From 11–14 December, Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre will host the final major dressage event on the Victorian calendar: the 2025 High Horse – Ulcer Armour+ Victorian Dressage Festival.
A celebration of dressage, the event incorporates the Victorian State Dressage Championships and provides classes across the levels from Preliminary to Advanced; CDN Small Tour, Medium Tour and Big Tour; Para Equestrian and Virtus Equestrian; Off the Track and Pony divisions; Young Horses classes; CDI3* Big Tour; and, of course, the FEI Dressage World Cup Pacific League Final.
This year, an incredible 445 entries have been received – setting the stage for what will no doubt be a thrilling four days of competition to round out the year.
High Horse Performance joins as Premier Sponsor
Now more than ever, sponsors are a critical part of the equation when it comes to running events of this calibre. This year, The Victorian Dressage Festival welcomes a new Premier Sponsor in High Horse Performance.
“High Horse Performance with Ulcer Armour+ is proud to be the Premier Sponsor of the 2025 Victorian Dressage Festival,” says High Horse Performance Founder & Managing Director Yseult Newton.
Founded in Australia and driven by a deep passion for horses, High Horse was created to redefine the standard of digestive and ulcer support, formulating products not just to help horses cope, but to help them excel.
“Our leading product, Ulcer Armour+, is a high-strength advanced equine digestive performance formula, providing complete foregut and hindgut optimisation to support ulcer healing, microbiome balance, intestinal repair, gut motility and stress resilience.
“Designed to deliver fast, visible improvements in condition, behaviour, appetite and overall performance, Ulcer Armour+ has rapidly become a standout success and is earning a reputation as one of Australia’s most trusted digestive performance supplements. Riders who expect the very best consistently report horses that are settled in the mind, powerful and supple in the body, with noticeable transformation often seen within days to a few weeks.
“We are incredibly excited for the journey ahead and can’t wait to see how far this product will go as more riders and horses experience the difference. It is an honour to support the Victorian Dressage Festival and to celebrate excellence, partnership and the pursuit of elite performance.”
Twenty-two Grand Prix horses
Twenty-two Grand Prix horses are entered across the CDN, CDI3* and CDI-W divisions, meaning The High Horse – Ulcer Armour+ Victorian Dressage Festival will be excellent viewing for spectators keen to watch combinations competing at the highest level.
The CDI-W division is for the FEI Dressage World Cup Pacific League (PAL) Final and gives combinations the opportunity to compete for a ticket to the 2026 FEI Dressage World Cup Final in Fort Worth, Texas (8–12 April).
To be eligible for the CDI-W PAL Final, combinations must have competed at a CDI-W qualifier or CDI3* (or higher) on at least one occasion in the preceding twelve months and achieved a minimum of 68% in the Grand Prix Freestyle.
The CDI-W FEI Dressage World Cup Pacific League Final field includes:
Breanna Tillitzki and 15-year-old BZ Rafael (Regardez Moi x Jive Magic)
Fiona Guthrie-Smith and 10-year-old Bluefields Denoir (Dark Fire x Florencio 2)
Hannah Rockwell and 13-year-old Baumann’s Diorella (Dankeschoen x Davignon I)
John Thompson and 9-year-old MSJ Gatsby (Grey Flanell x Fidertanz)
Mary Hanna and 12-year-old Ivanhoe (Desperado x Jazz)
Serena Ireland and 14-year-old Royalty R (Regardez Moi x Jive Magic)
The highest-placed combination from the PAL Final (where the CDI-W Grand Prix is the qualifier and the CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle determines the final result) is eligible to represent the PAL at the FEI Dressage World Cup Final — provided they have reached the minimum qualification criteria of having scored at least 68% in the Grand Prix Freestyle in a CDI-W qualifier, including the PAL Final, on two different occasions.
Flashback to 2024
The 2024 edition of the Victorian Dressage Festival saw Mary Hanna and Ivanhoe dance to victory in the CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle on 76.560%, just pipping New Zealanders Wendi Williamson and Don Vito MH (76.350%). David McKinnon and Estupendo placed a very close third on 75.550%, making it a PAL Final to remember.
In winning the FEI Dressage World Cup PAL Final, Mary earned the right to represent the PAL (namely, Australia and New Zealand) at the FEI World Cup Final in Basel, Switzerland in April this year. Remarkably, Basel was Mary’s sixth FEI Dressage World Cup Final appearance.
Who will claim their chance to ride down the centreline in Fort Worth? We’ll have to wait and see!
Don’t miss the action…
The 2025 High Horse – Ulcer Armour+ Victorian Dressage Festival is set to take place 11-14 December at Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre (K Road, Werribee South, Victoria) with free entry for spectators across all four days. With world-class dressage plus a bustling trade village for Christmas Shopping, it’s the perfect way to spend a weekend!
For those who can’t attend, ClipMyHorse.TV Australia is streaming select classes from Friday 12 – Sunday 14 December with expert commentary from Roger Fitzhardinge.
Watch the action live via Equestrian Life, or live and on-demand with ClipMyHorse.TV.
For more information about The High Horse – Ulcer Armour+ Victorian Dressage Festival, click here.
Draws and results will be available via Equipe.
