Christine Weal Appointed New Zealand's High Performance Dressage Manager

Dressage

New Zealand

Equestrian Sport New Zealand has appointed Christine Weal as the new High Performance Dressage Manager.

She succeeds the late Penny Castle-Pearce.

Building Towards Pinnacle Events

Christine Weal has enjoyed plenty of success in all sorts of arenas but now her focus is firmly on helping New Zealand’s top dressage riders succeed on the international stage while creating pathways for younger riders to develop their own Grand Prix horses confidently.

“I am looking forward to bringing riders and coaches together with the shared goal of preparing teams to compete internationally,” said Weal. “We’ll start with Australia and build towards the pinnacle events. I hope this will inspire more people to get involved and help build a stronger, more connected dressage community.”

ESNZ high performance general manager Jock Paget said Christine brings a wealth of knowledge to the team and they were all looking forward to working with her to support Kiwi athletes as they strive for success on the world stage.

“She is really passionate about getting New Zealand horse and rider combinations onto the world stage for Olympic Games and World Champs,” said Jock. “Christine has a great understanding of the domestic circuit, the challenges our team has in preparing from here and what’s required to hit our targets on the international circuit.

“Penny (Pearce) did an incredible job setting up the high performance programme and it is exciting for it to be now moving forward with Christine.”

A Broader Foundation

Success in Christine’s eyes would be fostering a strong team environment while creating pathways for younger riders to develop their own Grand Prix horses confidently.

“I’d love to see a Grand Prix class in New Zealand with more than just a couple of riders, with them all pushing each other to consistently score over 70%,” said Christine.

She wants to see a competitive New Zealand dressage team at the Brisbane Olympics.

“I believe in the long game. I believe in building a sustainable high performance environment where horses and riders can thrive. I am committed to ensuring we are not just producing results today but laying strong foundations for the future. It’s not only about the rider . . . it is also including the team around them. Hopefully good performances will come from that and the flow on from that will hopefully be more people wanting to get involved in the sport we all love so much.”

Christine Weal

Christine has ridden for New Zealand many times and twice won the national advanced level champion title as well as numerous podium finishes in the New Zealand Young Dressage Horse Championship.

Weal on Landro L in 2010 (Photo © Lisa Potter)

She has trained advanced level riders, national champions, international representatives and continues to invest in her own professional coaching and riding skills by heading offshore for 10 New Zealand winters to learn all she can including stints with Kasselman’s PSI Stable (GER), Jean Bemelmans (GER), Stefan van Ingelgem (BEL), Jenny Loisten Clark MBE (GBR) and Dr Ricky McMillian (AUS).

The Te Awamutu based trainer and rider operates a stable that is focussed on breeding and producing young horses for both dressage and eventing.

“There’s always something for me ride,” she said, “but competing isn’t my main focus at the moment.”

Chris Burton (AUS) rode a horse she produced to victory in the Aachen CHIO eventing crown and at this year’s HOY her students won seven titles from Level 5 up, including the FEI Young Rider and FEI Pony crowns. She enjoyed more success at Nationals too.

Push to Produce the Best

That continual push to produce the best is, in part, what made her apply for the ESNZ role. “I want to help riders reach their goals and for our New Zealand dressage riders to be equipped with the tools to succeed on the international stage. I want to contribute to a long term succession plan where riders are consistently producing well trained horses up to Grand Prix.”

She loves the training process, and especially in developing horses to Grand Prix level with both softness and expression. “It’s incredible to see how you can change horses by using different exercises as they develop and get stronger. That’s always a thrill and especially when you have taken a horse that is a bit tricky and been able to get confident performances from them.

“It is a great feeling when a horse trusts you and you’re working as a team to create a spectacular performance.” She wants to see the sport of dressage evolve further. “My experience in Europe has given me a broad perspective of the sport and the ability to guide riders through challenges with confidence and clarity.”