Fiona Selby and Tacita, Grand Prix CDI-W winners.

© EQ Life

By Equestrian Life
Para Equestrian report by Zoe Vorenas

The 2019 Serata Equine Dressage Festival is well underway at Boneo Park in Victoria, with the event incorporating the Victorian Dressage Championships, Tokyo Paralympic Qualifier and the FEI World Cup Pacific League Final.

Grand Prix CDI-W

The Grand Prix CDI-W at this event is the final for the FEI World Cup Pacific League – meaning the winner of tomorrow’s Freestyle has the opportunity to represent Australian at the 2020 World Cup in Las Vegas. Today’s Grand Prix determines who qualifies for the Freestyle and also the starting order.

Boneo Park’s very own Fiona Selby and her beautiful mare Tacita won the class with a personal best score of 69.652% - an amazing effort, well done Fiona!

Fiona Selby won the Grand Prix CDI-W at the 2019 Serata Equine Victorian Dressage Festival.

© EQ Life

Second place went to NZ rider Wendi Williamson and Don Amour; the pair flew over from NZ and only arriving the day before due to delays, it was a great effort. The pair scored 67.261%. Third place went to Pauline Carnovale and Captain Cooks on 67%, fourth to Sally Rizzuto and Diamond Star on 65.848%, and fifth to Holly Cutler and Diva Royale on 63.717%.

The stage is now set for an exciting Freestyle final tomorrow!

Para Equestrian

Zoe Vorenas and Neversfelde Kipling, winners of the Grade 4 Team Test.

© Kirsty Pasto/The Australian Equestrian Team

Today saw the Para Equestrian Team Test underway. Once again, we had a great number of entries across the five grades, albeit for a few scratchings. The weather held out for us and the day was well run.

Marnie Clapham was once again riding Freedom Spyda, owned by Anne Skinner, in the Grade 1. Such a talented young woman who is bound to do great things in the future and that smile is just contagious. Marnie scored 63.512% for the win.

Vic Davies took the win in the Grade 2 competition on her beautiful Andaluka Elegido with 67.929%. Eddie is such a beautiful stallion, so impeccably behaved and Vic presents him perfectly. Closely behind was Bridget who put forward a good test on 63.081%; these two are really beginning to work each other out in the ring.

Zidane put his best hoof forward with Emma in the saddle today for a fantastic score of 72.157% to win the Grade 3. A fantastic score to add to their Tokyo Campaign and no doubt one that Emma is happy with. These two are a fantastic partnership, and the experience they have behind them really shows in the way Emma navigates the tests.

Grade 4 showed some great competition and riding across the board. Amanda Parsons did a great job with her new ride, Absolute. These two haven’t been a partnership for long, but Mandy rides so well and the pair show great promise! Matilda and her beautiful dancing mare, Devil’s Chocolate, put forward a beautifully flowing test for 68.375%, a good, solid score towards their bid for Tokyo. Each time I’ve seen Tilly, she’s improved which is a credit to Tilda’s hard work.

Today I rode Neversfelde Kipling in the Grade 4 for a PB of 72.7%, which I am over the moon with. We wanted to get in there, have some fun and slowly begin to chip away at some of the stuff we’ve been developing at home. It’s a really great feeling to see those marks creep up across the board!

The Grade 5 was another very competitive class today, with Stuart Drysdale taking the win on his mount, Blueberry 20 with a score of 65.116%. Coming all the way from WA was Shannon Brookes on her own two horses which kept her busy all day. I think people sometimes don’t realise the level of fatigue that most paras battle daily, and add two horses into the mix… Well, it’s a tricky balance! But Shannon did a great job and should be proud of herself. Melanie Diplock was our other competitor in the Grade 5 today and took out second place with her horse.

Overall, a very good day of competition, and I think everyone is with me when I say a massive thank you to the DF committee, the Para Stewards, GJ, staff and coaches and the judges today for allowing us to compete at the Vic Champs. Tomorrow brings on the Individual Test across all grades, so stay tuned!

Grand Prix CDN

The Grand Prix CDN went to Lindsey Ware and Aristede on a score of 65.725%, from Dirk Dijkstra and AEA Metallic on 65%, and Louise Curran and Cil Dara Gandalf third on 63.887%. Abbie O’Brien and Magnus Spero were fourth on 63.478%.

Prix St Georges

The PSG went to Mary Hanna, riding daughter Gitte’s Harmonie W on a top score of 71.912%. Second place went to Shanon McKimmie and Quebec 51 on 68.186%, with Fiona Guthrie and Don Duchovny third on 67.598%.

In the PSG Pony, Heritage Park Chartreuse and Amy Bachmann were victorious on 69.51%.

For the full results from today, click here.

Thursday’s results

On Thursday, the first day of competition, Isabel Luxmoore and Linus WK were named Advanced Champions, ahead of Zoe Farrant and Weltstrom, while Bella Plumridge and Illawong Harvest Moon took out the Advanced Pony Championship.

In the Preliminary classs, Ruth Schneeberger won both the 1B and 1C tests to claim the Championship aboard Fin Revel VSR, while Jessica Payne and Corvan Park Cora Lynn won the Pony Preliminary Championship.

Other winners included Monica Bird and Bourgogne in the FEI Intermediate A.

Full results can be found here.

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