Event Reviews
Horseland Young Dressage Horse Championships
16th November 2008
Royal Oak is Grand Champion Again!
By J Moon
The wind dropped and for once the weather was kind to the Young Horse classes.
In the four year old class there was much anticipation by spectators to see the newly imported stallion Bellario but alas, due to an injury he was unable to compete.
The winner of the class was WA young rider Katlin Hull and her young Kaptain horse Revelwood Kruze who won narrowly from another Revelwood horse Donovan (Don Ramiro) ably ridden by Dion Stokes and owned by WA showhorse personality Karen Bowman.
The Five year old class was the strongest of the three and it was really interesting to see how the horses who had competed in the four year old class last year have developed in the next 12 months, and the two that have really come along are the imported stallion Royal Oak from Narbethong Equestrian Park and Bonita, a locally bred Grand Cavalier mare ridden by Colin Chantler. Both two lovely individuals and as Commentator Don Smailes remarked “your dream dressage horse would be a cross between these two horses.”
The six year old class always suffers as it asks for flying changes and I’m sure for many whose horses have a later start to dressage this is a little too much for them. But our 6yo comp was very close indeed and was won by that lucky and hard working lass Katlin Hull and her lovely gelding Matavia Rivendell (Riverdance.Imp) who is no stranger to competing on the East Coast. A whisker behind was Tracy Spackman’s 16.2 chestnut Hanoverian, AEA Beneton (Argentille Grenadier)
At the presentations the master himself, Harry Bolt gave a talk on young horses and the horses presented to him and fellow young horse judges Wendy Barker and Hannie Byrne. It was then time to decorate the lovely Royal Oak II as the Grand Champion and we wish the Narbethong team and Dion all the best with their trip to the Australian Young Horse Champs to be held at DWTS in April and I’m sure they will do WA proud. Our sincere THANKS to all the Horseland team for their continuing support of this event and their presentation rugs and vouchers went home with very worthy winners!
Grand Champion - Royal Oak II
