Thursday saw the start of the 2014 Saddleworld Australian Dressage Championships at the Sydney international Equestrian Centre at Horsley Park, a 45 minute drive from Sydney’s CBD. The venue looks amazing and with the thought that it was host to those amazing horses that attended the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the memories and history still infiltrates the venue.

 

The Needs For Steeds Prix St George will start at 8.45am and go through until 2.50pm and will be a class worth watching when you realise that 66 horses entered to be culled back to the top 35!

 

Names such and Ryan, Dierks, Tough, Van Den Berge, Martin and Shoobridge take centre stage in the indoor to impress the five judges including international Natalie Lamping from the USA.

 

The class is full of style and fancy horses that have all qualified with very impressive scores and none less that Deon Stokes and Bellario last to go in the draw, all the way from WA and what great scores they have achieved in that sandgroper country to now come and put their wares to the rest of the Aussie dressage fraternity. Of course I am sure that Judy Dierks and Diamond Star will be there to impress indeed as will Bellaire Cannavaro with Georgina Foot and then SPH Sonata Hit and Rodney Martin. The imported Amicelli Gold for Leslie Anne Taylor and the new Cartuso and Krysten Lituri who has shown steady and increasing scores on the smooth and talented imported gelding. Just Dance, Agent de Jeu, Millfield Dominique AND actually many many more could win the class. It's going to be an amazing way to open the show and what a class. Without doudt the best field of small tour horses ever seen in Australia.

 

The Inter II, starting at 10.48am is a great field inclusive of the interstaters in Urestan (VIC), Glogau (QLD), Sheer Etiquette (QLD), Donna Bonita (QLD) and Adlanta Rose (VIC) all make their way to the Champs to front up to local superstars as Regadez Moi, Good as Gold, Wacca W not to mention a few international from New Zealand in Vom Feinsten and Julie Brougham. It will be a great class with international judge Orsolya Hillier (HUN) part of the ground jury.

 

What a great two classes to kick of a great weekend of dressage, the trade stands a plenty and food and beverages for all. It is promising to be the greatest National Championships yet with the classes seriously full of talented horses and it will be up to the riders to make sure they make a clean test first and foremost and then see who is prepared to add the icing but icing and mistakes will not win the class.

 

Super horses and riders and a great venue superbly run and managed and that is all for great competition. Even the spring weather is promising!

 

Make sure you get out to watch the action it’s going to be THE BEST!