Kate Doughty
2011 CPEDI 3* Werribee
Photograph:Derek O'Leary
|
Tuesday, 6 December 2011 Today the Australian Team secured their Paralympic spot at London 2012. The team finished ahead of New Zealand in the Regional Team Qualifier at Werribee. CONGRATULATIONS to all involved.  
The Australian Para-Equestrian Team has earned their place at the 2012 Games following a successful weekend at the Regional Team Qualifier CPEDI 3* held at the National Equestrian Centre in Werribee, Victoria.
The qualifier was a two-team battle between Australian and New Zealand. Australia came out on top with a team score of 388.547 points to New Zealand’s 373.752.Supported by the Australian Paralympic Committee this event was the final Oceania Team Qualifier for the 2012 Paralympic Games.
The Australian Team consisted of Jan Pike (Winston Hills, NSW) on Pinky; Grace Bowman (Greenacres, SA) and Kirby Park Irish Joy; Hannah Dodd (Arcadia, NSW) riding Waikiwi and Sharon Jarvis (Donnybrook, WA) aboard Showdown.
Five teams contested the CPEDI 3*. Australia, Japan, New Zealand and USA were represented. However, the Olympic Regional qualifier was only relevant to the antipodes. The New Zealand competitors brought their own horses and along with Australia fielded a team of four competitors. USA also had four riders however, they along with the three riders from Japan, rode borrowed horses. Team USA won the overall team competition with 405.652, followed by Australia, New Zealand and Japan who finished with 361.561 points.
National Para-Equestrian Performance Director, Julia Battams was pleased with the results. “Our team was great. They put together strong performances under a huge amount of pressure. I am very pleased with them. Now we look forward to and focus on London.
“We achieved what we had set out to achieve this weekend,” she said.
The Para-Equestrian event, which was run in conjunction with the Saddleworld Dressage Festival, was a great success. The weather provided the only setback. Huge storms passed through the Werribee Park facility on Saturday afternoon disrupting competition. Para-Equestrian competitor Anne Skinner was caught in the worst of the weather and Julia Battams was required to escort Skinner and her horse out of the arena mid-test due to the dangerous conditions. Skinner was allowed to re-ride her test after competition was delayed half and hour for the weather to clear.
In addition to the team qualifications this event also served as the second of four Paralympic nomination events for the Australian Paralympic team for London 2012, so national selectors were keeping a close eye on all Australian performances.
For additional event information please see www.equestrianvictoriaevents.com.au/DF
Para-Equestrian Results
Day 1 Team tests
Day 2 Championship tests
Day 3 Freestyle
Note: Grade II’s didn’t do their freestyle as they were washed out on Saturday so had to do their champ test on the Sunday instead of their freestyle to finish the team competition and gain individual qualifier.
5 December, 2011 - Australian Paralympic Team ride for London Qualification
Equestrian Australia in partnership with Equestrian Victoria and the 2011 Saddleworld Dressage Festival will host a CPEDI 3* at the National Equestrian Centre, Werribee, 8-11 December.
Supported by the Australian Paralympic Committee this event is the final Oceania Team Qualifier for the 2011 Paralympic Games. Either Australia or New Zealand will gain Paralympic qualification for a team of four athletes and their horses.
This competition also provides an opportunity for individuals to gain their qualification (Minimum Eligibility Standard or MES) for next year’s Paralympic Games in London.
National Para-Equestrian Performance Director, Julia Battams, explains the significance of this event. “This is a major event for our riders. It is the team’s opportunity to secure at spot for London, and on an individual level the athletes are aiming to put in their best performance to secure their own Paralympic qualifications and to impress selectors.
“It is a lot of pressure but they are professionals and this is part of the process to being an Paralympic athlete,” she said.
This is one of the few CPEDI 3* that is held in conjunction with a major international Dressage competition. The 2011 Saddleworld Dressage Festival hosts the Pacific League World Cup Final CDI-W and will welcome Australia’s premiere Dressage combinations.
There are 35 entries in the Para-Equestrian events and it is a truly international field. Australia, Japan, New Zealand and USA will be represented in the team competition. The New Zealand competitors are bringing their own horses and along with Australia will be fielding a team of four competitors. USA will also field four riders and Japan three riders, who will all compete on borrowed horses.
The best-of-the-best of Australia’s Para-Equestrian athletes will be riding. The start-list includes all five current Australian Champions, 2010 World Equestrian Games dual bronze medallist Sharon Jarvis, as well as other team members from the 2010 World Equestrian Games and 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Sharon Jarvis (Donnybrook, WA) is excited to competing at the event. “I am really excited about competing at this event. It is great that the Dressage Festival includes theCPEDI3*, there are great entries and the foreign riders will really add to the atmosphere and international vibe of the competition,” she said.
Jarvis will be competing on her new ride, the imported 9-year-old Hanovarian stallion “Showdown” by Sandro Hit. The pair has only been together since May and competed at their first Para-Equestrian competition at the first nomination event in September in Tamworth, winning all three Grade 3 competitions. “I am very honoured that I have the ride on this horse,” commented Jarvis. “Dr. Michael Procter imported him and he is a serious international prospect. I think it is a big step for Para-Equestrian that an owner of a horse of this calibre has given the ride to Para-Equestrian rider.
“He is still a young and inexperienced horse as he only started his competition career when he arrived in May but we see him as a horse for the future and want to give him all the experience we can. If I go to London I will hopefully be riding him.”
International Judges attending are Kjell Myhre, a FEI 5* judge from Norway, who will be head of the Ground Jury for the London Paralympics, Ulf Wilken, FEI 5* Judge from Sweden will judging as well as the event Technical Delegate. Australian international judges are Jan Geary (FEI 5*) Wendy Barker (FEI 3*) and Sue Cunningham (FEI 3*). Dr. Nigel King (HKG) is the Chief Steward.
Both Australia and New Zealand have each competed in one Oceania Team Qualifier for London 2012 prior to this event. New Zealand competed in a CPEDI3* in Hartpury (UK) in July securing a team score of 362.759. Australia competed in the CPEDI3* Hong Kong in November scoring 383.44.
The team (either Australia or New Zealand) that posts the highest score from a Regional Team Qualifier, including the Werribee event this weekend, will earn a team place in London.
In addition to the team and individual qualifications this event also serves as the second of four Paralympic nomination events for the Australian Paralympic team for London 2012, so national selectors will be keeping a close eye on all performances.
For additional event information please see www.equestrianvictoriaevents.com.au/DF
View the list of Para-Equestrian competitors here
| 
