Sue Hearn and Remmington, winners of the CDI4* Grand Prix.

© Roger Fitzhardinge

Rio Olympian Wins Willinga Park Dressage by the Sea CDI4*, Australia’s first-ever CDI4*

GALLERY HERE

In a thrilling conclusion to Australia’s first CDI4* Grand Prix Dressage event, the Rio Olympian combination of Sue Hearn and Remmington (Riverdance/MISS TENSE/Mark Dowling) were last into the Otto Sport Grand Prix Arena at Willinga Park with just one goal in mind – to beat the combinations before them. The leading test score before them was posted by Mary Warren and her home bred and trained Mindarah Park Raphael (Mindarah Park Ramadan /Mindarah Park Jewel/Leon and Karyn Warren) with 67.196%.

In an electric atmosphere, with a strong and enthusiastic crowd gathered to watch, the pressure was extreme, but this team was up for the challenge. In a beautifully-ridden test, with smooth and gathered paces that allowed the judges to award solid marks across the board, Mary Warren and Mindarah Park Raphael delivered a final tally of 68.391% to secure the inaugural Australian CDI4* title.

In another Australian first, the event at this world-class Bawley Point venue is using paperless scoring allowing the five elite judges, with a minimum of two 5* international judges on the judging panel, to enter their scores on iPads for real-time scoring. Winner Sue Hearn says the paperless scoring was a unique experience in her career. “By the time I left the arena and had ridden to ‘A’ I heard the call, looked at the screen and knew we had won!!”

Sue and the 16-year-old Remmington are no strangers to victory at the highest level, having won National Grand Prix and Kur titles, the same titles at Equitana and Sydney CDI and had a strong campaign together at Rio finishing just outside of the medals. Bred by Mark Dowling, Remmington was affectionately nicknamed ‘Lloyd’ after Mark’s father, who passed away shortly after he was born. Sue purchased him as a yearling, and together they have gone through the grades to enjoy significant success.

Around the grounds, it was another successful day for Jayden Brown and DaVinci L (Dancier) who competed in and won their second-only Intermediate 1 with a score of 73.039%. Last out in a high-quality field, they gave the judges a magnificent performance that saw them surpass second place David McKinnon and another Mark Dowling-owned and bred horse, Woodside Lady Loxley (Lord Of Loxley /Woodside Donnatella/Mark Dowling) who had held the lead for much of the class on a score of 71.029%.

Jayden Brown and Davinci L, winners of the Inter I.

© Roger Fitzhardinge

Susan Elekessy and Don Rubin (Don Frederick/Callum Park Regardless/Callum Park) also added their second title to their resume with a victory in the Cox Architecture Grand Prix CDN on the Otto Grand Prix arena.

Competition begins today at 9.00am with another action-packed day including the first look at the young horses, the Grand Prix Freestyle for the 4*combinations and the Intermediate, Medium and Advanced classes. We will again get to witness the Junior and Young rider combinations competing in their individual tests on the Main Grand Prix Arena.

Source: Willinga Park press release

Roger Fitzhardinge reports from Willinga Park

Grand Prix CDI4*

In the Grand Prix it was Rozzie Ryan and Jarrah who led the charge, and a few minor mistakes and missing one change in the one tempis. A good test indeed and scores from 71% to 62%, what gives this variance you may well ask!! A total of 67.022%

Alycia Targa and the Jane Bruce owned CP Dresden danced his way through the test with great canter pirouettes and energy, and from the beginning to the end of the test a very honest horse and competently ridden. The French judge awarding a mere 62% and an overall score of 65.217%.

Jude and Sue Hearn started well with some expressive trot work, but the canter work showing a lack of lightness and a few spooky corners making it hard for Sue to get good transition marks. Sue was well pleased and this horse is starting to gain the strength and confidence at this level now and it was a good test for this combination. A score of 61.500% and it’s hard to see where the marks are failing these horses today? It was perhaps one of the best tests these two have produced and one of their lesser percentages.

Next in was Brumali and Robert-Harrisson Schmerglatt. This elegant big horse has a great outlook but lacks a little energy today and a misunderstanding in the first passage, but a clean test other than this for Robert and he was happy with that. Robert has upped the energy levels here and this test showed great promise and a very elegant combination. A 62.674%.

Tacita and Fiona Selby started out with some seriously fancy trot work uphill and energetic with sweeping expressive half passes. The mare showed some super cadenced passage and great extended walk with great reach in the neck and the stride. This mare is really coming into her own and Fiona being able to focus on the riding of the test and not running the CDI, as she does at her Boneo property. Good pirouettes and the final centreline still had energy and was honest. A fantastic test, but perhaps a little modest in the marks for a 66.939%.

Now for Amicelli Gold and Lesley-Anne Taylor. After a disaster second half in the Inter II he starts with great energy but the contact is showing a few problema. Always great piaffe, but the contact issue seems to always overpower the man here, which is such a shame. Expressive two tempi changes but getting against the bridle in the zig zag, and a short change in otherwise good one tempi changes. A little loss of balance and control on the pirouettes; wouldn’t help the marks being a coefficient, and again outstanding piaffe and passage on the centerline. But it will depend on the contact and how the judges see the overall mark, with a score of 65.891%. The French judge at E again quiet low in comparison.

After the break into the arena was the Rubenstein stallion Richmond H for Melinda Hart. The trot work could have shown a little more fluency and a few marks tumbled in the walk with lack of consistency but the piaffe and passage tour really quite nice… then a mistake in the counting in the twos. The stallion getting a little strong in the zig zag and a clean set of ones. A confident and consistent test for Richmond H and the piaffe and passage tours impressive with great energy and cadence. 64.348%, with the French judge still seeing the negative marks.

Dirk Dijkstra and AEA Metallic. This stallion has plenty of hind leg activity but for the bigger marks could sit a little more and close the frame, as can sometimes be a little against the bridle. There was a little lack of balance in the piaffe, but again great activity. Dirk was pleased with this test and it was consistent from the start to the end, and well trained and Dirk shows the experience he has in the arena. A score of 63.761%, and the French judge again on 60% around 4% lower than the rest of the jury.

Mindarah Park Raphael for Mary Warren is in a great frame and looks well in balance and Mary always rides with empathy. The passage has plenty of forward, as were the flying changes. The zig zag forward was almost running out of room, and again really big ground-covering changes. Mary is improving with every outing here and so positively ridden. A popular test with the crowd and Mary always showing great empathy. Yay 67.196%, and what a deserved test and looking bright and energetic with plenty of strength with a great, light way he gets across the ground.

Rozzie Ryan and Jarrah R, third in the CDI4*.

© Roger Fitzhardinge

Adonie and Rozzie Ryan show such sweeping and fluent steps in the half passes in trot and a good rein back. Adonie still trying so hard in the piaffe, but in doing so holding her back and becoming tight, but more regular and easy. Perhaps a little more sitting in the passage, but great expressive strides. The mare is looking way more uphill and more through the poll with a better frame. The changes a little swinging and a little together behind. Rozzie has such great feel for the balance and helps this mare so much. A score of 64.957%.

And second to last to go is Sancette and Gitte Donvig, with Gitte looking super well balanced and in great harmony for this test. Unfortunately the piaffe is distracted with him looking out the gate at the stables. Then Gitte losing focus and making an error of course before the twos that were then all clean and clear behind. The ones were not continuous and not Sancette’s favourite moment! What a beautiful horse, but too many mistakes for the bigger marks today and the piaffe on the centreline at the end much better. A score of 59.630%.

The final horse was our Olympic rep from Rio, Sue Hern and Remmington. The half passes could show a little more impulsion, but sweeping open strides. Passage was not always diagonally even, and the walk is not showing a big enough difference. The piaffe was good and the two tempis all clean and a bold extended canter with a clean change. The zig zag could have shown a little better bending to the left, but no mistakes and all clean in the ones looking like a great test. The pirouettes are a little more sitting but not super controlled. A good centreline at the end and looking promising for a big mark… a score of 68.391% put them into the lead and a good result here for Remmington and Sue Hearn. It was good to see Remmington coming to the fore with all the experience they have gained from an Olympic experience, but still that elusive 70% here for our riders in the CDI4*.

So first place to Sue and Remmington, second to Mary and Raphael, and third to Rozzie and Jarrah!

Advanced 5B

The Advanced 5B is not an easy test at all, and some good riding saw some great scores. Shaun France and Rionnarc achieved a very accurate test that perhaps could have been a little more responsive and in front of the leg. But all the same, a very respectable and confident ride and a score of 68.333% saw him take the early lead.

It was good to see Flowervale Maserati scoring 63.739%. This horse was short-listed in eventing with Megan Jones and was previously owned by Georgia Connelly and now owned by Tahli Handler and campaigned by Tahli. Great to see!
Georgia Haythorpe was next with an impressive chestnut in Don Safiro; expressive and smooth, but perhaps lacking a little engagement and collection, but a scopey horse for the future.

Rebecca Walshe and the black mare BHM Spanish Love did well yesterday but chose to retire in this test as the mare became really upset about the pirouettes, and being belled for an error when it was a slip up made for bad timing and Rebecca chose to retire.
Susan Elekessy and CP Grenadine made a good test after yesterday’s PSG that was very well done for a young horse. Riding here in a snaffle, the chestnut has good swinging paces.

The big leggy black horse Ferragamo, ridden by Nicole Tough, gave a very classy display to score 69.505%, and that was with an error of course.

Neversfelde Kipling and James Collin handed in a great test on this tall horse with good eye appeal to score 69.189%. It was a well presented test and very fluent and confident in all the movements, but of a mistake in the sequence changes was enough to stop them from taking the lead at that time.

Elloise Devlin and Brimstone Florente are impressive. Sweeping strides in the half passes and expressive medium paces and always slight in the contact and uphill. The very collected canter work before the working pirouettes shows lack of strength at the moment in taking the weight, but the one to the right wqas much better. A score of 67.793%

Harvey Besley from QLD rode Derreen Rock n Roller, a horse that was previously a difficult horse to get around the arena but now with Harvey the combination look as cool and in control as the best. Not a moment of trouble in a very fluent and regular test, all in great rhythm and tempo and appearing very submissive in the contact to score 67.432%.

Denise Rogan rode a tactful and accurate test on Widderstein Furst Pharaoh to score 66.532%.

Rebecca Walshe rode a very energy filled test on BHM Spanish Amor with a few minor mistakes and an error in the sequence changes did not help her score, which ended up on 66.532% as well.

Bradgate Park Amadeus and Michelle Baker rode a very well put together and rounded test with some good marks in the pirouette work for a score of 66.847%.

Second to last in was Mary Warren and the very flashy chestnut Mindarah Park Ramires — and what an impressive big horse, and as with all Mary’s horses this one looked soft and easy. The harmony is great and this big strong horse makes the work look easy, but the walk showed some tension in the collected and a few low marks not helping the overall mark. Some good development in the pirouette work for a score of 67.297%.

The final horse in the arena was Lord Kingsley for Jenny Gehrke and a beautiful upstanding black horse with a delightful head and front end. The walk showed some tension. No wonder Jenny getting an error of course, with so many tests and horses to ride; fresh in here from a great ride in the Inter I on Senator Nymphenburg! OH OH, another error of course and big marks off her score here. Avery nice horse and well ridden all the same a score of 64.369%.

So in the end, first place to Nicole Tough and Ferragamo, second to James Collin and Neversfelde Kipling, and third to Shaun France and Rionnarc!

Inter B

The first horse in the Willinga Park sponsored Inter B was Harmonie W ridden by Gitte Donvig. The horse is very beautiful, but holding her breath a little and barring against Gitte. Some nice steps in passage, but as yet not really consistent enough. Gitte looking a little disappointed in the one tempis where the mare chose to ignore the rider and made one or two changes. It just all looked hard work today, but it happens and a quality horse that no doubt will improve with more strength and confidence. A score of 60.583%.

Fursten Hit for Breanna Tillitzki showed some great sweeping trot work, but the piaffe not established as yet and some contact issues at times with the second piaffe a better attempt and good extended trot. The passage a little behind the rider’s aids and so a few regular steps, but still shows talent here. The canter changes were all clean but the canter half passes lacked a definite good rhythm. The test looks better than the Inter A, and a score of 61.833%.

Desert Star and Virginia Russell, and an impressive big brown horse looking better indoors than in the outdoor in the Inter A and better piaffe today, but the half passes lacking fluency. The passage is modest and also needing to be more forward. The test is long and arduous and testing. 7 clean ones, for a final score of 59.250%.

Timmy Almighty is a really honest Clydesdale cross and a real trooper for Annabelle Warren. The piaffe a little too forward and not truly regular. He makes good work of the canter zig zag and the tempi changes. A sweet horse trying his hardest and well ridden with good understanding of rider preparations for the movements. A great final halt, and into the lead with 62.250% a big smile and a pat for a job well done.

Timmy Almighty and Annabelle Warren, winners of the Inter B.

Almondo BH, an imported horse for Mark Dowling. The test lacked definition between the movements, but such a wonderful horse. In extended to collected there is not enough difference and the half passes in canter lacking definite positioning. The ones are established but 9 and not covering ground, and the pirouettes not really showing an active canter. Mark is new to the level and what a great horse and showing good potential indeed. A score of 56.625%.

The final horse Neversfelde Springbok for Cathy Chittenden. A very expressive mover, but perhaps a little too open in the frame to be getting the really high marks and at times pushing down against the bridle. The problem is not so much in the body, but in the contact and a real highlight in the passage. This horse was always a little worried in the arena and Cathy has certainly gained his confidence. Taking over in the two tempis and pushing down and getting strong, but clean changes. Towards the end of the test the horse was becoming tense and strong, but what an athlete with flair and expression once the frame gets under control. A score of 59.208%.

In the end a very well deserved win to Timmy Almighty and Annabelle Warren, inspiring stuff!

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