When Anky van Grunsven visited Australia to present a masterclass 25 years ago, a young dressage horse competition was combined with the occasion. Dressage With The Stars was born, and the event soon evolved to become one of the most anticipated on the Australian equestrian calendar.
Dressage & Jumping With The Stars will once again see competitors and spectators flock to Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre next month as future stars of the sport step into the limelight. Since 1998 when that first young dressage horse competition took place, the event has become the Australian Young Dressage Horse Championships, and in 2002 the addition of a young jumping horse championship saw it renamed under its current title.
In 2010, the Young Dressage Pony Championship was successfully introduced, followed by the Young Eventing Horse Championship in 2016 and in-hand competitions in 2018, making it a true multi-disciplinary event. There is now also the Ridden Performance Pony Championship that combines both dressage and jumping. Not just a display of top young horses, the addition of FEI World Cup jumping and dressage, alongside a number of other classes such as the Aachen Challenge (which actually predates DJWTS), mean many seasoned competitors are also in action.
The event has also long been known for its guest stars, which give the show a unique flavour. Over the years some of the world’s best dressage superstars have shared their experience and expertise, including Helen Langehanenberg, Emile Faurie and Ingrid Klimke to name just a few. This year, the young dressage horse guest rider will be Germany’s Evelyn Eger, who works as a professional rider at P.S.I.’s Hof Kasselmann; P.S.I. have long been the naming rights sponsors and supporters of DJWTS. Originally starting out as an eventing and jumping rider, Evelyn now competes very successfully in the Under 25 and senior Grand Prix classes at international level.
PREVIOUS DRESSAGE WINNERS
The Australian Young Dressage Horse Champion of Champions award for the best dressage horse across the four, five, and six-year-old age groups began at the second event in 1999, with seven-year-old classes added to the equation in 2015 when they became part of the FEI program. Rituel, ridden by Mary Hanna, claimed the inaugural title. He was followed by:
2000: Greenoaks Legend (ridden by Heath Ryan)
2001: Cinderella (ridden by Matthew Dowsley)
2002: Mayfield Pzazz (ridden by Kerry Mack)
2003: Jaybee Alabaster (ridden by Tor van den Berg)
2004: Rhodes (ridden by Matthew Dowsley)
2005/2006: Donner Carina (ridden by Judy Dierks)
2007: No event due to Equine Influenza
2008/2009: Shiraz Black (ridden by Gitte Donvig)
2010: San Jose (ridden by Matthew Dowsley)
2011: Revelwood Donatello (ridden by Daniella Dierks)
2012: Sugarloaf Sirhara (ridden by Daniella Dierks)
2013: SPH Dante (ridden by Rodney Martin)
2014: Sugarloaf Rubinell (ridden by Hayley Gilbert)
2015: Solo Feliz (ridden by Daniella Dierks)
2016: Santiago (ridden by Matthew Dowsley)
2017/2018: Iresias L (ridden by Gina Montgomery)
2019: WillingaPark Emotion (ridden by Brett Parbery)
2020: No event due to Covid-19
2021: WillingaPark Quincy B (ridden by Jayden Brown)
2022: SPH Fortino (ridden by Robbie McKinnon)
Quite a star-studded list indeed!
Last year was yet another fabulous event. In the young dressage horse classes, the Four-Year-Old Champion was the exciting gelding JMH Frankly (For Romance x Sunny Boy) ridden by Emma Hayward and owned by Jami Hurley. The Five-Year-Old Champion was the electric WillingaPark Miana (Franklin x Bordeaux) ridden by Jayden Brown and owned by Terry and Ginette Snow. The Six-Year-Old Champion was the beautiful SPH Fortino (Bluefields Floreno x Donna Carina) ridden by Robbie McKinnon and owned in partnership with her husband, Dave; ‘Frankie’ was ultimately named the Australian Young Dressage Horse Champion of Champions. The Seven-Year-Old Champion was the super stallion WillingaPark Fangio (Flanell x Weingold) ridden by Jayden Brown and again owned by Terry and Ginette Snow.
Entries for the 2023 DJWTS are open until February 15, and no doubt we’ll see a return of some of last year’s winners. Notably absent will be Jayden Brown and the Willinga Park horses, who are currently kicking goals in the UK.
CLASS FORMAT
Young dressage horse classes run under a significantly different format to your average dressage event, and DJWTS has its own interesting twists. The first round usually sees two horses in the arena at once (occasionally just one, depending on entry numbers), and this first round requires horses to complete the relevant required test for their age group. Three judges sit together at E or B, except for the seven-year-old class where one technical judge sits at C and two other judges sit at E or B. There is usually commentary for the public after each horse.
The top 10 placings (including equals) from the first round go forward into the second round, provided they have attained a score of at least 65%. In the second round, each horse performs their test (a different test from the first round) individually, with the three judges this time sitting at C (except the seven-year-old class, which again has one technical judge at C and two other judges at E or B). Marks from the first round do not carry forward to the second round. Horses that do not make the second round yet still score at least 60% are then eligible to contest a consolation final in their age group.
The P.S.I. Australian Young Dressage Horse Champion of Champions is then chosen from the winners from the second round in each age group. The guest rider, which this year will be Evelyn Eger, then rides the winners and provides commentary after each. The judges, together with the guest rider, will determine the overall champion. More information regarding the competition format for DJWTS 2023 can be found via the schedule.
BE PREPARED
Victorian Christine Sievers has competed, judged, coached, pencilled and called tests at DJWTS over many years. She says that riding at the event was one of her career highlights: “Regardless of the placings it was such a buzz to ride in the main indoor at WPNEC in all its glory.”
As a judge, Christine has adjudicated first rounds, the four-year-old final alongside top international young horse judge Trond Asmyr of Norway (Trond is an FEI 4* judge and a former FEI Dressage and Para-Dressage Director), and consolation rounds with other international judges – and she’s also scribed for the likes of Harry Boldt and Dr. Ulf Möller. “Judging at DJWTS was a huge honour; somewhat daunting, but I had been trained and prepared to do it so it was a no-brainer other than the task of getting the horses in the right order!”
Christine has coached many DJWTS competitors, including the winners of the four-year-old dressage pony in 2016, Envyious Philino and Marissa Norris. “Go and ride… enjoy the journey and experience,” is Christine’s advice to those considering entering. “However, you need to have a tough constitution as you will be told the hard truth at the end of your round over the microphone for everyone to hear – it’s something not every person can deal with.”
Christine explains that before entering, it’s important to understand the level required for each age group and to assess whether your young horse is truly ready. “The four-year-old standard test is a basic Preliminary one, but the quality of horse is on another level. The five-year-old is equal to Elementary, so you should be competing at EA Elementary – to still be competing at Preliminary or Novice and enter the five-year-old young horse class is only fooling yourself. Sorry to say but it’s so evident when you get to DJWTS. The six-year-old is equal to Medium and again you should be competing Medium and training higher, and the seven-year-old is Advanced/Prix St Georges level.”
“Just because your horse isn’t ready
for young horse classes doesn’t mean
it will not reach Grand Prix.”
NO RUSH
Christine says that while competing in young horse classes can be very rewarding – and DJWTS in particular a real thrill – it’s not the be all and end all. “Just because your horse isn’t ready for young horse classes doesn’t mean it will not reach Grand Prix. In fact, quite the opposite is often the case, and just because you didn’t get the qualifying score for the second round doesn’t mean that your horse isn’t any good. The horse I rode in a four-year-old class came 11th in the first round and a horse we thought was fantastic came 17th. In the consolation round, the 17th placed horse won and I came second, and we both got much better percentages. The other horse was named Jeff The Chef, and he went on to be the USA Advanced Horse of Year! Whatever the outcome, there will be the fact that you love and care for your horse… and that’s all the horse really wants anyway.”
Fellow Victorian dressage mainstay Kerry Mack – who won Champion of Champions with her stallion Mayfield Pzazz in 2002 – agrees that entering young horse events is great if your horse is ready, but you should never be in a rush when you are training youngsters. “Don’t be in a rush when you are working your horse, and don’t be in a rush to reach the goals you set. Set the goal and work out a plan. Remember that, yes, the young horse classes are fun and are a great goal, but the main game really is training your horse to be a reliable and happy partner to do whatever you want to be doing,” she says. “Always allow your horse to be the final arbiter in the progress.” You can read more of Kerry’s tips on preparing for young horse events in the February 2022 issue of Equestrian Life.
QUALIFYING FOR THE WORLD CHAMPS
Last year, three combinations were selected to represent Australia at the FEI WBFSH (World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses) World Breeding Dressage Championships for Young Horses – two of which were 2022 DJWTS winners.
Jayden Brown was selected for the five-year-old class with WillingaPark Miana and the seven-year-old class with WillingaPark Fangio, while Maree Tomkinson and Friday IV were selected for the six-year-old class. It was the first year where altered FEI selection criteria meant that just one Australian combination per age group could attend the event in Ermelo, the Netherlands.
Danish Warmblood mare Lyngbjergs St. Paris (Blue Hors St. Schufro x Blue Hors Rockefeller) won the five-year-old championship with Victoria E. Vallentin; Oldenburg stallion Global Player OLD (Grand Galaxy Win T x Blue Hors Don Schufro) won the six-year-old championship with Eva Möller in the saddle; and Van Olst Horses’ KWPN stallion Kjento (Negro x Jazz), ridden by current World Champion Lottie Fry, won the seven-year-old championship. The year prior, Kjento had been named the six-year-old champion. The 2021 World Championships also saw Hesselhoej Down Town (by Hesselhoej Donkey Boy x Boogie Woogie), ridden by Jeanna Hogberg, named the five-year-old champion; the Danish warmblood was later sold to the Oatleys for young Rose Oatley to ride. The 2021 seven-year-old champion was Helgstrand Dressage’s Jovian (Apache X Tango), ridden by Andreas Helgstrand. Jovian has since gone on to become an international-level Big Tour winner, scoring as high as 77.130% in the Grand Prix test to date and proving that it’s possible to transition from a successful young horse to a top Big Tour competitor.
Once again this year, DJWTS is the Australian Young Horse Championships and a qualifier for the FEI WBFSH World Breeding Dressage Championships for Young Horses, which take place 3-6 August in Ermelo. To compete at the World Championships for Young Horses, combinations must meet a Minimum Eligibility Requirement (MER) in the preliminary or final test as per FEI rules; for 5- and 6-year-old horses, this is a total score of minimum 75%, while for 7-year-old horses it’s a total score of minimum 70%.
This score must be achieved at least once at a CDIYH, or via a selection event as per national selection criteria (to date, the Equestrian Australian selection policy for the 2023 FEI WBFSH World Breeding Dressage Championships for Young Horses is yet to be released) in the calendar year of the World Championships, until the date of nominated entries. For MERs to be achieved, national federations are responsible for ensuring that the level of national tests used at their specified selection event is equivalent to the level of the FEI tests for 5-, 6- and 7-year-old horses.
Once again, Australia is allowed to enter only one home-bred horse in each age category. “Home-bred” means the horse needs to be registered at birth into an Australian studbook that is recognised by the WBFSH, of which we have three: Australian Warmblood Horses Association Ltd, Australian Continental Equestrian Group Inc, and Hanoverian Horse Society of Australia Inc. If no home-bred horses have achieved MERs, it’s then possible to nominate a foreign-bred horse, provided that the studbook of origin of the foreign-bred horse gives its approval and the rider is Australian.
Who will stake their claim for a World Championship start at the 2023 edition of DJWTS? We can’t wait to see which stars shine the brightest in March. EQ
P.S.I. Dressage & Jumping with the Stars runs from 23-25 March at Werribee Park National Equestrian. Click here for more information about the event.
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