Aitken’s Saddlery 2007 Queensland CDI-W and Virbac Queensland CDI-Y draw top Australian riders
Queensland’s most prestigious dressage event of 2007, the Aitken’s Saddlery Queensland CDI-W and Virbac Queensland CDI-Y, which is being held in conjunction with the Hyfeed 2007 Toowoomba Dressage Championships from 24 to 27 May 2007 at the Clive Berghofer Events Centre, Toowoomba Showgrounds, will feature some of the top riders in the country. The CDI-W will be hotly contested between recent Sydney CDI-3 Star Grand Prix Special winner, Heath Ryan with mount Regardez Moi, and second placegetter, NSW rider and trainer Brett Parbery. They will be riding against strong contenders including Heath’s wife, Rozzie and her two horses, Victorian Olympian Mary Hanna, and top Queensland rider, Paula Price with her stunning horse, APH True Seville.
The Virbac 2007 Queensland CDI-Y, which is for riders between the ages of 16 and 21, will host many of the National Young Rider Squad members including Queenslanders Alyssa Webb and Victoria Welch. This event is a wonderful opportunity to see up-and-coming riders competing in an international-type atmosphere.
Make sure you mark it in your diary as indoor and outdoor events will be held each day with crowd-pleasing freestyles to music performed on Friday and Saturday nights. There will also be trade stands, catering facilities as well as camping sites.
Start List for Aitken’s Saddlery Queensland CDI-W and Virbac Queensland CDI-Y
The start list for the above events, which are being held in conjunction with the Hyfeed Toowoomba Dressage Championships, is now available for download. Note that this is not the final draw, which will be available after 27th April.
QUEENSLAND TO HOLD PREMIER DRESSAGE EVENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH HYFEED 2007 TOOWOOMBA DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Board of Equestrian Queensland and Committee Members of Dressage Queensland are pleased to announce they will be conducting an international dressage competition (CDI-W) right here in Queensland. CDI-W stands for Concours de Dressage International. The ‘W’ indicates that the event is a World Cup Qualifier that is recognised by the world governing body of equestrian sports, the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI).
CDI-Ws in Australia are open to Australian and New Zealand riders. Invitations have been sent to riders in New Zealand, (we already have one entrant from NZ) and it is expected that the elite riders from all states within Australia will also make the trip to Queensland. Along with the best dressage riders in the country, the programme will also include an international event for young riders (CDI-Y), which is a Young Rider World Cup Qualifier. This is an opportunity to see our junior elite riders ride under international judges and should be hotly contested.
‘Dressage Queensland is thrilled that Toowoomba Dressage Inc has agreed to programme not only the CDI-W but also Queensland’s first CDI-Y for young riders aged between 16 and 21 years of age and who have qualified at Prix St Georges level. Our young riders are the dressage riders of the future and going by the standard of our current young riders across Australia, this augers well for Australian Dressage. We are sure that young riders from interstate will travel to Queensland in May to compete at this prestigious event. Three overseas international judges will join our top Australian judges to judge both the CDI-W and the CDI-Y. These judges expertise will also be used to judge some of the EFA competitions that form part of the Toowoomba Championships so that a wide range of competitors will benefit from the judging,’ Event Director, Lesley Sullivan said.
Lesley also announced that the sponsors for these two international events are Aitken’s Saddlery for the CDI-W and Virbac for the CDI-Y. ‘Support from these companies for our wonderful sport of dressage is a huge bonus to ensure that these international competitions will be the highlight of the 2007 calendar,’ Sullivan added.
The Dressage Queensland Young Rider Committee has also donated additional prize money to conduct a CDI-Y Tournament as an added incentive for Australia’s best young riders competing at Prix St Georges level to travel to the Hyfeed 2007 Toowoomba Dressage Championships, 24 - 27 May 2007, to compete in the Virbac 2007 Queensland CDI-Y. These young rider combinations who also compete in either the CDI-Y at the 2007 Dressage Festival held in Melbourne in April OR the CDI-Y at the 2007 Sydney CDI*** and the Toowoomba event will be eligible. Scores from the CDI-Y Prix St Georges and Freestyle competitions at either of these events will be added to the score from the CDI-Y Prix St Georges and Freestyle at the Virbac 2007 Queensland CDI-Y to find the top four horse/rider combinations to share in the prize money. The overall winner will also receive a trophy rug and be named 2007 CDI-Y Tournament Champion. Where a combination competes in both the CDI-Y Prix St Georges and the CDI-Y Freestyle at both Melbourne and Sydney CDI-Y only the highest CDI-Y Prix St Georges and Freestyle combined score will be considered.
The Aitken‘s Saddlery 2007 CDI-W will be the highlight of the celebrated Hyfeed 2007 Toowoomba Dressage Championships from 24 to 27 May 2007. This prestigious Championship attracts some 900 active participants, made up of over 200 riders, spectators and supporters.
Lesleigh Kruse, President TDI said, ‘Toowoomba Dressage Inc is proud to have been asked to host the Aitken’s Saddlery 2007 CDI-W and the Virbac 2007 CDI-Y in conjunction with the Hyfeed 2007 Toowoomba Dressage Championships. It is the first time that a Dressage competition of this importance and prestige has been held in the city.
‘The event will be held at the RASQ Toowoomba Showgrounds, which has been the venue for many state and national equestrian championships, including a World Cup show jump in 2006, which was a huge success. Due to the continuous growth of the club and the increasing nominations each year, the 2007 championships will be held over four days and two nights, and with the support of the RASQ, Toowoomba City Council and our many sponsors, the committee anticipates another very successful competition.
‘As an added incentive for Australia’s best Grand Prix horse and rider combinations to travel to Toowoomba to compete, Toowoomba Dressage Inc will be offering an additional jackpot for those Grand Prix combinations which also compete at either the 2007 Dressage Festival held a Melbourne in April OR the 2007 Sydney CDI*** in May. Scores from the Grand Prix competition at these events will be added to the score from the Grand Prix in at Toowoomba to find the top four horse/rider combinations to share in the prize money. The overall winner will receive $2000 cash plus a Hyfeed Automatic Feed valued at over $900, a trophy rug and be named Hyfeed 2007 Grand Prix Tournament Champion.’
Indoor and outdoor events will be held each day with crowd-pleasing freestyles to music performed on Friday and Saturday nights. There will also be trade stands, catering facilities as well as camping sites. Daily admission is free and there will also be VIP seating available for purchase for Friday and Saturday evening, which will include a 3-course fully catered meal on Saturday evening.
Equestrian Queensland and Aitken’s Saddlery 2007 Queensland CDI-W
2007 Queensland CDI-W and CDI-Y naming rights sponsors announced.
Aitken’s Saddlery is the sponsor for the 2007 Queensland CDI-W. Check out their website.
Proprietors Jan and Graeme Aitken, as part of their sponsorship have donated a Luc Childeric saddle. There will be a silent auction conducted at the event and some lucky person will be the proud owner of this fabulous saddle by the end of the event.
The saddle will be available for viewing in the Aitken’s Saddlery trade stand from 24 May 2007.
Virbac, which is a specialist animal health company, is the sponsor for the Queensland CDI-Y. Check out their website.
Virbac is providing a range of their products which will also go to silent auction. These products will be on show at the Virbac trade stand from 24 May 2007.
Visit the silent auction stand at the event to place your bids for the saddle and the Virbac products.
We are thrilled to have these two sponsors on board and over the next few months leading up to the event I will be able to provide you with more information about their individual businesses.
As you are aware the CDI-W and CDI-Y will be held in conjunction with the HYFEED 2007 Toowoomba Dressage Championships.
Ground Jury
I am also pleased to announce that the members of the Ground Jury for the CDI-W and CDI-Y is as follows:
Minako Furuoka (O) from Japan. Minako has just been promoted to an FEI O level judge.
Mary Seefried (O) from Australia;
Maja Stukelj (I) from Slovenia.;
Jan Bird (I) from New Zealand; and
Maria Schwenneson (C) from Australia
Riders’ Forum
A Riders’ Forum will be held after the completion of the competition on Thursday 24 May 2007. Brett Parbery the National Riders’ Representative will be on hand to chair this meeting which will be restricted to riders only.
For general queries about the international events please contact me at
or by phone 07 5523 4301or 0412 896 360. If you have any queries in relation to the Toowoomba Dressage Championships please contact their Event Director Linda Shore on 07 4697 2290 or 0417 797 815 orI hope that you will add the above contact to your address book and the new web site address to your favourites. Better still why not make it your home page?
I look forward to meeting you all at the 2007 Queensland CDI-W and CDI-Y between 24th and 27th May at the Toowoomba Showgrounds, Toowoomba.
Lesley Sullivan
Event Director
29th December 2006