Record entries received for 2015 Sydney CDI

A record number of entries have been received for the prestigious 2015 Sydney CDI 3*, to be held at the city’s Olympic venue in May.

More than 450 entries have been received across 27 competitions with an impressive 29 combinations entered in the Shadow Trailers CDI Grand Prix.  The CDI Grand Prix is a qualifier for the ever-popular Grand Prix Freestyle competition held on Saturday evening, 9 May and the competition where riders can gain MES (Minimum Eligibility Scores) for the RIO Olympic Games.

Among the competitors confirmed for the event will be Australian Olympians Mary Hanna, Heath Ryan, and Rachel Downs, who will compete alongside World Equestrian Games (WEG) representatives Maree Tomkinson and Brett Parbery to name just a few.

Other international riders making the journey to compete down under are Penny Castle and Julie Brougham, who will cross the Tasman to represent New Zealand.

Brougham and her horse, Vom Feinsten, created history last month by scoring an incredible 76% in the Grand Prix Freestyle to take out the Dressage Horse of the Year title class at New Zealand’s 2015 Horse of the Year show, nearly 5% clear of their nearest rivals, Castle and her horse Magnus Spero.

As part of its sponsorship of the NSW Young Horse Championships at the Sydney CDI, the Hanoverian Horse Society of Australia in conjunction with the HRC Group has announced Anna-Sophie Fiebelkorn of Germany will be making a return visit to Sydney to be the Guest Rider in 2015. 

Anna-Sophie is well known in Europe for producing championship dressage horses, and she has won and placed in the prestigious Bundeschampionate in Germany and the FEI World Young Horse Dressage Championships in Verden.

The 2015 Sydney CDI will be Brougham’s first time competing in Australia.

A very strong field of Para-Equestrians will also compete in team and championship tests.

Event Director Toni Venhaus said the 2015 event was looking to be every bit as prestigious as in previous years.

“We are thrilled with the support across all levels this year and if the qualifying results are anything to go by, we should see some fantastic dressage over the three days.  Ticket sales are accelerating and the popular Saturday evening dinner sold out in February which indicates a full house on Saturday night for the Jumping and Grand Prix Freestyle.”

Tickets are available for the entire event or day tickets are on sale each day at the event entrance. Overseas and interstate visitors can book online from the website to ensure a seat on Saturday, as a sell out crowd is expected.

An International workshop will be presented by Lilo Fore from the USA on Sunday, May 10 from 9.30am to 3.30pm, to which all are welcome to attend.

For more information about the event and ticketing visit the website, www.sydneycdi.com.

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