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2008 Olympic Games
Australian Team Selected to Compete for Place at 2008
Olympic Games
January 18, 2008
 The Australian Dressage Selectors have announced the
Australian Team that will compete against Japan and
New Zealand for the right to send a dressage team to
the Beijing Olympic Games.
The team will compete for Australia
in the FEI Regional Dressage Team Olympic Assessments.
The assessments,
which will take place in three separate locations
in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, will decide
which two of the three nations in the Pacific region
will be able to enter dressage teams in the Olympic
Games later this year.
The Europe-based competitors
will compete in front of five FEI judges in Cannes
(France) on 31 January
2008. The Australian-based combinations will be
judged by the same Ground Jury at the Sydney International
Equestrian Centre on 4 February 2008. The Ground
Jury will then complete the assessments in New
Zealand and
the two Beijing-bound nations will be announced
shortly
afterwards by the FEI.
The Australian Team is:
- Brett Parbery – Victory Salute, owned
by Carolyn Lieutenant
- Heath Ryan – Greenoaks
Dundee, owned by Clyde Wunderwald
- Rozzie Ryan – Donna
Carrera, owned by Susie Duddy
- Maree Tomkinson – Lanzaro,
owned by Maree Tomkinson
The reserves for the team are:
- Hayley Beresford – Relampago Do Retiro
- Nadia
Coghlan - Northern Campion
- Heath Ryan - Regardez
Moi
The EFA’s National High Performance Manager,
Brett Mace, said ‘Having a full dressage team
at this Olympic Games will be a tremendous boost for
the sport in Australia.’ Mr Mace said it was
important to note that selection for the regional assessment
team did not have any bearing
on who would ultimately represent Australia at the
Olympics.
Team member Heath Ryan said, ‘After
the uncertainties that EI brought to our industry,
it is a great relief
to see the path to Hong Kong falling into place.’ Ryan
commented that, ’It is an exciting time
for Clyde Wunderwald and myself as selection on this
team is a significant step in our bid to claim a place
on the Olympic Team.’
Selection for Beijing would
be decided at designated selection events in Germany
in May and June this year.
Photo courtesy: Franz Venhaus
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