Heath Ryan edged out Judy Dierks in a nail-biting finish to the popular Grand Prix Freestyle event at the 2016 CDI-W Sydney, where the 2016 New South Wales Regionam Dressage Championships are being held at the same time. Saturday night 10 September 2016 drew out an interested audience to watch 10 riders contest the World Cup qualifier Kur.
Riding Anthony Thornhill's Utopian Cardinal (by Regardez Moi), Ryan achieved a technical score of 69.60% and an artistic score of 71.60% from the five judges to clinch victory in the Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W with a total 70.60%.
The score was just 0.35% ahead of Judy Dierks on Vicki Newham's Diamond Star (by Diamond Hit), who received a technical score of 67.30% and artistic score of 73.20% for a total of 70.25%.
It was a reversal of the outcome from the previous day, where Dierks claimed the Grand Prix CDI-W with 69.080% ahead of Ryan's 67.6%.
The last time a CDI-W was at the NSW Dressage Championships was in 2004. The CDI-W is a qualification event for the Pacific League World Cup Final that will be held in New Zealand in February 2017. International judges Lilo Fore (USA), Sue Hobson (New Zealand) and Olivier Smeets (Belgian) officiated at the championships alongside Australians Mary Seefried - fresh from sitting on the Rio Olympics Judges Supervisory Panel – and Susan Hoevenaars.
More than 275 horses guided by 215 riders entered this year's championships, which enters the final day on Sunday 11 September at Sydney International Equestrian Centre (SIEC) at Horsley Park.
Photo © Franz Venhaus
Related Links
Scores 2016 CDI-W Sydney
Dierks and Diamond Star Take out Grand Prix Win at 2016 CDI-W Sydney
World Cup Qualifier to be Held at 2016 New South Wales Regional Championships in Sydney