2004 CDI Sydney

Ricky Wins Grand Prix in Close Battle

April 30, 2004

Some breathless performances by Australia's elite equestrian dressage riders was the highlight of the second day of the Sydney CDI*** Grand Prix, topped off by a victory by Queensland's Ricky MacMillan which has edged her closer to a possible Athens Olympic placing.

Final world rankings for the 2003/04 season will be known on Monday, 3 May, which will in turn decide the final three available Athens Olympic spots.

The rankings are dependant on results from both the Sydney CDI*** International Grand Prix event and competitions being held concurrently in Europe. MacMillan and her 15-year-old Hannovarian gelding Crisp were the final pair to compete today, and the one's that everyone was there to see.

Crisp and MacMillan have been a combination competing at Grand Prix for a number of years, and seem to improve with age. His score of 68.25% was enough to push the combination into first place today, and with a little more balance and impulsion in the trot half pass, the score could easily break the 70% barrier.

They thoroughly entertained the crowd, as both always look to be enjoying themselves, and the stylish, elegant horse and his rider enthusiastically completed a superb test, with the highlights being the rhythmical flying changes, and the great lowering of the hindquarters in the piaffe. Their performance stole the show, and edged the other Australian-based contenders for Olympic selection -- Heath Ryan and Mary Hanna.

Ryan competed aboard the Clyde Wunderwald owned Greenoaks Dundee, at only eight years old, still a novice at Grand Prix level performance, unlike his elder, more experienced counterparts. Wunderwal purchased Dundee in Germany as an unbroken two-year-old, and in six years Dundee has proven to be a talented, trainable horse, that has quickly progressed up the levels.

He has been competing Grand Prix for a year now, and has produced some spectacular work, but showed he was a little too inexperienced to compete with more seasoned campaigners. His talent for piaffe and passage, and correct flying changes, saw him gain 65.29%, earning third place.

Ryan was far from convinced after the performance. "I guess it was alright. Rozzie (his wife) though it was good. I still felt that I wasn't in the zone where the horse's soul soars out. He didn't make a mistake which was good. I look forward to the day where he can be so confident that he shows off to the crowd," he said.

Victorian based rider Mary Hanna was second last to compete, on her long time Grand Prix partner, the 13-year-old Danish warmblood, Limbo. They showed every bit of their experience as a combination, putting together a beautifully flowing test, with correct trot work, and two lines of faultless tempo changes. Limbo really shines in his extension work, where he shows very correct extending of stride and outline. His final score in this competition was 66.91% and saw him take second place.

A victory at the Grand Prix was what Hanna needed in her quest for an Athens place. "I'm still an outside chance for the Olympics, so I'm really praying hard," said Hanna. "He (Limbo) was really listening out there, trying real hard. He was with me all the way to the end," she said. "He has had a good season, and it's really helped competing in three major events in a row. It really seasoned him for this competition."

Images copyright Main Event Photography

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