Search for Superstar Down Under

The 2017 Sydney CDI is set to be a showdown of Australia's best up-and-coming dressage horses and riders, and international judges are hoping to discover the latest world beater Down Under.

German 5* judge Katrina Wuest will again travel to Australia to officiate as FEI Foreign judge for the April 27 to 29 event at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre, and is hoping this year will reveal a star of the future.

“Everything is possible – I personally would love to be among the first to detect a new superstar Down Under,” she said.

It will be the second time in four years Ms Wuest will judge at the Sydney CDI, Australia's most prestigious international dressage competition.

Showcasing the nation's top dressage combinations, the 2017 event is set to be better than ever with the best of the next generation taking part in the CDI-Y World Cup qualifier and the FEI Under-25 Grand Prix Tour.

The horses of the future will feature in the Young Horse Championships, with special guest rider – German based Melanie Schmerglatt – taking the reins of the finalists in the indoor arena on Saturday afternoon in front of a panel of international judges.

With more than $45,000 in prize money up for grabs, the event attracts the cream of the Australian dressage crop.

Ms Wuest will also present a workshop on international freestyle on Sunday, April 30 as part of the 2017 event. Having developed a new scoring system for the ever-popular competition to music, Ms Wuest will be explaining the system to local riders, trainers and members of the public.

“I want to show and explain the new Freestyle system, which has been tried out in the European World Cup shows and might be used at the 2017 World Cup final,” she explained. “I will show how the riders can set up their individual floor plan and how the judges use it.

“I want to show how to set up a successful floor plan, choose an appropriate degree of difficulty and well-fitting music, and give advice to the riders how to present the strong points of their horses at their best.”

More information on the Workshop

Ms Wuest was on the judges' long-list for last year's Rio Olympics, and said most European riders were back on the circuit for the upcoming European Championships.

“Most top riders normally take a break for some time after a big championship to give their horses a rest and show them eventually during the winter indoor shows or in the World Cup. However, as many of the top combinations are from Europe they will start early enough to bring their best horses in a good shape for the 2017 European Championships,” she said.

“Apart from that we have some prestigious series for up-and-coming Grand Prix horses in some countries that help riders to bring out the next generation of good talented horses. In 2016 it paid out extremely well for the German riders – all of a sudden we had four new horses above 80 per cent, it was like a tsunami. But not every year is like this – 2016 was exceptional for us.”

Members of the public are welcome to attend the international freestyle workshop, and tickets for the 2017 Sydney CDI are available for purchase online.

Tickets may be purchased for individual or all three days, and seats are selling out fast for the popular Grand Prix Freestyle to Music that takes place in the indoor arena on Saturday night.

For more information or to purchase a ticket online, go to www.sydneycdi.com

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Krystyna Pollard