Bits: Win for Australian, Geelong Royal news and selectors named
CHAMPION dressage rider Maree Tomkinson continues her overseas campaign. At the Wiesbaden four-star CDI, one of the biggest competitions in the heart of Germany, her lovely young mare Imagine won the young horse championships with scores over 80 per cent.
The mare has an enormous future and the win was in the strongest possible competition. Watching this combination progress will be something Australian dressage fans can look forward to.
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ANYONE keen to represent Pony Club Victoria at the 2023 Pony Club Australia National Championships can go to the Pony Club Victoria website and follow the links to the rider application forms.
Applications need to be submitted by June 11 so get to it ... and good luck to everyone!
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THE CSIO5* Nations Cup competition in Vancouver, Canada, begins today (May 31) and runs until June 4.
Equestrian Australia’s High Performance Jumping Manager Todd Hinde said the opportunity to field a team would allow riders to gain additional team experience as the Paris 2024 Olympics approach.
“These Nations Cup competitions are valuable experience for our athletes in the lead-up to Paris as well as giving them a taste of the team dynamics that you only get when competing at this calibre of events,” he said. “It is also great to have some new blood representing Australia at this event as well.”
There are two young riders on the team; Zoe Brown riding Chase and Paige Jardine riding Crazy. They join Katie Laurie riding Django II, David Cameron riding Oaks Come by Chance and Sam Overton riding Oaks Cassanova.
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THE Royal Geelong Show Horse committee has been working hard to put together their program for 2023.
The committee has considered entries from 2022, classes that were or weren’t well supported and listened to feedback regarding the 2022 Grand National qualification championships not having split heights.
All these avenues of feedback provided a basis on what to offer in the 2023 program.
The committee also put a lot of thought into the Breeds and the viability of these at the October Show and has made the decision to trial having a Summer Breeds Show on February 3-4 next year.
This year’s show will see interschool classes added (showing and show jumping), which will be an opportunity to qualify for Interschool State Championships.
The feature breed at the 2023 show will be Australian Stockhorses.
This year’s dates are October 19 to 22 and the program, once released, can be found here.
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GERMAN rider Ingrid Klimke will officially retire her superstar SAP Hale Bob OLD in a ceremony at the World Equestrian Festival in Aachen on July 1.
The great horse was the 2017 and 2019 European champion and won 2015 and 2019 European team gold, 2021 European team silver, 2018 Individual world bronze and 2016 Olympic team silver.
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THE board of Equestrian Australia has appointed national selectors for the Olympic and Paralympic disciplines for 2023/2024.
It follows a consultation process with EA’s High-Performance Leadership team, the Para-Equestrian Panel and the EA National Discipline Committees for the Olympic and Paralympic Disciplines, (Dressage, Eventing, Jumping and Para-Dressage) and the High Performance Committee.
The selectors are:
Dressage: Maryjane Crabtree, Dirk Dijkstra and Lone Joergensen.
Eventing: Stephen Bow, Claudia Hodson, Kate Wallis (development selector) and Georgia Widdup.
Jumping: Colleen Brook, Gavin Chester, David Dobson
Para-Dressage: Susan Chandler, Gary Lung and Veronica Steward.
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FORMER Pony Club Victoria District Commissioner and Instructor Helen Paterson (Jemison) recently passed away.
In paying tribute to her, Pony Club Victoria said Helen enjoyed helping everyone achieve whatever was possible for them and competing in all aspects, particularly endurance events.
A memorial service for Helen was held yesterday at Lilydale.
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THE University of Melbourne is looking for help with research investigating the purchasing patterns of horses in Australia. The research will investigate the health and behaviour of horses as they move between homes, and the overall satisfaction of the new owners.
The research is for a Masters project, with Anni Blanch the collator.
Information can be submitted via an anonymous online survey that should only take between five and 10 minutes. They are keen to get responses from as big a cross section of breeds and activities as possible.
Access the survey: Purchasing patterns of horses in Australia
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LARRAKIA girl Lalwa May is set to make history by becoming the first Indigenous rider of any age to represent Australia in showjumping.
The Darwin local, 16, will travel to France as part of Pony Club Australia's four-rider team, which will complete at the 2023 World Clubs Tournament in July.
The event is scheduled every year during the French National Championships (Generali Open de France), one of the world's largest equestrian gatherings.
Lalwa is in Year 11 at Haileybury Rendall School . "I am so proud to be an Indigenous rider for Australia and I hope seeing me encourages other Indigenous kids to get involved in the sport,” she said. “I'd love to go to the Olympics – Brisbane 2032 would be awesome."
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