2008 CDI Sydney

A Great Day for Ryan and Van Den Berge at the 2008 Sydney CDI

May 2, 2008

Australian team rider Heath Ryan and his licensed breeding stallion Regardez Moi have put the score on the board: 67.625% in the Grand Prix. Heath won the class convincingly scoring over 68% from three of the judges. Gotthilf Riexinger (GER) who is judging at the Olympic Games in Hong Kong gave Heath a score of 65.417%.

In second place was Judy Dierks and HP Frontier (63.833), third to Rachael Sanna and Jaybee Alabaster (63.625%), Gotthilf Riexinger had Rachel in first pace on 65.625%.

Tor Van Den Berge reigned supreme placing first and second in the Gow-Gates International Prix St Georges. Tor won the class riding the chestnut mare Florett, owned by Kay Sutherland scoring 69.4000% and was second on Cheryl OBrien's Fisherman's Friend with a score of 68.2000%. Jive Magic and Heath Ryan finished in third place on a score of 67.350%

Tor Van Den Berge also won the Intermediate I on Florett with 69.350%, second to Jive Magic and Heath Ryan (67.100%) and third to Judy Dierks and PSI De Caprio (65.850%). Van Den Berge continued his winning spree with victories in both the Advanced classes on Fisherman's Friend winning the 5.3 with 69.106% and the 5.4 with 69.762%.

Nicholas Fyffe was the "Advanced" bridesmaid to Tor, second in the 5.3 on Florean (66.748%) and second again in the 5.4 this time on the Phil Rapsom's stallion Rhodes (by Rhodes Scholar).

The highest score in the qualifying round of the Hanovarian Horse Society of Australia 4-year-olds was Lizzie Wilson-Fellows on Lets Entertain (Gracefield Klaus) with 7.500. The HHSA 5-year-olds qualifier highest score was awarded to Neversfelde Weltsong (Weltmeyer) and ridden by Alicia Targa 7.420. World Star (World Magic) and Kate Taylor-Wheat scored 8.040 to be the best in the HHSA 6-year-old qualifier.

Visiting International Judge Axel Steiner commented on the quality of the 6 year old horses "They are world class, some really nice horses."

Heath won the Intermediate II (CDN) on Regardez Moi with 67.366%, followed by Kate Taylor-Wheat and Oscar B on 64.390%. Judy Dierks and HP Frontier were third (63.366%).

The Prix St Georges CDI-Y was won by Victoria Welsh on Remi World Vision (61.417%), second place went to Jessica Willard and Sienna Tailor Made (61.083%) and Jayden Brown on Widelo were third (60.333%).

The Sydney CDI is underway. Riders from around Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Canada have arrived at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre at Horsley Park.

FEI Official International Judges Gotthilf Riexinger (GER), Axel Steiner (USA), Mary Seefried (AUS) have also started work at this afternoon's preliminary horse inspection. The Ground Jury will be joined by International judges Jill Cobcroft (AUS), Susan Hoevenaars (AUS), Peter Holler (GER), Alison King (HKG), Victoire Mandl (AUT) and International Candidate judges Midori Furukawa (JPN), Gisela Nilsson-Harding (AUS) and Maria Schwennesen (AUS), along with a further ten national judges.

Head of the Ground Jury and FEI Foreign Judge Gotthilf Riexinger, will also be on the judging panel at the Beijing Olympics.

Visiting riders Pia Fortmuller (CAN), Karen Pavicic (CAN), Saho Takayama (JPN), Yasuhiro Tsuiuzaki (JPN), Debbie Barke (NZL) and Vanessa Way (NZL) will start their competition on borrowed horses in the Gow-Gates FEI PSG.

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