2003 European Dressage Championships

Australia Misses Qualification for Olympic Games

August 15, 2003

The Australian Equestrian Federation sent an entire team to Hickstead hoping to qualify as a team for the Olympic Games. Best Australian was Mary Hanna on Limbo. With 63.875%, they finished 40th. Emma Youngman and Rasputin were the second Australians to go. Youngman had to struggle to keep her black mount motivated. The test was without flair and 63.38% was the score.

Heath Ryan, who started off his test superbly scoring nice 7's and 8's, encountered some major problems on the centerline for his finale piaffe passage. His sensitive Stirling Stilton panicked and made a 180° turn which made the scores drop to an absolute minimum.

Australian team star, Kristy Oatley Nist had some serious problems keeping her massive Hanoverian focussed on the job. Scoring 8's and 9's in the piaffe and passage, Oatley Nist had a bad walk reprise and had to struggle for the rest of the test to keep Don Bolero collected. Nist scored a low 61.29% and with that Australia placed 11th in the team championship and missed its Olympic Qualification.

Teams that have qualified for the Olympic Games are Austria, Germany, Great Britain, USA, Spain, Denmark, Holland, Switzerland, Canada and Sweden.

by Astrid Appels

Related Links
Scores 2003 European Dressage Championships
Horsemagazine: Heath Ryan Reports on Australian Performances at Hickstead