Brett Parbery and DP Weltmeiser - A Combination On The Rise

by Roger Fitzhardinge

DP Weltmeiser, the talented black gelding owned by Susie Duddy, who won the Prix St George, Intermediare I Freestyle and was just pipped in the Intermediare I to be second to the very well respected mare Adlanta Rose at the Credit Suisse CDI *** at Boneo Park, is no stranger to success.

Brett Parbery & DP Weltmeiser at the Credit Suisse Boneo Park CDI 3* © Roger Fitzhardinge

When Brett Parbery took over the ride from Heath Ryan who had already successfully campaigned the horse to Medium level, he found the success continued, winning at Advanced. Now at Small Tour, the combination are continuing strongly, even though they have had less than ten competitive starts.

The pair at the 2012 Australian Dressage Championships ©Derek OLeary

DP Weltmeiser is a gelding by Weltmeyer and out of the same mare as Grand Prix horse DP Christopher. “Rabbit” as DP Weltmeiser is known, was bred to perform and that he certainly has done. DP Christopher and DP Weltmeiser are certainly not similar at all in type nor temperament. DP Christopher is a big, square, bay with a quiet and colder temperament whereas Rabbit is black and a more modern type. 

There is no mistaking the Weltmeyer look and movement. Rabbit has a great trot with real spark and enthusiasm in his stride and a canter that is ground covering yet collectable and athletic. His mind is also sharp and at times a little hectic. I asked Brett how he copes with this horses reactions to his environment, and to the aids. I also wanted to know how does he get the horse going in such a great way for big competitions, where Rabbit can at times be overly enthusiastic.

Brett explained that he uses interval type training with the gelding, so he is able to build the energy up and up and then take a walk break so there is a period of relaxation. Then again more work with energy and elasticity followed by a walk break. He said, “It's like organising an on and off button and not allowing the tension to get to a stage that it interferes in the work.” I agreed that if you want to be competitive at Grand Prix level, then you want a horse like this, but by the same token it's important to keep a handle on it as well.

Where it looks like Rabbit wants to escape is really in the straightness and carrying capacity on the hind leg. This is most obvious in the canter. Brett explained that he is always working on half halts and transitions, with absolute focus on the straightness.  Rabbit is then able to take the weight behind and not able to lose this by flexing, bending or drifting sideways. As is the case with many horses, this can be a way they lose confidence through not being straight and as such get worried and make a mistake. 

It is all about the connection from the back to the front and also the front to the back. It goes without saying that the stronger he becomes and the more familiar with all the exercises then the more confident the horse will become. Brett commented that no exercises are done that are a surprise to Rabbit. Being a sharp horse, he needs to stay focussed and well prepared in the same way for every movement, so in turn he becomes calm and relaxed by always knowing what is coming up. With horses that are not sharp of course an odd surprise is a real wake up call and helpful indeed, but with the sensitive over achievers surprising them is not helpful. With DP Weltmeiser ... less is more!

Brett also said he works a lot on working pirouettes in the canter to help the horse gain confidence and strength. Of course if you can't ride a horse crooked (shoulder in, travers or renvers) then you can not ride him straight.

Brett told me he had to work Rabbit in a competition frame a lot initially as he wanted to hide and be deep. But now that he finds this position easier, he rides for periods of time in a deeper and rounder frame. This frame helps with relaxation, throughness and keeping over the back, yet at the same time building the strength and engagement. When tension creeps in if he knows that a deeper frame is a way towards relaxation, then when he gets tense in the competition frame, to think about going deep instinctively encourages that relaxation and a deep breath so to speak. There is then no need to ride totally deep but the thought and indication to the horses brain, that this is a “happy place” tempts back the mental and physical relaxation.

Of course with a sharp horse as this who doesn't like to make mistakes, it's always hard when you are trying to move towards Grand Prix and train new movements to keep the confidence. Brett is training one tempis and to come back to Small Tour after a few weeks of training the ones, when you get to the twos in the competition arena there is always going to be a degree of anticipation and tension and this is just part and parcel of working towards Grand Prix.

Rabbit is also working on the piaffe and he shows a good degree of talent here. Brett works a lot in double long reins in training the piaffe and as the passage is easy for him he is not focussing on that at this stage. His trot already lends itself to passage with no problems. He is well on the way to Grand Prix and perhaps later this year Rabbit will have a Big Tour start but it's all about taking time and not overtaxing this type of horse ... It is  always about making sure the foundations are solid and intact at all stages along the road to Grand Prix.

Of course there is always the show, the new environment, the new arena, the crowds,  flags etc etc to cope with. Brett explained that his whole theory with Rabbit in the warm up is to keep the relaxation and so he doesn't need to practice the movements of the test too much. The horse knows them well and the arena and atmosphere are enough icing, so Brett works on that “on and off” button, with plenty of walking around and hanging out in the warm up. Simple exercises, plenty of simple transitions and work on the half halts and the straightness. It's that "just another day at the office" feeling. 

Brett never gives him the opportunity to get his blood up at all in the warm up and as he said, if you saw him in the warm up you would not think he was getting ready to compete in a test but rather just mooching around being a Novice horse. He may ride a few sequence changes but only say three or so and then a period of relaxation.

There is no doubt that it all works as Brett has made some very good tests, and above all he makes it look easy. There is no doubt this combination will be very strong in the Small Tour competitions at the coming CDI events.

Two wins and a second with high percentages are the proof of meticulous and methodical work and we look forward to following Rabbit’s road to Grand Prix and admiring his work in Small Tour along the way.

Brett was not only successful with this horse but without doubt the most successful rider at the Boneo CDI*** competition, also winning the CDN Prix St George and the two Advanced classes with the imported stallion Aber Hallo 29. This stallion, formerly ridden by Daniella Dierkes, placed at the Bundeschampionate as a three year old and was imported in to Australia by the Farrell Family. This was his first competition with Brett and the stallions first competition for a while, as he was out with a minor injury for some time.

Brett also won the two Five Year Old classes on another Farrell owned mare, Fursten Friendship, a full sister to the stallion Fursten Fugger who won the six year old class at the Bundeschampionate. This young mare is tall and leggy and has wonderful trot. This was only her second outing since arriving in Australia late last year. She is a mare with plenty of  talent and there is still plenty of room for improvement as her inexperience in the ring and new environments still affect her marks as some moments of tension lose the relaxation and swing that she can show. The mares' scores were over eight so I look on with interest, for when she becomes more savvy with competition and can really let go!!!

Story and photographs ©Roger Fitzhardinge and Equestrian Life