Rozzie Ryan turned the tables on husband Heath by taking the International Intermediate I aboard fancied gelding Greenoaks Legend at the Sydney CDI*** Dressage event here on Friday.
The Hunter Valley dressage couple again dominated the competition by filling all three places, but unlike Thursday's International Prix St Georges, Rozzie comfortably claimed the win with an outstanding score of 72 percent. Husband Heath had to settle for second on Thursday's winner Donna Carrera with 67.417 percent and his partnership with DP Christopher (67.000 percent) produced his second third placing in two days.
If Heath's words are anything to go by - "Competing against my wife is OK when I'm winning, but the car trip home is not so good!" - Rozzie will be enjoying the ride home this evening. As for his Friday performances, Heath was a little disappointed. "I definitely didn't perform as well as I did yesterday ... sometimes we (he and Donna Carrera) just don't mesh ... both horses didn't perform to their capabilities." It's contrasts with the good days, where he says: "The most amazing feeling is when you mesh with your horse and suddenly you become 700kg of power."
New South Wales riders dominated the International Interim I top top eight finishers. Amelia Legge on Aura Dell Alexander (66 percent) claimed fourth spot while Ann Serrao on Wisdom and Matthew Dowsley aboard Cinderella (65.5 percent) sharing fifth.
Young Victorian rider Renee Pedretti bucked the trend on Sunbury Thomas Lodge for seventh position (64 percent) and NSW's Vickie Robertson rounded off the eight on Northern Invader (63 percent).
Kerry Mack wins Advanced 5.3 Competiton
Victoria's Kerry Mack, aboard the Dutch imported stallion Mayfield Pzazz, put on a polished performance to score 67.23% to win the Advanced 5.3 CDN section of the Advanced Cup Tournament at the Sydney International Dressage Centre here Friday.
The competition is being contested by national level competitors, just slightly ranked below the international contestants here for the Sydney CDI*** International Grand Prix. Mack's performance drew brilliant marks, including a 70% from the Queensland judge. Second place in this hotly contested event went to Lesley-Anne Taylor of South Australia on her imported gelding Weltklasse.
The impressive 17.3 hands gentle giant performed a consistent and elegant test to end up less than one percent behind the winners, with 66.58%. Danielle Vasella (NSW) rode a very precise test to gain third place aboard the Blas Lago owned, Northern Xanthus II. Only quite new to this level, they scored 64.28%, showing that this combination should prove to have an exciting future ahead of them.
Victoria's Kate Foundas rode the chestnut gelding Emperor's Charlemagne into fourth position with a score of 63.65% , while fifth position was awarded to Argentille Bonita, a Hannovarian mare ridden exceptionally well by Sally Dowsett (NSW).
Seasoned competitor Maurice Bruce rode a very competitive test aboard the elegant gelding Neversfelde Feuer to gain sixth place with 62.76%, just ahead of Queensland Young Rider Alexandra Berns aboard Jaybee Acrobat, with 62.68% and local equestrian identity Roger Fitzhardinge on Berkeley Castle with 61.70%.
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