The Australian Dressage team is taking on the world at the 2022 FEI Word Championships in Herning, Denmark. Jayden Brown and WillingaPark Sky Diamond, Lyndal Oatley and Eros, Mary Hanna and Calanta, and Simone Pearce and Fiderdance are giving their all to put Australian dressage on an upward trajectory towards the Paris Olympics. Here, they tell us about their campaigns.

JAYDEN BROWN & WILLINGAPARK SKY DIAMOND

Travelling from Australia to base in the UK earlier this year, 34-year-old Jayden Brown and 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding WillingaPark Sky Diamond achieved their final qualifying score just days before the team announcement and are now set to fly the Willinga Park flag in Herning. It is Jayden’s first Australian team representation at an FEI World Championship, as it is for Sky Diamond’s owners, Terry and Ginette Snow.

EQ LIFE: When did you ride your first Grand Prix test?

JAYDEN: I rode my first Grand Prix on Furst Friedrich, seven years ago.

EQ LIFE: What is the most prestigious win that you have had over the years?

JAYDEN: Winning the Dressage Horse Champion of Champions title at the Australian Young Horse Championships (Dressage & Jumping with the Stars) with WillingaPark Quincy B in 2021.

EQ LIFE: How long have you been riding WillingaPark Sky Diamond, aka ‘Beans’?

JAYDEN: It’s been two years since I moved to Willinga Park and took over the ride on Beans, though he has had some time off due to injury.

EQ LIFE:  Where are you now based?

JAYDEN: I am based in Dorset, UK. I have lived in both Germany and the UK previously and felt I would be able to better manage the horses and my training program with more independence in the UK while still having access to world class training.

EQ LIFE: What is the best horse that you have ever had the pleasure of riding?

JAYDEN: I’m not sure there is just one! San Andreas (whom Jayden rode at the FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in Verden in 2013), WillingaPark Fusion (who sadly passed away last year) and WillingaPark Quincy B (who is currently in Dorset with the Willinga Park team and competing very successfully at Small Tour) are the most talented horses I have trained.

EQ LIFE: Is this your first Australian team selection?

JAYDEN: I have competed at the World Young Horse Championships, Young Rider World Cup and various Derby competitions, but I’ve never been on a senior Grand Prix team.

EQ LIFE: What are your expectations for Herning?

JAYDEN: I’d like to produce a test consistent with what we qualified with.

EQ LIFE: Who owns Beans?

JAYDEN: Beans is owned by Terry and Ginette Snow. We have always had flexible goals with Beans. First it was to start him at Grand Prix, then it was to get him back to competition fitness for his first CDI following an injury, and it flowed from there to gaining two MERs and then the goal of team selection started to look like a possibility.

EQ LIFE: Tell us his breeding and a little about him… what makes him special to you?

JAYDEN: Beans is by Sir Donnerhall out of Loreana, who is by Don Schufro. Beans isn’t a big horse, so he can be very fun and bouncy to ride. It sometimes takes a little bit to get him motivated about work, but he often finds something to spook at or make a fuss over when out on a trail ride!

EQ LIFE: Who will be your groom at Herning, and what do you feel are important traits in a groom at this level?

JAYDEN: I have two fantastic grooms who care for the Willinga Park horses, Maddie Leeden and Lillie Connelly; it will be Lillie who travels with Beans to Herning. A great groom knows the horses inside and out. They will tell me when the horses aren’t eating or drinking as much as usual, or what kind of mood they are in for daily training. They troubleshoot problems while I’m warming up or training at a show so that I can focus on my job, which is to produce the horses to the best possible standard. I have a great working relationship with both Maddie and Lillie and it often takes just a glance and they know what to do.

EQ LIFE: What are you looking forward to at Herning?

JAYDEN: Watching the other riders train and supporting the other Australian riders when they are competing.

LYNDAL OATLEY & EROS

No stranger to Australian team representation, Lyndal Oatley has contested two Olympic Games and two World Equestrian Games/World Championships, with Herning set to be her third. Initially named on the team with her 13-year-old KWPN mare Elvive, she is now set to ride 13-year-old KWPN gelding Eros – who is owned by her parents Andrew and Carol Oatley and groomed by Johanna Ward.

Eros, aka Ross, is by Sir Oldenburg (Sion) out of Selva (Olympic Ferro) and actually began his ridden career as an eventer. He was then purchased by a French para dressage rider, however he proved not to be the easiest for her and was sent to the Netherlands to sell. Lyndal came across him via video from a friend; he was competing Inter II at the time and she thought he’d be a good horse to produce and develop. Lyndal says she had an instant connection with Ross, but the journey hasn’t been easy – he can be ‘a bit of a pony’ and has quite a cheeky nature. However, the pair are hitting their stride now and have scored as high as 74.370% in the Grand Prix during their World Championship campaign.

Lyndal, 42, is thrilled to be competing at her third World Championships and can’t wait to hear the Aussie contingent cheering her on in the Stutteri Ask Stadium!

EQ LIFE: How long have you been in Germany?

LYNDAL: I think it is now 14 years, but I simply just don’t count. It’s a long way from my family and home but it’s also a wonderful place to be with my husband Patrik (Kittel) and daughter Ems. It certainly has its ups and down, and with Covid, the change in lifestyle, travel and competition has not been so easy. That’s life and I make the most of every day.

EQ LIFE: How many World Championships (formerly World Equestrian Games, aka WEG) or Olympics have you represented Australia at?

LYNDAL: I have been to two Olympics, Rio and London, with my wonderful Sandro Boy. I will have done three World Championships, including this one with Eros; I did Kentucky in 2010 with Potifar and then Sandro Boy was at Normandy in 2014. Sandro Boy also took me to a World Cup final and wow, what a horse and friend he was to me.

EQ LIFE: Who helps you with the training at home and who will help you at Herning?

LYNDAL: Patrik will help me at Herning and he is my constant help and rock at home. I am also very lucky to have Patrik’s head rider, Malin Wahlkamp Nilsson, to bounce ideas off when Patrik is away at competitions.

EQ LIFE: What are you looking forward to the most at Herning?

LYNDAL: Being part of such an elite competition, with a great team of combinations with newer and older blood, will make for such a super experience and provide the opportunity to yet again learn a whole lot more. Nothing like the World Championships to be amongst the best of the best. It really pushes you to the limit. I love this!

EQ LIFE: What is it about representing Australia that excites you?

LYNDAL: It’s about being part of a broader equestrian team and to be around so many Aussies. I love to see the supporters for our team in the stand, it makes me feel so proud. I love to hear them cheer and support us as we leave the arena; it’s so heartwarming and I really try to acknowledge all of them as we exit.

EQ LIFE: What is the most exciting thing you are looking forward to about the Championships?

LYNDAL: I can’t wait to ride down that centreline and be able to look up and realise where I am and the pride I have inside. I will be sad but happy for Cathrine Dufour (Denmark) with the retirement of her horse Cassidy (the event has a retirement ceremony planned for Atterupgaards Cassidy on 8 August). Cathrine is just the most honest and amazing person and rider. I have the utmost respect for her.

EQ LIFE: What is the biggest accolade you have gained so far in all your riding and competition?

LYNDAL: I don’t really think like that. It’s all the feeling and what I can do on the day to make the most of every ride and every competition, no matter the outcome. Some of the feeling and self-achievements are not necessarily score-related.

EQ LIFE: Do you have any expectations with Eros at the World Championships?

LYNDAL: My expectations will be made up in the warm-up arena. If I have a really very good feeling, then I will really give it my all and go for the best possible marks and then see where it takes me. I just need and want to help my team and do a good job. We need, as a team, to qualify for the Olympics in Paris, so I will of course be taking that in to consideration.

MARY HANNA & CALANTA

Bringing a wealth of Australian team experience to Herning, Mary Hanna has seen the sport change immensely over the years in a positive way, with the standard of horses and riding ever-improving. The 67-year-old hopes to put a good score on the board with 15-year-old KWPN mare Calanta and help Australia qualify a team for the Paris Olympics.

EQ LIFE: How many World Championships/WEGs and Olympics have you been in?

MARY: In terms of Olympics, I have been to six: Atlanta 1996 with Mosaic; Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 with Limbo; London 2012 with Sancette; Rio de Janeiro 2016 with Boogie Woogie; and Tokyo 2020 with Calanta. I have been to five World Championships/WEGs: Den Hague 1994 and Rome 1998 with Mosaic; Jerez 2002 with Limbo; Caen (Normandy) 2014 with Sancette; and Tryon 2018 with Boogie Woogie.

EQ LIFE: When did you do your first dressage test?

MARY: I did my first dressage test at Pony Club on my pony Satin. I think that was 56 years ago!

EQ LIFE: Up until these Championships, what has been the biggest achievement in your career?

MARY: My biggest achievement in dressage was my performance at the Atlanta Olympics with Mosaic. We qualified for the Special and came 23rd overall. That was a ground-breaker, because previously Australian riders had been close to last. It was certainly not expected by anyone, including my trainer Clemens Dierks, that that would happen. Clemens had to change his flight to stay for the Special!

EQ LIFE: Which horse would you consider the most important to your competitive career?

MARY: Mosaic was an amazing horse; he was so reliable and gave me so much confidence in the ring. I think he made me as a rider. Also Sancette, who helped me break the 70% barrier, and get into the Special at Caen where he was the best-performed Australian horse. He had huge talent but was not so easy to ride.

EQ LIFE: From your first World Championships/WEG to this one, what are the biggest changes you have seen in the sport and has the training and the way of producing your horses changed since then?

MARY: The sport has changed so much since my first WEG in Den Hague. The horses have much more elasticity and movement, and the riders – for the most part – are so much more in harmony with their horses at the top of the sport. Watching Cathrine Dufour at Aachen this year epitomised how far the sport has come in a positive way. The riders are still, the aids imperceptible, and the horses have a beautiful positive energy with the very top combinations.

EQ LIFE: Do you have a goal to achieve at Herning?

MARY: My goals at Herning are realistic. I want to aim for over 70%, and help my team get the best possible score to qualify Australia for Paris.

EQ LIFE: Who has been helping you in the lead-up to Herning?

MARY: My coach now is Henri Ruoste (Finland). He loves Calanta and understands her very well. He is also an amazing rider, and epitomises the attributes I have described – harmonious, elegant riding. His results at Aachen were outstanding this year, and I love his positive, sympathetic approach to training. Plus, he doesn’t seem to mind training a really ancient rider like me!

EQ LIFE: Who in your dressage career do you attribute the most help?

MARY: I have been very lucky to have so many amazing coaches. Very important was my first husband, Gert Donvig, who got me started, and then Clemens Dierks who got me to my first Olympics. More recently Patrik Kittel, my long-time coach and mentor, has had an enormous influence on me. He is a very talented and positive coach.

EQ LIFE: Who is your groom and what makes her important at the Championships?

MARY: My groom is Tori (Victoria) Weir. She has been with me for many years. Without her skill and care of my horses, nothing would work. I have to admit I am very dependent on her. She truly loves the horses, and I totally trust her.

EQ LIFE: Tell us about Calanta, where she came from, what she is like in competition and what she means to you?

MARY: Calanta is by Johnson out of the mare Valanta, who was by Goodtimes. She is one of my most favourite horses. I bought her in Holland seven years ago as an Elementary level horse. She gave a beautiful feeling the first time I rode her. Every day I ride her is a joy. She has so much heart. Although she can be a bit hot at shows, she is always trying her best. It would be hard to find a horse with a more beautiful character.

SIMONE PEARCE & FIDERDANCE

Although she has only been partnered with Gestüt Bonhomme’s Fiderdance for six weeks, 31-year-old Simone Pearce and the 13-year-old stallion have produced impressive scores demonstrating a clear upward trend. Following her Olympic debut last year at Tokyo with Destano, Simone is looking forward to riding down the centreline at her first World Championships.

EQ LIFE: Where did you first start dressage riding?

SIMONE: I started riding in Australia and that was with racehorses, Pony Club and showing, but from the very beginning dressage always fascinated me and I dreamt of riding dressage horses. I learnt riding in the bush and, as we say, paddock bashing, but that start gave me a great feeling for balance and learning about the way horses think for themselves. I didn’t start riding dressage in a serious way until I came to Europe; when I was in Australia, riding dressage seemed like a distant treat, but I guess if you want it bad enough, you have to chase those dreams – and what a treat I have been given!

EQ LIFE: What made you head to Germany?

SIMONE: I came to Germany in a gap year and it was just to spend time away and have a look around. I had no intention of riding, but I was in Spain and the lack of being around horses got to me and I went searching the internet. I found a place in Holland that took working students and that is how it all began.

EQ LIFE: Tell us about the new facility you are at. What other horses are you riding?

SIMONE: Recently I have moved to Berlin where I am with Gestüt Bonhomme and I am super lucky to be here. It is the most beautiful facility. I am actually not training with anyone at the moment and have been riding alone since the Tokyo Olympics. It is quite an interesting time when I can let all the experiences and training and help I have had simply wash over me and work with my own feelings. It seems to be good at the moment. I have 12 horses in training here and it’s so nice now that I can take my own horses into training and this is the first time it has been like this. Life is quite free here and focused on quality horses. It provides a quality of life for myself, but most importantly, a quality of life for all the horses as they are first and foremost here. It is simply amazing. I have eight breeding stallions in work at the moment, so it’s very exciting and very interesting work. This is such a nice opportunity and I am still just trying to find my feet, but I am so enthused here.

EQ LIFE: Besides the Tokyo Olympics, is this the biggest international competition for you?

SIMONE: I have only just started riding at this CDI5* level. CHIO Aachen last year was my first CDI5* competition. This is the first time that I have been selected to ride at the World Championships and it is really like a dream. I never thought that these opportunities would open up for me, so I am so proud to take the opportunities that are coming my way.

 EQ LIFE: What is the biggest success you have had thus far and what is your favourite horse you have competed?

SIMONE: For sure on paper was when I came second with Destano in the CDI5* Grand Prix Special at Aachen last year, as it is the show of shows. To stand on the podium and to do the lap of honour was an absolute highlight and a magical moment. I have truly had some amazing moments; no matter whether they are in print on the result list or not, the moments are too many. I have had so many amazing horses and Destano certainly was one who gave me the opportunity to ride at a level I had never ridden before, and for him I am very thankful.

EQ LIFE: Which horse is most special to you?

SIMONE: I don’t think I have one favourite horse. I think that as a rider every horse you ride teaches you something and you learn from every ride. They bring you to where you are. I had Destano and of course he was very special, and now I have Fiderdance – he is opening new doors and making new things possible; we grow together with every ride. I can only say that I am grateful for all the horses I have ridden as they have put me where I am now!

EQ LIFE: Do you have a goal for Herning?

SIMONE: Every show I ride I aim to simply do the very best I can with what avails itself at that time; Herning will simply be another. Fiderdance and I are a very new combination and we are still testing the waters. CHIO Aachen was a fantastic show to set us up… and my goal would be to improve on our upward training and to show improvement and keep the trend of improvement from show to show. I don’t have any expectations at Herning. I want to simply do the best we can and support my other three teammates. Of course, I set some goals and that simply is to make the best test I can on the day and keep it clean and easy to support our team’s score.

EQ LIFE: Who will be your groom and what makes a great groom for you?

SIMONE: Emily Reudavey is my wonder groom and my best friend. She is from Perth and is like the glue that holds it all together. We have been a team now at Helgstrand, then Gestüt Sprehe and now at Gestüt Bonhomme. She is super professional and I am so lucky that she is there to give me confidence to say “you have got this… everything is under control”. I am ever so pleased I have such a fabulous person and groom who is so on my side. She gives me confidence that all is well and that I can focus on the job at hand.

EQ LIFE: Fiderdance is by Fidertanz out of Donna, a Don Schufro mare… tell us more about him?

SIMONE: He is really a sweet stallion and we are still getting to know each other, as we have only been together for about two and a half months. He is such a character and seems to light up at every competition wherever we go. He is really cheeky, very opinionated, and full of pizzazz. He is a horse that you really have to understand and come along with. He needs to understand me as I need to understand him better, and I have to say he is a little bit bossy… but that’s his character and that is what I like. It is a pleasure working with him and it’s certainly never dull or boring!

EQ LIFE: Besides Emily, who will you have helping you in Herning?

SIMONE: I won’t have a trainer in Herning with me so I will just be riding alone. I have never really had a consistent trainer during my time and have mainly been a sales rider. I sort of give myself my own lessons and this is how it is. At this stage, if it’s getting better and not worse, then right now I am happy to do it as it is. I know where I am at with Fiderdance and we are a new combination and I am happy to just keep it as it is. Of course, I have had a lot of help along the way that I am forever grateful for and I look forward no doubt in the future to find a trainer that will be of assistance to my training all the horses and the team. EQ

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO READ:

Game on at the Championships (our show jumping team) – Equestrian Life, August 2022

Leaping for Joy at the Worlds (our vaulting team) – Equestrian Life, August 2022

From Half-Halt to Herning (our para dressage team) – Equestrian Life, August 2022