Parbery enjoys Grand Prix success on day one of Sydney CDI
By Krystyna Pollard
Australian World Equestrian Games (WEG) representative Brett Parbery has taken out the Shadow Trailers Grand Prix CDI during the first day’s competition of the 2015 Sydney CDI.
Brilliant sunshine greeted competitors and officials at day one, which saw riders compete in the Prix St Georges CDN and CDI, Intermediate A, Grand Prix CDN, Under 25 Grand Prix, CDI-Y Team test and the Grand Prix CDI.
Competition was fierce in the Shadow Trailers Grand Prix CDI test, with 25 combinations from Australia and overseas lining up to compete in front of judges from Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the USA.
Brett won the class on 13-year-old DP Weltmieser, owned by Susan Duddy, with 69% and was full of praise for the gelding’s performance.
“He was great, he’s a great horse and he’s getting better all the time,” Brett said. “He’s getting confident, he’s getting stronger.
“There’s still things there I know we can do better. But the beauty, thankfully, of all the horses I have at the moment is they all try. They all try for me and they’re all happy to give it a shot, and if they’re making honest mistakes just by trying a bit too hard, well, you can’t knock them for that.”
Second in the Shadow Trailers Grand Prix CDI was Mary Hanna on Umbro, who scored 68.940%, with Judy Dierks on Diamond Star third with 68.700%.
Competing in four tests across the day, Brett also won the Cal Ref FEI Intermediate A competition CDN from a field of 13 competitors on board PPH Zeppelin.
Brett said he was pleased with PPH Zeppelin’s performance but wasn’t sure how the combination would score.
“With Zeppelin, I wasn’t quite sure how the judges were going to read (the test),” Brett said.
“He got a little bit high on me today in the neck, so I wasn’t quote sure how that was looking. But I believe a lot in that horse. I came out happy.
“I would have liked to have had probably a bit better connection, but that’s just dressage, that’s what happens – you always want more.”
Leading the field in the Trailrace Equipe Saddles Grand Prix CDN were Judith Smith and her own Hannovarian mare Duchess 2 on a score of 63.580%, ahead of Brett Parbery on Good As Gold (62.301) and Victoria Welch on Brentanus (61.880).
Twenty-eight combinations lined up for the Jilli Cobcroft Prix St Georges (CDI) competition held in the indoor arena, but it was Australian Olympian Rachael Downs who topped the class with an impressive 72.605% on board Silbermond.
Owned by John Potter, the nine-year-old gelding by Sir Donnerhall was more than three per cent clear of second placegetters Lisa Martin and her seven-year-old mare First Famous, who scored 69.237 after only recently stepping up into Prix St Georges and Inter I competition.
Judy Dierks and the 11-year-old stallion Highlight Australia were successful in the Birds Equisport Prix St Georges Competition CDN, placed eventual winners by the five judges with a score of 67.342%.
Judy’s daughter, Daniella, won the qualifying round of the HHSA NSW Young Dressage Horse Championship on Solo Feliz, as well as round one of the HHSA NSW Young Horse Five-year-old Championship on board Melanie Bloom’s stallion, Bloomers Simply the Best.
Rodney Martin on SPH Renaissance took out the HHSA NSW Young Horse Four-year-old Championship.
Round one of the HHSA NSW Young Pony FOUR-year-old Championship was won by Vanessa O’Donnell on NP Duke of Cambridge, with the HHSA NSW Young Pony Five-year-old Championship won by Fern Wright aboard her own Welsh gelding, Kamber Merfyn. Amanda Shoobridge on Noble Dancer took out the HHSA NSW Young Pony Six-Year-Old Championship qualifier, with the Cal Rei FEI Intermediate A Competition CDN – Pony won by Pamela Bice and Rosthwaite Tinkerbell.
Round Two of the young horse and young pony championships will be held tomorrow.
Shannon McKimmie on Ambassi took out the Mulawa Performance FEI 16 – 25 Intermediate II CDI with 63.658%.
Tomorrow (Friday) will see Round Two of the Hanoverian Horse Society of Australia NSW Young Dressage Horse Championships, the Kieffer Intermediate I Competition (CDI), the Agnes Banks Equine Clinic FEI Young Rider Individual Test (CDI-Y), Wagners Saddlery FEI Intermediate B Competition (CDN), International Racehorse Transport Advanced Tournament Competition EA Advanced 5.2 and 5.3, and the Equestrian Australia Grand Prix Special Competition (CDI).
Talented Para-Equestrian riders will also contest the Para-Equestrian Team and Individual Championship Tests (Grades III, IV, 1A, 1B, II).
Tickets are still available at the event entrance. Standing room admission applies once all available seating has been sold.
The Sydney CDI will also be live streamed on the web. Those who would like to watch all the action from the comfort of their own living room can log on via the Sydney CDI website and watch for free on Thursday, Friday and part of Saturday, and for a small fee on Saturday after 4pm.
For more information about the event and ticketing visit the website, www.sydneycdi.com.
EDITORS: A VIDEO OF BRETT PARBERY TALKING ABOUT HIS PERFORMANCE ON DAY ONE OF THE SYDNEY CDI WILL BE PUT ON THE SYDNEY CDI YOUTUBE CHANNEL SOON. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EMBED IN YOUR WEBSITES.
Newsletter
