NEWS > Dressage

Simone Pearce, back in Australia to compete at Boneo after 6 years absence (File photo)

The 2017 Martin Collins Australian Dressage Championships kick off tomorrow at Boneo Park in Victoria

Presented in association with Equestrian Australia, the Championships will determine the prestigious titles of CDI-W Grand Prix Champion and CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle Champion and riders will also vie for selection at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, USA, next September.

Boneo Park is a state-of-the-art facility designed to give the growing Australian Equestrian community a taste of Europe. This week’s event will see the venue’s outdoor arena transform into a 1500 capacity undercover stadium and central stage enabling spectators to get up close to horses and riders.

"Boneo Park is thrilled to present the Australian Dressage Championships and we are confident that the competitors and spectators alike will be enthralled and entertained by this world-class event,” said Event Director Fiona Selby.

“Presenting a European-calibre event like this will give our top Australian athletes and horses vying for selection to the World Equestrian Games access to the kind of major event exposure never experienced before in Australia.”

Two inspiring masterclasses, a trade village, and an “Aussies Abroad Challenge” will also be highlights this week.

British Champion Spencer Wilton will be conducting a Young Horse to Podium Masterclass, his first ever Australian masterclass, and he will also be riding in both the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Freestyle.

Denmark-based Australian Young Horse rider, Simone Pearce, will also be sharing her experience from the international dressage stage with her very own Young Horse Masterclass. Simone will also be one of the European-based athletes that will compete at Prix St George level in a friendly, “Aussies Abroad Challenge” on catch rides.

Pearce said she is thrilled to be getting back home for Australia’s premier Dressage event.

“I am very eager to be coming to Australia this week,” Pearce said.

“It’s been six years since I was last at a competition in Australia so I am not only looking forward to having an opportunity to share what I’ve learned based in Europe during that time but also to see how the sport has developed in Australia,” she said.

NSW based rider Mary Warren, who created history at last year’s event becoming the youngest ever rider to win a Freestyle CDI-W in Australia will be competing this week and said she cannot wait to rub shoulders with such esteemed international riders.

“The competition is sensational this year with riders from all over the world,” Warren said.

She said last year’s historic win took her career to another level and is looking forward to returning to the competition as a much more seasoned rider. “It was a little surprising to win last year and it gave me a huge boost of confidence and in my horses.”

The first class tomorrow begins at 9am.

Follow all the action and regular updates on Equestrian Australia’s official website and social media platforms.