Welcome to the 2015 Birds Equisports Dressage with Altitude!

Text and Photos by Roger Fitzhardinge

The Birds Equisports Dressage With Altitude is all ready to get up and running with the Inter II being the first class staring today. This boutique show is held on the stunning property of John and Bev Healey, Bradgate Park, on the outskirts of beautiful Orange. With 120 horses entered and competing over the four days of competition it is some feat, especially when you realise that there is only the one competition arena (the indoor) in which all tests are held.

For the spectators it is truly fantastic as the mezzanine floor makes a social gathering area with comfortable lounges and tired viewing areas and you can simply grab a coffee and sit and watch without even having to move, and without having to worry about missing a horse in another arena. Horses are here from QLD,  WA,  NSW and Victoria. There are ten horses in the Grand Prix CDN and 19 in the Grand Prix CDI. This is quite a feat. In the small tour CDI there are twenty and the fields are not only big in entries but also in quality, with serious competition that is rarely seen.

The judges fill a formidable band with Jean-Michel Roudier (FRA), Eddy De Wolff (NDE), Susie Hoevenaars (AUS), Mary Seefried (AUS), Marian Cunningham (PER), Sue Hobson (NZ), Helen Hughe-Keen (NZL) and Ricky MacMiilan (AUS).  The competitions starts at 7.30am and going through until 10.45pm, with the Freestyle competitions on the Saturday night being always a special treat.

The food is always amazing and Edwina Mithchel, initiator of Taste Orange that this year came to the center of Sydney in Martin Place during the Sydney festival. Her catering is delicious. Trade stands and sculptor Richard Nagel from Mudgee has exhibits dotted around the arenas indoor and out with spectacular simplicity make the wonderful grounds of Bradgate park take on a wonderful aura.  With plenty of good trade stands and shopping to be done, Orange is the place to catch all the action.

There are 99 stables on the venue with great temporary stables. The most fantastic feature of The Birds Equisports Dressage With Altitude is that it is the friendliest CDI of all, with such an intimate feel. Its where owners, riders, judges and grooms congregate together, rub shoulders and talk passionately about their common bond… The Dressage Horse.

The likes of Diamantina and Maree Tomkinson are here and the mare looks totally at ease, as does Maree. Mary Hanna is here with Hamag W Stromer and Umbro fresh from their win at the World Cup final from Boneo Park. Brett Parbery is here with his team including DP Weltmeisser who is really coming to the Grand Prix party and winner of Special at Boneo, and he also has the super big imported Zeppellin who is really hitting his straps. Brett riding in absolute form and making it all look so easy. The up and coming young rider Kate Farrell and Luxor 118 who look a treat cruising around the arena as this is being written. The Farrells stallion Aber Hallo is having his first start back for some time and looks an absolute picture with Brett who is riding him, as well as training Kate and the Farrells team.

Here is fine form is also Jeremy and Django of Cacheral, who are heading to New Zealand horse of the year show next month. It is amazing to speak to Jeremy who says, “My trip and camaraderie with this stallion has drawn huge attraction from the followers of his performances. I have been blown away by the support and funding that has been generated through this stallion’s fans. I would especially like to thank the dressage community for helping me find a way to this wonderful show. It’s an opportunity I never dreamed would come true. The Grand Prix riders have shown such amazing support it has astonished me and I am humbled by this!”

There is Heath with two Grand Prix horses and his wife Rozzie with Jarrah H. There is David Shoobridge with Agent de Jeu who won the small tour champion at Boneo and his wife Amanda with the black mare Revelwood Destiny who is on the new NSW High performance squad.  Caro Wagner has the lovely chestnut Tango V back to defend his title that he won here last year and they are looking great, especially in the canter pirouettes!! Another squad member is Gina Montgomery and the stallion Stedinger in the InterA. Robbie Soster and David McKinnon and Jacquie Winspear and JW Darjeeling for New Zealand top off an amazing line up of fabulous horses. And this is without even entering the realms of the Advanced horses and Novice classes!

There is a myriad of superstars and really you could simply print the draw to see the lineup of stars and which also includes the likes of Lisa Martin and Furst Famous a winner here last year, and then Mathew Dowsley, and so on and so on… It is simply one of the best lineups of Australian dressage talent ever. Karen Lever of Snaffle Bytes scoring, will be providing lice scores at Snafflebytes.net.

The colors, presence and vibrancy that the committee produce here is truly exceptional, and with Cathie Drury Klein and Sue Scaysbrook as event directors, the game is totally under control.

Today was warm up day and plenty of great watching with all the experts cruising around acclimatizing their horses to the arena, practicing lines, and parts of the tests they are riding. It was a delight to behold. With the trot up done and dusted there was not a single horse to the hold box.

I talked to Andrew Litchfield, the FEI vet, at the trot up. He was pleased with the presentation of the horses, and the quality of the indoor trot up surface that these hoses will be competing on today.

The Birds Equisports Dressage With Altitude is without doubt about to blossom into an amazing competition, an event that is packed with entertainment, international competition and awe.

Click here to see the gallery of beautiful photos from yesterday's warm-up!