ISSUE 83
OCT 2022

BOYD
EXELL’S
HISTORIC HAUL
MAREE TOMKINSON’S
EURO PERSPECTIVE
JUMPING@WILLINGA
RAISES THE BAR

PLUS: RYAN’S RAVE, NSW DRESSAGE CHAMPS, YOUNG GUN JACOB WELLS , THOROUGHBREDS IN PRATONI, GLENHILL SPORTHORSES, LIPIZZANER LEADERS, KERRY MACK’S MUD SOLUTION, BROOKE MAJOR’S EQUINE ARTISTRY, THE MASK OF ZORRO & MAXINE BRAIN’S FOALING HEADS-UP.

AUSTRALIA`S BEST EQUINE MAGAZINE
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ISSUE 83

CONTENTS

OCT 2022
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A Few Words

FROM THE CHAIRMAN

ROBERT MCKAY

Ryan's Rave

EVENTING RESULTS: DISAPPOINTING BUT PROMISING!

BY HEATH RYAN

Showjumping

JUMPING@WILLINGA RAISES THE BAR

BY ADELE SEVERS

Off the Track

THOROUGHBREDS IN THEIR ELEMENT

BY ADELE SEVERS

Dressage

MAREE’S EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE

BY ROGER FITZHARDINGE

Driving

BOYD EXELL’S CHAMPAGNE CAMPAIGN

BY EQ LIFE

Health

AVOID THE MUD
(PLAY INDOORS)

BY DR KERRY MACK

Breeding

HOW GLENHILL STAYS A STEP AHEAD

BY EQ LIFE

Dressage

TURNING HEADS AT THE NSW CHAMPIONSHIPS

BY ROGER FITZHARDINGE

Health

RETAINED FOETAL MEMBRANES

BY DR MAXINE BRAIN

Lifestyle

ART ÉQUESTRE: WHEN TWO PASSIONS COMBINE

BY ADELE SEVERS

Showjumping

JACOB WELLS – FROM YOUNG GUN TO TOP GUN!

BY MICHELLE TERLATO

Lifestyle

THE MASK OF ZORRO

BY SUZY JARRATT

Breeding

AUSTRALIA SHOWS THE WAY WITH LIPIZZANERS

BY NIKKI HARDING
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Stephanie Mussmann and Siglavy Aga-50 at the 2017 USDF Region 2 Championships. © John Borys.
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Lipizzaner enthusiasts in Australia are leading the world by establishing a global database for the famous breed and attracting international entrants for the first Global High Point competition exclusively for Lipizzaners.

“Lipizzaners aren’t just dressage horses.”

Bred for royalty, the Lipizzaner horse has long been strongly associated with the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, where the dancing white stallions perform movements from the haute école beneath a portrait of Emperor Charles VI for whom the Winter Riding School was built in 1735.

The Lipizzaner is a cultural and heritage icon across central Europe where state stud farms in Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, and Hungary carry on a proud tradition, producing horses for riding, driving, and breeding.

The Lipizzaner is no longer exclusive to Europe, with small populations of the breed having been established globally in countries including Australia, New Zealand and America where dedicated breeders and enthusiasts are keeping the breed alive.

The first Lipizzaners were imported into Australia by Geoff Adcock of Ravenswood Park, South Australia, in 1975 and included four pregnant mares from the Lipica State Stud in Slovenia (491 Gaeta VIII, 528 Monteaura III, 536 Steaka IX, 502 Trompeta X) and the Piber-bred Spanish Riding School stallion 298 Siglavy Flora 1-75. Ravenswood Park became a major breeder of Lipizzaners and many of the horses currently in Australia can trace their lineage back to one or more of the Lipizzaners imported by Ravenswood. Prior to being exported to Australia, Siglavy Flora 1-75 stood for two seasons at Piber Stud Farm in Austria, with his line being found today in Australian, American, and European Lipizzaner breeding.

Not long after the import of the Ravenswood horses, Danish natives Bent and Marianne Christensen of Bibaringa Stud in the ACT, immigrated to Australia and brought with them the Piber-bred stallion 303 Pluto Plutona-14 and three Szilvásvárad-bred mares – Conversano XX-17, Incitato IX-10 and Neapolitano XIX-2. Although not as prolific as the Ravenswood Lipizzaners, descendants of the Bibaringa horses are still found in Australia today.

Australia and New Zealand are presently home to approximately 140 Lipizzaners and 15 breeders who work closely together to preserve and promote the breed. Since the original imports in the mid-1970s, breeders have continued to source the best genetics from around the world, which has seen a handful of Lipizzaner horses imported into the country from Europe and America.

LipiData (www.LipiData.org) is a global Lipizzaner database created by two Australian Lipizzaner enthusiasts who were seeking to provide a more accessible way for breeders to access the information and tools required to breed sustainably in a small gene pool. Launched in July 2021 with 1,500 horses in its database, LipiData has grown to contain over 10,000 Lipizzaner horses from all over the globe. In the year since its launch, LipiData has expanded into offering horse sales, stallion advertising, and the very first Global High Point competition exclusively for Lipizzaners.

The LipiData Global High Point Competition is open to Lipizzaner owners and riders from around the world who compete their Lipizzaners in disciplines of their choosing. Results earned by entrants are submitted to LipiData, with the highest point-getter at the end of the year being declared the 2022 LipiData Global High Point Champion. Of course Lipizzaners aren’t just dressage horses, so to recognise combinations competing successfully over a range of disciplines, LipiData is also awarding the 2022 LipiData Versatile Lipizzaner of the Year. The inaugural LipiData Global High Point Competition has attracted entrants from America, Australia, Croatia, the United Kingdom, and Sweden.

Lipizzaners are talented, intelligent, and versatile horses that excel over a variety of disciplines. Entrants in the High Point compete over many disciplines, ranging from dressage, working equitation, western, show jumping, jousting, and eventing. LipiData is proud to introduce some of our entrants to you here.

ASHLEIGH KLAASSEN & 272 CONVERSANO GRACE II

The Australian combination of Ashleigh Klaassen and 272 Conversano Grace II are managing to fit in competitions despite “Mickey” being utilised as a breeding stallion in South Australia. Aside from putting beautiful foals on the ground, Mickey is regularly seen at breed and Baroque horse days where he takes part in breed and costume classes. Mickey was recognised in the 2022 Lipizzaner Association of Australasia Virtual Show as the Supreme Champion Ridden Lipizzaner exhibit.

STEPHANIE MUSSMANN & SIGLAVY AGA-50

Flying the American flag is Stephanie Mussmann and Siglavy Aga-50. “Aga” is a 1999 Piber-bred Lipizzaner stallion who is competing very successfully with his amateur owner/rider Stephanie. This combination is having an extremely successful year with multiple championships and placings at fourth level dressage through to Prix St Georges. The pair were recently crowned the USDF Region 2 Fourth Level Adult Amateur Champion and the USDF Region 2 Prix St Georges Adult Amateur Champion. Aside from being an exceptionally talented FEI dressage horse, Aga is also competing with great success in western dressage, winning the WDAA International Challenge Level 3 and 4 Adult Amateur World Champion titles.

LUCY MOSTERT & 517 FAVORY SATURN III

Another Australian combination, Lucy Mostert and 517 Favory Saturn III are turning heads in the show jumping ring. A relatively new combination, Lucy and “Zebedi” are quickly working their way up the ranks and have placed in show jumping events up to 80cm. Lucy and Zeb enjoy life in the fast lane and recently completed their first eventing competition, blitzing the cross-country course. Watch this space because there’s a lot more to come from this duo.

MALIN LIND & 201 SIGLAVY CAPRIOLA ZINGOALLA

From Sweden is the delightful combination of Malin Lind and her bay Lipizzaner mare, 201 Siglavy Capriola Zingoalla. Sweden has quite a small population of Lipizzaners, but that doesn’t make them any less talented. Malin and Zingoalla are quite possibly the most versatile combination in this year’s High Point and are currently in top position to take out the 2022 LipiData Versatile Lipizzaner of the Year award. Malin and Zingoalla have been competing successfully in western, sporting, dressage, reining and working equitation. A highlight for this combination is earning their gold rosette in the Agria Working Equitation Gold Cup and placing second overall in the 2022 Agria Working Equitation Gold Cup Final. Under rider Anders Månsson, Zingoalla participated in the Swedish National Jousting Championships and took home three gold medals. We told you Lipizzaners are versatile!

JENNY FOLMAN & FAVORY GAZDAG

Representing the United Kingdom is Jenny Folman and Favory Gazdag. “Gazdag” is a 2004 Lipizzaner gelding who is competing with his owner, Jenny, at the highest levels of dressage. The pair have been out and about contesting various shows at Grand Prix and recently won the Grand Prix Championship at the Willow Banks North and East Show. At the same event, Jenny and Gazdag also brought home the Intermediate II Reserve Championship.

LOUISE KROPACH & 284 MONTENEGRA

Another particularly versatile duo is the Australian combination of Louise Kropach and her mare 284 Montenegra. Louise and “Freya” are active in dressage but are also strong supporters of Lipizzaner breed events in Australia. Freya is adept in the long reins and regularly places highly in lungeing, horse and handler, and long-reining classes. Louise and Freya’s versatility paid off when they won the 2022 Lipizzaner Association of Australasia Virtual Show High Point Horse of Show.

Entries are still open on the LipiData website for the 2022 LipiData Global High Point Competition. It’s not too late to get your points on the leaderboard. Make sure you follow the progress of our entrants via the leaderboard. EQ

The team at LipiData love talking about Lipizzaners and hearing your stories. Reach out to them any time at enquiry@LipiData.org, or via their Facebook or Instagram pages. 

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO READ:

How Glenhill Stays a Step AheadEquestrian Life, October 2022

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