Dianne Barnes and Sorena. Image by Jo Jennings for Equestrian Australia.
Freestyle fun as Willinga Park CPEDI wraps up
By Equestrian Life
Sunday at the Willinga Park CPEDI was Freestyle day – and while fun was the name of the game, it was still a seriously competitive day of para dressage action.
In the CPEDI3* Grade IV Freestyle, Dianne Barnes and Sorena 7 claimed victory on a great score of 73.033% to kickstart the day’s competition, while in the CPEDI3* Grade V Freestyle, Lisa Martin and Vilaggio continued with their winning form to post a score of 75.025%.
Lisa Martin and Vilaggio. Image by Jo Jennings for Equestrian Australia.
In the CPEDI3* Grade II Freestyle this afternoon, it was Victoria Davies and Celere who claimed another win with a score of 69.567%.
Victoria Davies and Celere. Image by Jo Jennings for Equestrian Australia.
The CPEDI3* Grade I Freestyle concluded the event, and what a finale it was with Stella Barton and Lord Larmarque posting a PB score of 75.745% to continue their run of success.
Stella Barton and Lord Larmarque. Image by Jo Jennings for Equestriabn Australia.
Preparing for Paris
While today was all about the Freestyle tests, the CPEDI3* Grand Prix A and B classes held Friday and Saturday at this event were of significance in terms of the Paris Paralympics – both for FEI MERs and also Australia’s Nomination Criteria.
As Equestrian Australia explained on Saturday, 10 combinations achieved their FEI MER this weekend – meaning 24 Australian athletes (36 combinations) in total have now achieved their MER.
In terms of Australian Nomination Criteria, Equestrian Australia noted that to be eligible for nomination to the Australian Equestrian Team for the 2024 Paralympic Games, combinations must, in addition to the MERs, achieve a score of at least 67% in a Grand Prix A or Grand Prix B test in at least two CPEDIs between 1 October 2023 and 19 June 2024.
“After the Willinga Park CPEDI 9 athletes (11 combinations) have already achieved at least one score of 67% or higher. Of those, 3 athletes have achieved above 67% at two CPEDIs: Chelsea de Jonge (Grade V), Dianne Barnes (Grade IV) and Stella Barton (Grade I),” announced Equestrian Australia via social media.
“On 4 March 2024 the FEI will notify Paralympics Australia how many equestrian qualification slots Australia has been allocated for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. This will determine how many athlete/horse combinations can be selected for the Australian Paralympic Team.
“After the Willinga Park event there will be another 25 CPEDIs around the world before the 19th of June MER deadline. The next CPEDI in Australia will be at Boneo Park, Victoria on 11-14 April 2024.”
In addition to the CPEDI3* classes at Willinga, there has also been CPEDI2* classes and a Virtus exhibition competition.
CPEDI2* results
The CPEDI2* Grade IV Freestyle went to Darcy MacAulay and Parklands Faltango with 63.350%; the CPEDI2* Grade V Freestyle went to Heidi Ford and Rikaardt H on 65.567%; and the CPEDI2* Grade III Freestyle was won by Ella Newbery and Cayuse Balou on 59.623%.
Virtus results
The Virtus Exhibition Freestyle II1 saw Sarah Sherwood and her new horse, Dicavalli Royal Guess, continue their success at this event, winning with an impressive 71.913%. The Virtus Exhibition Freestyle II2 went to Sui Watts and Gem Park Guess on 61.317%, and the Virtus Exhibition Freestyle II3 went to Jodin Bell and Zoey’s Unicorn.
Full results from Willinga Park CPEDI can be found here.
Re-watch the live stream via ClipMyHorse.TV.
Published 18 February 2024.
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