??
It’s these 3 that lead us either towards or away from what we really want to achieve. Let’s take a closer look. CONCENTRATION - If our mind is wandering when we’re riding it isn’t exactly fair to expect the horse to be focused and listening to us. CONFIDENCE - We need to have confidence in our own ability and in our horse’s ability. If we have had some previous bad experience then we will doubt this. RELAXATION - If I were to choose the single most important quality for achieving success I would have to say this is it! I suppose, to many of you talking of being more relaxed is quite unusual. Why would we want to be more relaxed when we’re riding? Don’t we want to be up and happening? Operating in a relaxed state free from unnecessary or residual tension enables us to be in the present moment – which ultimately gives us a choice as to how we react to things. You know how fast a dressage test or show jumping round can go when we’re not relaxed or present?? Not a good feeling and not a feeling that we have any control or ability to make good decisions because we’re clouded with tension. Plus, mental stress affects our body as well. We all know stress is a drain on the body – so why do we all get caught up in it? Do you ever give your mind a rest? Where is all this ‘thinking’ taking you? Do the same thoughts or to-dos go around and around – over and over and over? Does your mind EVER stop? What if my horse shies? What will people think of me? I’m not ever going to be able to… (you fill in the blank!). The key is to train our minds (just as we train our bodies for skills and fitness) so that we may be able to clearly identify stress when it comes, and therefore implement tools to keep negative thoughts, stress, or residual tension at bay. Less really is more – let go, and allow yourself to ride!
early on things that can hamper our progress, and it enables us to take a proactive approach, rather than a reactive. Thereby enabling us to remain in control so that we can more readily create what we really desire to happen. Using our minds in this more productive way enables us to identify weaknesses and causes of negativity whilst remaining focused on strength and positivity, thus empowering ourselves. So until next time, relax, think in terms of what you can do rather than what you can’t. Be aware of your thoughts and that internal chatter. Next time I’ll talk more about how you can refine your concentration and help yourself to be more in the present moment when you’re at a competition.
Lindsay Cook is an accomplished Clinical Hypnotherapist with more than 30 years’ experience, specialising in Equestrian Sports Performance for horse riders. Open Minds Equestrian Sports Performance has supported riders and their coaches at all levels to achieve their dreams and ambitions. Lindsay is an experienced trainer and facilitator in Executive Coaching and Leadership Development, and also runs SafeTech her own Health & Safety consultancy. Based in Auckland Lindsay travels frequently to Australia and designs individually personalised programmes to bring out the best in everyone. www.lindsaycook.net Feel free to contact Lindsay on 021 222 5546 or email openminds@lindsaycook.net
Being more relaxed and easing stress from our bodies helps to build the mental aptitude to be able to identify MARCH 2017 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 47
RESULTS
Hannah Johnston (L) & Shannon Brien (R) Photo: Kristel Mack Saunders
PRYDE'S EASIFEED SOUTH ISLAND YR HI-POINTS SERIES The Pryde’s Easifeed South Island Young Rider Hi-Points Series has again been a brilliant incentive for pony and young riders to get out and about to southern regional events This years champion was twenty year old Shannon Brien and Amberleigh Remembrance from Canterbury who travelled to five of the eight qualifying shows. Thirteen year old Remembrance is just 152.5cm, so is quite petit in dressage horse terms, but the chestnut gelding shows the elegance of his breeding Glencree Victoree (RP) x Renaissance/ Paramel (TB). Bred by the Amberleigh Stud and originally competed by Emma Rowe-Pledger, Remembrance has been with Shannon for just over five years in which time she has taken him from Level 1 to Level 5. Shannon is one of a handful of young riders who have trained and competed a pony (Classic Charm) at Advanced level. Looking to the future, and there is another chestnut, also by a pony sire from a TB mare, the five year old Delago by Hilkens Denali / Lavender Miss now working successfully at Level 2. A combination to watch out for next season. Full results on ESNZ/Dressage website 48 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | MARCH 2017
LEVEL 1 Hannah Johnston Charlotte Thomas Hannah Nichol Emily Chamberlain
Beechcroft Absolut Te Puke LJ Snowdance Trentwood Buzz Off
24 16 16 10
1 2 3 4
Zactac Dun-for-fun Fairview Free Spirit Delago Apsley Backchat Kid
30 18 10 6
1 2 3 4
Glenmark
8
1
Vollrath Witchcraft Chocolat Moka Rifesyde Prancer
16 6 8
1 2 3
Shannon Brien - Amberleigh Remembrance 40
1
LEVEL 2 Jodi Gardner Charlotte Thomas Shannon Brien Brittany Fowler
LEVEL 3 Kirsty Jacob
LEVEL 4 Kate Waddell Grace Thomson Millie Thompson
LEVEL 5 LEVEL 6 Hannah Johnston
Brampton Gigolo
8
1
RESULTS
SHARLENE CAMP ACHIEVES BRONZE AWARD Describing herself as Auckland housewife “too scared to jump” Sharlene Camp found “flatwork” and a different discipline to follow her love of horses and equestrian sport. And now driving her to improve are the moments when it “feels beautiful” but tempered with an underlying fear of competing in public. “I have been impressed with the encouragement of new riders” says Sharlene, “It can be quite daunting”. A successful level 2 season resulting in winning the Level 2 Amateur Spring Series run by the Auckland-Manukau Dressage Group has given her the confidence to aim for Level 3 with
Vollrath Legato in the new season ahead. Legato is a ten year old bred by the Vollrath Stud (Vollrath Lessing/ Wildflower) Sharlene describes Teddy as “ a very happy and lovable boy, with a good strong dose of cheeky. I am very grateful to ride this amazing gentleman” When she’s not out and about with Teddy, Sharlene loves to read, garden and travel. Her other favourites are eclectic music, spicy foods and red wine. All sounds as though the dressage culture is a great fit for this rider. Good luck Sharlene for your Level 3 and beyond goals.
NORTH LOBURN EQUESTRIAN CENTRE
SUMMER DRESSAGE SERIES Dressage for everyone
Jan 15th, Feb 19th & Mar 19th // Rangiora Showgrounds download the schedule at WWW.NLEC.CO.NZ | email: info@nlec.co.nz | phone 03 313 1247 A relaxed and friendly atmosphere with classes for everyone, from new partnerships to the more experienced combinations. We welcome junior riders and encourage riders to “Give it a Go” with our judge assisted Training classes available at all of our days.
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HORSE HEALTH AND FITNESS
ARRIVING AT THE VENUE SAFELY TIPS FOR TRAVELLING HORSES Dr Anita Barton BVSc (Hons) In Australia, where I currently live, it is quite common to have to travel horses very long distances to attend organised competitive events or clinics, sometimes over many days. For example, from where I live in Queensland to compete at the Nationals in Sydney is about fifteen hours, so a two-day trip. To compete in Melbourne is a 24-hour trip, so often done over three days. To us, a four-hour trip is considered a local event. In New Zealand the distances travelled are much less vast, I remember thinking an hour was a ridiculous distance to drive for an event when I was doing pony club in Northland. However it can often be necessary to travel competition horses over what we would consider a ‘high risk’ distance for stress and illness. I cannot stress enough the importance of planning ahead when travelling horses to events or clinics. There are a number of factors to consider when planning a trip:
Why is this so important? Horses are designed to spend 24 hours a day out in the paddock, a lot of that time with their neck stretched down grazing on grass. They continually secrete mucosal discharge from their guttural pouch and sinuses, and rely on the action of chewing to open their guttural pouches (mucosa-lined air sacs located within the horse’s skull) and allow them to drain. Additionally, the position of their head and neck downwards allows this mucosal discharge to drain out their nose, hence the reason you will often see horses snorting frequently while they are grazing, they are expelling the discharge. When horses are travelled for long periods of time with their head and neck positioned up, such as over a chest bar, they are unable to expel the discharge. Even if they are chewing on hay, the discharge tends to drain backwards down their trachea
TRAVEL Firstly, what distance am I travelling? Is it five minutes down the road, or am I looking at a trip of many hours? Any float trip over four hours is considered to have an increased risk of stress and stress-related travel illness. It is very important that horses are given a break from travelling every three to four hours, even if it’s just to pull over on the side of the road and offer them some water. If the float trip is going to be longer than six hours you should plan at least one break where you can get the horse off and allow them to stretch their neck down and eat. 50 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | MARCH 2017
and into their lungs. The collection of discharge in the lungs, coupled with the stress of travelling tending to cause a reduction in immune response, leaves a horse at risk of developing Travel Sickness. Travel Sickness is a primary respiratory infection that may present with lethargy and inappetence coupled with an elevation in body temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate. A cough often develops which can persist for many months, and in severe cases can result in pneumonia, systemic failure, laminitis and death. This is why it is imperative that horses are unloaded frequently and allowed to graze with their heads down to both drain their guttural pouch and allow them to expel any built-up secretions.The biggest risk factors for Travel Sickness is travel for longer than six hours, head tied up, dusty hay, vehicle exhaust fumes, and stress. Stress can arise from travel
HORSE HEALTH AND FITNESS
in particularly hot conditions, travel in heavy traffic, or a horse that finds travel particularly distressing. In these situations the risk factor of time should be considerably reduced from six hours to even three or even two hours. What do you do if your horse starts showing signs of Travel Sickness? Firstly, stop travel immediately. Unload the horse and allow him to graze, if he wants to. Seek urgent veterinary attention, and consider anti-inflammatories, antibiotics and icing the hooves to reduce the risk of laminitis. Seriously consider the risk of continuing travel, and if necessary to do so make sure the horse is unloaded every one to two hours and allowed to graze. Continue to ice the hooves throughout the journey. Prophylactic antibiotics prior to the start of travel to reduce the risk of bacterial infection are not recommended. Antibiotics are not selective in the bacteria they target, and will knock out the good gut bacteria essential to digestion. This coupled with the stress of travel can leave the horse at risk of developing colitis and colic.
Ensure the horse has sufficient hay to last him the trip. As previously mentioned, horses are physiologically designed to be outside grazing most of the day. As such, unlike humans that secrete digestive acids in response to food stimuli, the stomach of the horse continually secretes gastric acids regardless of whether they are eating or not. The act of chewing produces saliva, which buffers the gastric acids and helps prevent the acids from burning the stomach lining and causing ulcers. A horse that is only fed intermittently, or fed foods that are rapidly ingested and digested, such as concentrated feeds, will spend a considerable amount of time with its stomach bathed in unbuffered gastric acids, and will end up with gastric ulcers. Stress from travel can also exacerbate these ulcers. Feeding a fibrous hay that requires some chewing on behalf of the horse will not only keep the stomach and digestive tract full and functioning, and reduce gastric acid splash, but chewing will also produce saliva to buffer those gastric acids and neutralise them. The
general recommendation is to avoid grains and concentrated feeds 12-24 hours prior to travelling a long distance and only feed hay, to reduce heat buildup in the gut and minimise the risk of both gastric ulcers and gas colic. If the trip is to take place over many days make sure you have planned well ahead and know where you will be stopping and what is available to you when you stop. This is not only for overnight rest breaks, but also for unloading during the day. Most show grounds will have yards available where you can put the horse to allow him some time to himself to rest and relax.
TEMPERATURE The second factor to consider when traveling is the temperature. Again, in New Zealand the climate tends to be pretty stable, but in Australia it’s not uncommon to depart one state where the temperature is around 30 degrees to arrive in another state where the temperature is below 10. So when planning your trip consider possible temperature fluctuations and how you
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HORSE HEALTH AND FITNESS
might manage the travel. This may also affect your packing for the horse, for example if its very hot at home you may not be layering extra rugs at night, but if its very cool or very wet at your destination, then you don’t want to be caught out with inadequate warmth or sufficient dry rugs for your horse and risk him becoming chilled. Hot conditions can leave a horse susceptible to heat stress, which can lead to systemic failure and death, as well as make a horse susceptible to stress-related conditions such as Travel Sickness and colic. Excessive sweating can result in dehydration. When travelling a horse in particularly hot conditions ensure maximum ventilation of the float by opening all windows and vents. Horses conduct a lot of heat exchange through their limbs, so seriously consider the need for protective leg wraps, or choose wraps that have a sheepskin lining to allow for better ventilation. I would avoid bandages and wraps in particularly hot conditions. Avoid placing rugs on the horses, and if space allows, separate
horses by a bay to reduce confined body heat. Plan your trip to avoid travelling in the hottest part of the day, or at times when traffic will be heavy, as ventilation and airflow within a horse transporter virtually ceases to exist when at a standstill. Allowing a horse to become chilled during travel can also cause stress and respiratory illness. Whilst less common than heat stress, travelling in particularly cold conditions can lower the immune system making the horse susceptible to respiratory infections. Shivering can result in muscle fatigue. If travelling the horse in very cold conditions is unavoidable, ensure the horse is rugged and reduce the number of vents and windows that are open.
RECOVERY FROM TRAVEL Have you ever travelled in a float? I have. Its hard work trying to stand up and stay balanced. Admittedly a horse has four legs he can balance himself over, but its still a lot of muscle contraction required to absorb all the stop, start and turn vectors trying to
push him off balance. Particularly for a young horse or inexperienced traveller, they may not have learnt yet how to balance themselves most efficiently, and can become extremely tired and muscle fatigued by the end of their journey. They can even end up with exertional rhabdomyolysis, or ‘tying up’. When planning a long trip it is important to allow some rest time on arrival to assist with muscle recovery. The general rule of thumb is to allow one day of rest for each full day of travel (I would consider a day of travel to be around 8 hours). With younger horses, or if travelling is going to take place during hotter weather, consider arranging to have a vet on standby at the venue to administer a saline drench to assist with minimising dehydration and improving muscle recovery. Icing of the limbs and massage can also assist with recovery from travel. If you are concerned your horse may have ‘tied up’ (difficulty walking, hard muscles, increased heart rate and respiratory rate, shivering, red urine) do not try and walk him, place him in a confined area and contact a veterinarian immediately. Trying to stretch out muscles in the early stages of ‘tying up’ will result in muscle tearing and scarring.
DEPARTURE FROM THE EVENT Following completion from your event, allow your horse time to rest and recover before planning your departure. The more strenuous the event, the longer his rest time needs to be. Offer him water and hay, and give him the opportunity in a quiet, absorbent area to urinate. Some horses are more
MAKE YOUR ARENA BEAUTIFUL WITH OUR ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS
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HORSE HEALTH AND FITNESS
comfortable urinating once their float boots are on, as it reduces splash on their legs. Never place a horse in the float sweaty, fatigued or if he is showing signs of illness. Ensure he is hosed down, dry, and able to absorb float movement once travelling. Make sure you check his temperature prior to departure to ensure his core body temperature has recovered from exertion.
TIME AWAY FROM HOME FEED Make sure you plan well for the duration of your trip. Don’t assume that you will be able to get your regular feed or preferred choice of hay where you are going. Call ahead and contact produce stores to find out what they stock. Also contact the event venue to find out what kind of bedding they stock and that it will be suitable for your horse (some horses will eat straw bales, giving them colic, whilst others can have allergic reactions to certain shaving treatments in different brands). Ensure you have plenty of roughage to last you the duration of the trip, and consider increasing the amount of roughage and reducing the amount of concentrates for the duration of your trip to avoid ulcers, heat build-up and colic. Where possible feed the horse from the ground rather than up high, to try and mimic the natural physiological situation for the horse and aid with expulsion of mucosal secretions. There can be some risk of ingestion of bedding with hay on the ground, so it may be necessary to place a large bin or rubber mat in one corner to place the
hay on. If possible feed concentrates from the ground also to allow the horse to stretch down and place his jaw in a more natural position for chewing.
WATER It may be necessary to familiarise your horse with electrolyte or molassesflavoured water prior to departure. Not all water sources taste the same, and there is nothing more stressful than a horse that won’t drink when you are far from home. I also speak from great experience when I say pack more water buckets than you think you’ll need!! A water bucket can be a great source of entertainment for a bored young horse, and you may find yourself with a cracked bucket and no easy way to get another one. STABLING Once at the venue remember to take your horse out of the stable for frequent exercise, especially if he is unfamiliar with being stabled. Not only is being locked up in a stable boring, but some horses find it very stressful and can become unwell. Standing still in a stable is not ideal for circulation, and you may find the horse ends up stiff or swollen in their legs. Regular hand walks will keep their joints moving and circulation flowing, and will also allow them that essential opportunity to get their heads down and graze. Make sure they have adequate bedding both to urinate in, and also to be able to comfortably lie down and get proper rest. Ensure the stables are regularly cleaned, particularly of urine, to maintain hygiene and avoid respiratory infections. CONSIDER YOUR HORSE Every horse is different. Some horses are very laid back and adapt to most
situations and environments, whilst other horses find change particularly stressful. If your horse is more like the latter, try and do as much as you can to keep the environment familiar to him. Keep to his routine with exercise and feed times, allow him plenty of opportunity to exit the stable and go for a walk. If he is very excitable away from home you may need to consider additional restrain, such as a rearing bit or stallion chain, for your safety when walking him. An anxious horse is less likely to eat and drink normally, and increased stress hormones can lead to colic, ulcers and a reduced immunity, which may make him more susceptible to respiratory infections. It may be necessary to have a vet on standby to administer a saline drench if he is reluctant to drink. Also consider antiulcer medications, an anxiety-reducing supplement and some probiotics. Conditioning a horse to being away by attending smaller competitions and building up to larger can sometimes help, although some horses learn quicker by being thrown into longer stays away from home.
FIRST AID KIT Before leaving home ensure you have an adequate first aid kit in the float. The following items I consider essential for long trips: Adhesive bandage and padding; disposable nappies (great for bandaging onto hooves!); barrier cream for wounds (egsudocream, silvazine); Thermometer; stethoscope; ice boots; scissors; anti-inflammtory (eg phenylbutazone, flunixin); antibiotic powder (eg trimethoprim); sedative paste – in case of transporting incident (eqsedazine). Remember, if you are carrying medication in your vehicle at an organised competitive event you must declare the medication to the event organiser and either hand it to them for safe keeping or be able to keep it adequately locked in your vehicle. In summary, plan ahead, plan ahead, plan ahead. I would recommend having a comprehensive checklist made well in advance of the event. Make sure you know where you are going, how you are getting there, and what is available to you once you get there. Always consider your horse’s welfare over and above any other consideration when planning your trip.
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NATIONAL RESULTS
Elite Equine Young Dressage Horse Winners with Chair of Dressage Lynda Clark
1.
Lauren Haig and Westford Lanciano
Sarah Waddell and River Rock
1.
Hielke de Graaf and Deborah Nelson-Love
All Smiles! Tania Fairbairn and Corvette
3.
Soo Wells and AJK Carronade
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Kirsty Schist and Jude Nickolls
NATIONAL RESULTS
SOUTH ISLAND DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIP A HUGE SUCCESS The picturesque town of Gore was home to the Harper Horsecoaches South Island Dressage Championships this year, proudly hosted by Dressage Southland. 150 horses with 135 riders and supporters descended on the grounds from as far north as Nelson, with a big following from Canterbury and Otago areas. Southland and Central Otago riders were out in force taking the opportunity to vie for top positions at a prestigious show close to home – it was such a treat for them not to have the lengthy travel to Canterbury this year. Held at the A & P showgrounds, groundsman Beven Roy had the venue looking picture perfect. The grass arenas were in beautiful order and the four all weather surfaces had been dressed with a sand top up making for excellent footing. The weather gods were kind until the final day when a cold blast whipped through and prizegiving was transferred to an unmounted indoor ceremony. Southern combinations didn’t disappoint in the championship stakes. Jude Nickolls and Glenview Caballero (Queenstown) scored the Grand Prix title. It was a Sharp family affair with Fiona on Leo Dreams of Gold taking out the Level 6 championship while her
ten year old son Connor scored reserve in the Level 2 Pony championship on Moorak Valuer General. Wyndham’s Marlene Parkinson secured reserve in the Level 2 Horse championship with Parkridge Luke, and Invercargill pony rider Hannah Nicol on LJ Snowdance took home the Reserve Level 1 sash. There was good representation of pony and young riders all looking to earn points in the final round of the Pryde’s Easifeed South Island HiPoints Series. Points were earned at seven other regional events beginning in October throughout the South Island. AMS Saddlery Young Rider Performance League points were also up for grabs heading into the grand finale at the U25 Championships at Taupo in April. It was interesting to see several advanced grade riders taking the opportunity to compete in a snaffle bridle over the weekend giving credence to the rule change instigated by Dressage NZ a couple of years ago and now also gradually being adopted nationally by other countries.
A highlight of the weekend was the dinner on Saturday night, complete with the silent auction which raised over $4,000 towards event costs, and a hotly contested live auction for some infamous Southland white bait kindly donated by List 2 judge Helen Christie. A super slick prize giving for the Super 5 league and South Island Semi-Finals only just outshone the best dressed judges awards! Prizes were generously kindly donated by Caci clinic Invercargill. Helen Christie won the local judge award and despite her many overseas trips proudly announced her winning outfit had been purchased in Gore. The out of town award went to the chic Carol Eivers from Northern Hawke’s Bay. Dressage Southland would like to thank all the National sponsors for their continued support and also the many local businesses that support southern dressage as without them the South Islands would not have been as successful as it was. Photos by Kristel Mack Saunders
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RESULTS
Helen Boyd and Sylvester MH Photo: Kristel Mack Saunders
SOUTH ISLAND DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS TURNOUT PRIZE
Dani Simpson
Greenmoor Euphorious
L1 PONY CHAMPION
Imogen Morrison
River Dance Drummer Boy
RESERVE
Hannah Nicol
LJ Snowdance
L2 PONY CHAMPION
Charlotte Thomas
Farview Free Spirit
RESERVE
Connor Sharp
Moorak Valuer General
L1 OPEN CHAMPION
Hielke De Graaf
Southern Hit
RESERVE
Deborah Nelson- Love
The BurjKhalifa
L2 OPEN CHAMPION
Lorraine Ward Smith
Fernlea Diamond Day
RESERVE
Marlene Parkinson
Parkridge Luke
L3 OPEN CHAMPION
Rebecca Rowlands
Solo
RESERVE
Dani Simpson
Greenmoor Euphorious
L4 OPEN CHAMPION
Sonya McLachlan
Alliarna
RESERVE
Rebecca Rowlands
Southwell Rendevouz
L5 OPEN CHAMPION
Kirsty Schist
Kintore Romany
RESERVE
Kristen Anderson-Strang
Florin
L6 OPEN CHAMPION
Fiona Sharp
Leo Dreams of Gold
RESERVE
Lauren Haig
Westfield Luciano
L7 OPEN CHAMPION
Barbara Chalmers
Rosellini
RESERVE
Joy White
Gammon KS
L8 OPEN CHAMPION
Kirsty Schist
Kinnordy Gambado
L9 OPEN CHAMPION
Jude Nickolls
Glenview Caballero
RESERVE
Soo Wells
AJK Carronade
OVERALL CHAMPIONS
56 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | MARCH 2017
NATIONAL SERIES LEADERBOARD
Sue Ridley and Just Dreaming Photo: Paula Stuart Photography
WAIKATO DOMINATE EQUITAK EXCEL IN TEAM STANDINGS Dressage Waikato has pulled off another big team win. The area showed their dominance during the Super 5 League and have convincingly won the Equitak Excel Area Team Challenge and the $1500 Area Equitak Excel Development Award Area Delegate Debra Cowan was excited to learn of the win and praised riders in the area for their efforts “The win can be attributed to the number of riders and depth of competition in our area which gives us the opportunity to be very competitive
in the team stakes. The area is attracting an increasing number of competitive riders to be based in the region which is great for the development of the sport here. We look forward to an increasing number of members being actively involved in group projects and administration. We really do need more people to be involved. The Equital Excel prize will enable us to further develop our squad programme which had been very beneficial this year and has inspired and encouraged amateur riders to
extend their training and performance capabilities. We offer a huge thanks to Bayer and Equitak Excel for this opportunity and look forward to receiving our team trophy and sashes at the Annual Awards Dinner in Blenheim� Waikato Wellington Canterbury Auckland Central Districts
712 1 543 2 488 3 473 4 375 5
YOUR BUSINESS COULD BE HERE jeremy@snaffledesign.co.nz
MARCH 2017 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 57
NEWS
Photos: Kristel Mack Saunders
ONE DOOR CLOSES TO OPEN A MILLION MORE FOR JUDE & CABBY For one rider, it was a bittersweet weekend, winning a championship ribbon in the Grand Prix level but knowing that this was the last time she would be competing her beloved friend Glenview Caballero. Jude Nickolls mother had handed over the seven year old “Cabby” for Jude ‘just to ride’ after she finished cavalcading some ten years ago. They tried their hand at everything from jumping to showing and after entering an unregistered class at Gore one February, Jude fell in love with dressage. From there they rose through the grades, competing at Horse of the Year in 2015 and 2016, claiming many titles and wide ribbons along the way, proving that attitude and willingness are important tools of the trade. It is only in the last few years that Jude has had an all weather surface, training mostly on a grass arena at home. She also actively sought Bill Noble as her trainer and mentor, deciding that he was the one to help her achieve her dream of Grand Prix success.
In their final boogie at the South Islands, Jude and Cabby collected the Zilco Musical Leaderboard, the South Island Superior Rubber Surfaces Super 5 Title and the coveted Grand Prix Championship. At the end of their Sunday test, the local committee presented the duo the traditional unsaddling ceremony. Cabby, not showing her 17 years, danced out of the oval to a round of applause.
SO WE ASKED JUDE WHAT NEXT FOR CABBY WHEN SHE LOOKED IN SUCH FINE FORM? “I feel Cabby has done enough, she gives me everything all the time and even though we are improving our scores after four Grand Prix competitions I don’t think we have anything left to prove. She deserves to finish on a high and enjoy her semi retirement”
58 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | MARCH 2017
WHAT WILL SHE DO IN HER SEMI-RETIREMENT? “14 year old Estrella Mooney will take over the reins. She is very new rider, never competed in anything prior to riding Cabby. She is a lovely young girl with a heart of gold but a huge amount of determination topped with a very impressive natural riding ability that you don’t usually find in someone so young and new to the sport. It will be fun seeing where they head to next”.
AND WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOU? “Thanks to a couple of amazing investors I have some special horses in my paddocks. I have my Trakhener Prix St Georges horse (Raukanui Embracing) coming through, a 5YO Sandro Hit/Don Bosco/Donnerhall, a 3YO Sir Donnerhall/Londonderry & a 14 month old Limonit baby – I am very lucky to have this team and extremely excited about the future”
NATIONAL SERIES LEADERBOARD
SOUTH ISLAND DRESSAGE TO MUSIC LEADERBOARDS The South Island Zilco Dressage to Music Leaderboards came to an exciting finish at the South Island Championships in Gore. Bonus points were earned at the finale and two riders finished the series on maximum points (52). Congratulations to Lorraine Ward-Smith and Rebecca Rowlands. Rebecca now goes into the lead for the Zilco Hi-Points award – a fabulous Zilco rug of choice but will have to wait until the North Island series is finished to see if she is the lucky winner as Abbie Deken is currently sitting on 50pts in Level 3. Vanessa Way is on 47pts in both Levels 5 & 6, and could also finish on 52pts if she scores over 70% on either NRM Andreas or KH Arion. It could be a tie-breaker is required at Level 3 on %, or otherwise the combination in the highest grade wins.
LEVEL 2 Fernlea Diamond Day
Lorraine Ward-Smith
52
1
Denmark
Jan Morice
32
2
Sartorial Hit SW
Jackie Thomas
29
3
KP Dexter
Diane Wallace
17
4
Parkridge Luke
Marlene Parkinson
16
5
Solo
Rebecca Rowlands
52
1
Chocolat Noir
Amanda Waddell
31
2
Greenmoor Euphoria
Dani Simpson
23
3
Gymnastik Gift
Rhiannon Moss
19
4
Three Aces
Tiffany Ottley
19
5
Alliarna
Sonya McLachlan
40
1
Windermere JObei W
Melissa Galloway
37
2
Southwell Rendevouz
Rebecca Rowlands
22
3
Schindlers Liszt
Louis Schindler
18
4
Rifesyde Prancer
Millie Thompson
14
5
Kintore Romany
Kirsty Schist
30
1
Luna Rosa
Adelle O’Neill
27
2
Grandiosie
Janna Greene
19
3
Isle of Mystique
Sue Woerlee
18
4
Florin
Kristen Anderson-Strang
16
5
Rossellini
Barbara Chalmers
33
1
Leo Dreams Of Gold
Fiona Sharp
33
2
Windermere Johanson W
Melissa Galloway
24
3
Faemoss B.W
Sarah Wadworth
22
4
Greta
Deborah Rutherford
15
5
Zeilinger
Melissa Galloway
26
1
Kinnordy Gambado
Kirsty Schist
20
2
Hollywood Superstar
Siobahn Fauth
4
3
Millstream Magic
Wendy Butler
1
4
Glenview Gaballero
Jude Nickolls
13
1
Apollo 4
Tracey Johnson
8
2
AJK Carronade
Soo Wells
5
3
LEVEL 3
LEVEL 4
LEVEL 5
Zilco Musical Freestyle L3 placegetters with Lynda Clark Photos: Kristel Mack Saunders
LEVEL 6/7
LEVEL 8
LEVEL 9
Jude Nickolls and Kirsty Schist
MARCH 2017 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 59
NATIONAL SERIES LEADERBOARD
SOUTH ISLAND SUPER 5 LEAGUE VETPRO LEVEL 1 Southern Hit
Hielke De Graaf
36
Beechcroft Absolut
Hannah Johnston
26
Nightfire
Deirdre Anderson
19
Count Griffyn
Sharon Chambers
17
La Dolce Vita
Laurel Carre
17
MATTHEWS HANOVERIANS LEVEL 2 Fernlea Diamond Day
Lorraine Ward-Smith
52
KP Dexter
Diane Wallace
29
Zactac Dun-for-Fun
Jodi Gardner
28
Parkridge Luke
Marlene Parkinson
26
Sartorial Hit SW
Jackie Thomas
26
Solo
Rebecca Rowlands
49
Gymnastik Gift
Rhiannon Moss
33
Greenmoor Euphoria
Dani Simpson
26
Chocolate Noir
Amanda Waddell
26
Lavante
Rachael Powell
19
BATESON TRAILERS NZ LEVEL 3
DUNSTAN HORSEFEEDS LEVEL 4 Windermere JObei W
Melissa Galloway
49
Alliarna
Sonya McLachlan
43
Southwell Rendevouz
Rebecca Rowlands
35
Arnage Rhumba
Julie Fraser
23
Chocolate Ice
Nicola Sim
21
Kintore Romany
Kirsty Schist
31
Luna Rosa
Adelle O’Neill
23
Isle of Mystique
Susan Woerlee
16
Grandiosie
Janna Greene
15
Sylvan Antics
Rosie Hore
13
FIBER FRESH LEVEL 5
HOBSON HORSECOACHES LEVEL 6 Leo Dreams Of Gold
Fiona Sharp
33
River Rock
Sarah Waddell
20
Westford Lanciano
Lauren Haig
14
Greta
Deborah Rutherford
13
Windermere Johanson W
Melissa Galloway
12
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NATIONAL SERIES LEADERBOARD
The Super 5 League Points table calculations were modified slightly this year to allow riders to gain points in any Super 5 qualifier and have their points attributed to the island of the rider’s origin. This meant that any riders competing inter-island were not penalised by splitting any points gained across two league tables. The simply gorgeous Donnerubin mare, Fernlea Diamond Day with rider Lorraine Ward-Smith, was the only horse to score maximum points in the South Island League. Unfortunately the travel plans for many southern riders was disrupted by the Kaikoura earthquake this year but hopefully by next season travel won’t be so arduous and the league will be even more competitive than the 2016/17 season.
Fiona Sharp - Leo Dreams of Gold Photo: Kristel Mack Saunders
CUSTOM LOGISTICS LEVEL 7 Rossellini
Barbara Chalmers
35
Windermere Johanson W
Melissa Galloway
23
Faemoss B.W
Sarah Wadworth
19
Gammon Ks
Joy White
13
Glamorgan Rhythm ‘n’ Blues
Agnes Irwin
8
Zeilinger
Melissa Galloway
31
Kinnordy Gambado
Kirsty Schist
27
Glenview Caballero
Jude Nickolls
8
Apollo 4
Tracey Johnson
8
Furst Jupp
Tessa Van Bruggen
3
ANDREA RAVES FETTERMAN LEVEL 8
SUPERIOR RUBBER SURFACES LEVEL 9
MARCH 2017 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 61
NATIONAL SERIES LEADERBOARD
NORTH ISLAND SUPER 5 LEAGUE The North Island Super 5 League identified some outstanding performers across the grades. The Superior Rubber Surfaces Grand Prix League was a super close contest with a tie-breaker between Abbie Deken from Taranaki and Waikato’s William (Bill) Millar, both just edging Jody Hartstone and Ali Baba into third. Abbie also took the prime spot in the Bateson Trailers Level 3. Not to be outdone by her Oakura friend and neighbour, Vanessa Way also notched up two wins, taking out the Fiber Fresh level 5 with NRM KH Arion and the Hobson Horsecoaches Level 6 with NRM Andreas. Toni Louisson on Astute played their cards carefully all season ending up with a win in the new Custom Logistics Level 7 and a third placing in Hobson Horsecoaches Level 6. Kieryn Walton and the homebred Wisdom WDS (By Whisper) looks to be an international prospect in the making leading the way with a maximum 52pts in the Vetpro Level 1 from Wendi Williamson on yet another Matthews bred star, the lightly competed Don Vito MH. Wendi also took honours in the Matthews Hanoverians Level 2 with Presley MH Our sport has got much to be excited about looking at the quality of the horses in the 2017 Super 5 League. A huge thanks to all the Super 5 League Sponsors for making this series possible
VETPRO LEVEL 1 Wisdom WDS
Kieryn Walton
52
Don Vito MH
Wendi Williamson
42
Raupapa Donnerita
Emma Wilson
33
Pineridge Pirate
Abbie Deken
27
Oranoa Morepork
Anne Webster
27
MATTHEWS HANOVERIANS LEVEL 2 Presley MH
Wendi Williamson
49
Donneregal
Elisha Wade
36
Charlton Baliro
Nicoli Fife
28
Donnerbella II
Tania Smith
28
HP Fresco
Holly Leach
27
Giuliani
Abbie Deken
52
Kinnordy Golda
Sophie de Clifford
46
Summerstone Hit
Louisa Ayres
38
Garavani
Sharon Dixon
37
Alpha Beta
Willa Aitken
28
BATESON TRAILERS LEVEL 3
62 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | MARCH 2017
NATIONAL SERIES LEADERBOARD
DUNSTAN HORSEFEEDS LEVEL 4 NSC Pronto
Vanessa Way
52
Sisters II Etta J
Chelsea Callaghan
46
Alamo BL
Sophie de Clifford
40
Boom Chica Boom
Kathryn Corry
31
Decadance MH
Hannah Burden
28
NRM KH Arion
Vanessa Way
46
Vollrath Leila
Carole Christensen
43
Reflexions
Susan Tomlin
38
Sparks Will Fly
Mandy Littlejohn
37
Belladonna MH
Julie Flintoff
21
FIBER FRESH FEEDS LEVEL 5
HOBSON HORSECOACHES PRIX ST GEORGES NRM Andreas
Vanessa Way
43
Georgio
Jacqui Thompson
33
Astute
Toni Louisson
33
Letty Lei
Victoria Wall
30
Rock Of Cashel
Sara White
19
Astute
Toni Louisson
35
Donnerheim
Vanessa Fenemor
31
Playmate
Louisa Ayres
29
PSL Lingh II
Alex Matheson
29
Ashanti
Sophie de Clifford
19
CUSTOM LOGISTICS LEVEL 7
ANDREA RAVES FETTERMAN LEVEL 8 Parkridge Disco SW
Sheena Ross
30
Dancealong
Susan Tomlin
26
Aztec Lad
Paula Stuart
25
Zinstar
Julie Pearson
20
Amorette
Joanne Brown
17
SUPERIOR RUBBER SURFACES LEVEL 9 K H Ambrose
Abbie Deken
37
Raukura Satori MH
William Millar
37
Ali Baba
Jody Hartstone
35
Dejavu MH
Wendi Williamson
29
Magnus Spero
Penny Castle
23
MARCH 2017 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | 63
Fiber Fresh National Equestrian Centre, Taupo, 1 - 2 April 2017 Pony Levels 1-4 Young Riders aged 17 - 25 Levels 1-9 Rider Equitation Classes Newcomers for unregistered Riders & Horses Para Equestrian
Full Class Schedule at www.equestrianentries.co.nz 64 | DRESSAGENZ BULLETIN | MARCH 2017
DRESSAGE DIRECTORY Dressage Area Group Websites and other useful links.
Equestrian Sports NZ/Dressage www.nzequestrian.org.nz/dressage www.facebook.com/DressageNZ www.facebook.com/EquestrianSportsNZ www.facebook.com/DressageNZU25Championships www.facebook.com/StableoftheStallions 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)
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