Whenever you mention “pony dressage” these days, so many people prick up their ears. No longer a curiosity, interest in dressage with ponies has increased enormously in Australia in recent years.
One reason for the growth in pony dressage is the specific breeding of dressage ponies through the importation of good German Riding Ponies and serious breeding here. For small adults, especially smaller women, ponies certainly suit them. Not only for the older, smaller riders, but also the young riders.
People say, “How can ponies be compared to big horses in the higher levels of the sport?” and of course the answer is obviously completely, “YES they can”. There is no difference between a pony or a horse when it comes to assessing, training and judging the movements, whether it be collected and extended trot, canter, or the higher movements in flying changes, piaffe and passage. Ponies are capable of getting very good scores and it is not difficult to compare a horse to a pony.
One of the disadvantages of having a pony in the dressage area is the amount of balance and strength they need to perform the test. There is a higher degree of difficulty for the ponies than for the bigger horses as the distance those smaller legs have to cover in a 60x20m arena is quite immense. To hold an extended trot on an entire diagonal for a pony takes a lot of strength and balance and so much more fitness and core strength than a large horse.
Some judges say it’s difficult to judge ponies. There really is no difference whatsoever – frame, balance, engagement, overtrack, expression, cadence, it’s all exactly the same. Judges don’t see it hard to judge 16 hands against 18 hands, so why is it more difficult from 14 hand to 16 hands? It’s still only two hands difference. And the footfalls in all the paces are exactly the same, as are the FEI definitions for all the movements. It makes no difference. (Just look at the pony through binoculars and, hey presto, it’s a horse!)
The one that shows absolute international quality and springs to the fore in Australia would have to be Hilkens Denali. Wendy Lorincz searched a long time to find a suitable pony for herself. Having ridden bigger horses to Advanced level and being a shorter and lighter lady, she decided it would be really nice to find a fabulous pony that she could train and continue to ride to FEI.
Denali, at the time a stallion, was owned and trained by Amy DeLangen in New Zealand, and she had ridden him to Small Tour. Amy had also imported another stallion, Golden Strike, and he took precedence at that time. She gave Denali to her daughter who competed him at lower levels for a few years before he was put up for sale.
On hearing this pony was for sale Wendy flew over to see and ride him. She simply fell in love with him and imported him back to Australia. This bay 13.3¾ pony stallion is by Dreamcatcher from the mare Schamila, both German Riding Ponies, and he was imported to NZ as a two-year-old. Bringing him to Australia for Wendy was a project to continue his training, hopefully as far as he could go as he already was showing talent for the Grand Prix movements. He was gelded – not that he was a problem as a stallion, but it made a lot more sense for Wendy who only wanted him to ride.
ADVANCED CHAMPION
Wendy started competing him at Medium level and took him all the way through to Prix St Georges, where he won at the State Championships and was also Advanced Champion at the National Championships, winning both tests in 2019. He showed a great talent for piaffe and passage and for flying changes, and Wendy decided that she would love to see him compete successfully at the highest possible level. A good friend and talented rider in Alison Gill took over the ride in partnership with Wendy who would train him most of the week while Alison would ride him two or three times a week.
Denali was not a naturally super uphill pony to begin with, but with constant help, eyes on the ground and expert riding, his balance became more and more on the hind leg. It was amazing how much this pony improved. Alison and Denali got on like a house on fire and actually competed in an Intermediate II competition in Canberra in September 2020, scoring at their first outing 64.19%. Wendy being the honest and loyal person that she is, was told after competing at this level that according to the rules Alison needs to go back and do Advanced, Prix St Georges then Medium Tour, then Inter II.
Alison, having produced Grand Prix ponies in the past and competing successfully in Australia and overseas, wrote to Equestrian Australia for an exemption, which is allowable with EA permission. Despite having letters from high-profile riders and coaches and judges as proof she had already ridden at Grand Prix and successfully on a pony and with horses to FEI – and trained and ridden in England under Gareth Hughes – and even though she and the owner were unaware of the rule and officially gained a big score at his first Inter II – the committee at Equestrian Australia chose to not allow the exemption.
“He is a dude
and so willing and
loves the challenges.”
This was extremely unfortunate and in hindsight a bad decision, as Denali then had to spend almost a year getting to competitions during Covid restrictions to try and be able to compete in Grand Prix, which he was already very able to do. It was very disappointing for all to see this pony and talented rider, with an exceptionally willing and honest owner, held back for well over a year. Despite this, he went back with Alison and did all the correct procedures to get qualified for Grand Prix, winning with scores in the high 60s and 70s during that period of time.
‘NO DIFFERENCE WHATSOEVER’
On asking Alison if she finds it any different riding a pony to a big horse and competing, she says, “There is no difference whatsoever. The training, schooling and riding and the feel is exactly the same. Denali in my mind is absolutely outstanding and still improving, as the scores prove. We did put Denali in front of an A level judges clinic where Susie Hoevenaars, who was the convenor, gave him a 9 for his piaffe. She was simply glowing in her enthusiasm for this as she was with most of his work; the changes and pirouettes were getting easy 8s. He’s very consistent and really confident now in all the moves to Grand Prix.
“But what’s a little frustrating is when people and judges come to me and say, ‘isn’t he so cute’. That is sort of true but also grates on me because he’s not just cute, he is good. I know in my own heart that he will get over 70% eventually at Grand Prix. He has actually recently scored over 70% with a couple of judges. In the Grand Prix at the Sydney CDI, he was second in the Inter II and the Grand Prix against 20 horses – and he was the only pony.
“He really needs the fitness for the Grand Prix as it’s a marathon for him and he tries his heart out. I now usually ride him three to four days per week, and Wendy is fabulous riding him out as well as schooling him two days a week; she bush rides him and he has pony times and keeps fit. He has a handy jump and it’s no trouble for him to cross-train with Wendy. He finds a metre fun and it really keeps him so happy. He is fabulous. He is sort of a huge horse in a little package. The trot is now still developing better push and carrying. It’s so interesting that with this carrying strength now and the lighter self-carriage, the suppleness is so improving.
“It’s exciting for us to work with him, he is a dude and so willing and loves the challenges. It’s a huge improvement. He’s a real tryer and now he just needs constant work at getting him stronger over the back and more uphill, which he is willing to do. He’s really starting to come into his own now. He certainly isn’t like riding a pony, he’s like riding a big horse; he has all the power and balance and cadence. He has a great attitude and a super work ethic. I can honestly say there has not been a horse or pony that’s been more fun than Denali to take to this level.
“He gives me great pleasure and I know that one day he will get over 70% from all the judges, and that will be super exciting and we don’t intend on giving up until we do. I love riding and training the ponies just as I love the horses, but I have to say that Denali makes dressage real!”
A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY
Alison Gill grew up in Sutton near Canberra and was involved in horses from a small child through her mother’s interest. She went through Pony Club and did hacking as well as novelties and dressage. Her good show pony also started doing dressage and this is where she began. At age 13, Alison purchased Bamborough Epic from Karen Skimmings (Glendenning) through her then-coach Sue Walker. This pony went to Grand Prix and also landed Alison on the NSW Young Rider Squad. He was by Silkwood Puss N Boots from the mare Bamborough Elegance, so English Riding Pony with Welsh and Arab blood as well.
It was amazing to see a clean Grand Prix test from a pony and back in those days it was rare to see this young girl on a pony competing against the big horses in Grand Prix and giving them a run for their money! This pony was super competitive and was the runner-up champion Big Tour CDN competitor at Willinga Park’s Dressage By The Sea in 2019, just before Covid! That pony is now 20 years old, and Alison is still riding him each week and also gives lessons to junior riders on him.
On leaving school, Alison did a bachelor degree in graphic design then realised a full-time job in that area would spoil her riding time so she took up at job in a pathology lab. But that also took up too much time, so it was off to Brett Parbery to work then overseas to train in England with Gareth Hughes. On returning she started her own dressage business and complemented that by again working part-time in a pathology lab.
Alison adored the chance to ride top-quality horses that had such natural ability. She rode many good horses at Gareth’s and was so well liked by her peers, and her charming demeanour, enthusiastic work ethic and good riding placed her in good stead when she came back to Australia. She continued to train ponies and big horses for herself and owners. She has had several big horses that were very competitive up to Advanced level, including the mare Ludavikka, by APH Ludo from a Grannus 2 dam. At present Alison also has a young six-year-old, Roulette CBM by Furst Romancier out of a Krack C mare, who has had a few Novice starts and is working towards Elementary.
Alison says there is no difference whatsoever in training a pony or a horse to FEI level. In fact, sometimes the ponies have a better work ethic. Recently, Alison has ridden the smart stallion Glenhill Mr Hollywood, by Movie Star and owned by Christan Trainor of Glenhill Sporthorses, to win the four-year-old championship at Dressage & Jumping With The Stars, as well as Young Pony Champion of Champions at the Sydney CDI. The pony owned by Emily Mackintosh – Seawynd Colorado, by Derwen Dakota and from Cwmkaren Miss Catrin – is a Welsh D. Emily bought him in 2016 and rode him competitively from Preliminary to Medium, and then seeing a future towards Grand Prix, in 2021 Emily offered the ride to Alison to continue and that they have, with him now at Small Tour scoring over 70% and with a piaffe and a passage in the wings for a Grand Prix start. It’s amazing! She’s also been very successful with a five-year-old pony, Miss Moneypenny, by Movie Star and owned by Jan Smith, having won several young pony classes with her.
“This pony is truly outstanding
and draws so much attention.”
Alison now works full-time with horses, riding other people’s horses in training and giving lessons. Her positivity and her simplistic outlook towards riding and training is a breath of fresh air. When you see her and Denali effortlessly with great harmony cruise through a Grand Prix test, it really pulls at the heart strings. This pony is truly outstanding and draws so much attention and so much interest for people to be able to aspire to Grand Prix and be successful on ponies! Grand Prix is the goal! EQ
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