With dedicated Preliminary, Novice and Elementary classes for OTTs, the prestigious Victorian Dressage Festival has now joined the list and is set to showcase Thoroughbreds in the dressage arena at an event where Australia’s top Grand Prix combinations will be vying for the FEI Dressage World Cup Pacific League title. All eyes in the Australian dressage community will no doubt be fixed on this event in December, and it will be the perfect opportunity for dressage-inclined OTTs to put their best foot forward.
Supported by RV OTT with a prize pool of over $2600 across the three levels, there are strong entries for these OTT classes and several familiar faces are set to make appearances – including a top show horse.
From the show ring to the dressage arena
St Andrews will contest the OTT Novice classes at this year’s Victorian Dressage Festival with young rider Sienna Wright in the saddle.
‘Andy’ undertook dressage work with previous owner Natalie McKay, competing to Novice level and training to Elementary level under the tuition of Roger East. Sienna, who is coached by Gitte Donvig, has said her dressage connection with Andy has helped foster an understanding within their new partnership, and the pair’s first competitions together were in fact in the dressage arena rather than the show ring. They won the OTT Novice Championship at both events they attended this year, and although they have since been busy in the show ring, they are now looking forward to stepping back into the dressage arena at their biggest dressage event to date.
Expanding opportunities for Thoroughbreds
The Victorian Dressage Festival is not the only competition with RV OTT-sponsored classes for Thoroughbreds. Among other sponsorships, RV OTT also provides $600 in prizemoney at each of 10 sponsored Equestrian Victoria-affiliated dressage events over the season, along with rugs for the winners.
Recognising that training is an important part of the equation, this year RV OTT has also been providing $60 subsidies for OTTs at clinics and protocol days to assist with setting up them up for successful second careers in not only dressage, but also jumping, eventing and showing.
You can view the draws for the Victorian Dressage Festival here.
For upcoming RV OTT subsidised training opportunities across all disciplines visit The Equestrian Diary.
This article was written in conjunction with Racing Victoria Off The Track.
