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Articles: Press Release
The Australian contingent prepares for Aachen ... A Special WEG 2006
Preview by Ted Dwyer for PhelpsSports.com
PHOTO CREDIT: Edwina Alexander riding Isovlas Pialotta (c) 2005 Cealy
Tetley for PhelpsSports.com.
Contact:
Jean Llewellyn of Phelps Media Group, Inc.
at (561) 753-3389 or at pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
Wellington, Florida - August 2, 2006 - The Australian show jumping
selectors have named a squad of six riders from which four will finally
be selected for the World Equestrian Games in Aachen. Two of those
named, Edwina Alexander and Rod Brown, are definite selections to the
team, whereas Peter McMahon (Queensland), David Robertson (New South
Wales), Jamie Kermond (Victoria) and James Patterson-Robertson (based in
Europe) will compete in a series of trials in Europe prior to the Games,
for selection to the remaining two team places.
Showjumping Contenders:
The outstanding selection, Edwina Alexander from Sydney, age 32, who
holds a Bachelor of Physical Education, had reasonable success in
Australia before deciding to head for Europe to gain further experience,
saying, "I left Australia seven years ago to compete in Europe with the
idea of fulfilling my dreams, never imaging they would come true. I set
myself high standards and having a strong belief in myself and my
horses, I have been able to find my way and compete against the best."
Edwina, who trained for three years with Ludo Philippaerts, now rides
for the Jan Tops stable, and has been qualified two horses for WEG:
Isovlas Socrates and Isovlas Pialotta, with the latter most likely to be
her mount. The bay mare is by Westphalian stallion Pilot, out of Akazic.
Edwina has had great success over the last couple of seasons and is now
rated 47th in the world rankings, with recent good performances in
Monaco providing a good indication of form going into WEG.
Rod Brown, age 58, has been a very consistent rider for a number of
years, previously representing his country at the 1998 Olympic Games in
Seoul. He then spent a number of years training young horses for sale,
but was offered the ride on Mr Burns in 2005. After a 10-year absence
from World Cups and Grand Prix competitions, Rod made a successful
return, winning the 2006 Australian Championship held at Sale, Victoria.
His ride, Mr Burns is a brown thoroughbred gelding by Favoured Bay, from
the mare Big Giggle, foaled in December 1990. Mr. Burns had a very
ordinary career as a racehorse and was retired early, despite winning a
maiden race at a country meet and running a track record for the
distance, which still stands today ... It seems a mob of kangaroos found
their way onto the track, Mr Burns bolted to the outside rail and left
the rest of the field well behind him! His owners, Greg and Cathie
Chapman, purchased the horse after Greg, who has a livestock transport
business, was delivering stock to an abbatoir. Greg spotted the horse,
liked his breeding and decided to purchase him. The owner of the
abbatoir was a Mr. Burns, hence the horse's name. This season, he has
won five of the six selection competitions and finished second in the
remaining trial.
David Robertson is a farmer from the Hunter Valley in New South Wales.
Aged 54, David was listed for the three-day-event at the Montreal
Olympic Games, but his mount unfortunately died before the event. David
later retired to concentrate on family and business, but made a comeback
in 1985 representing Australia on a tour of New Zealand with a mare
called Dusky Dawn. The mare was sold in 1987 so David decided to
concentrate on breeding show jumpers. He had connections in New Zealand
to a mare called Ships Lady who produced four brothers by British
stallion Imperial Seal. All four turned out to be reasonable jumpers.
Two of these horses, Special Seal and Smart Seal sold to Japan, Super
Seal has been sold to Ireland, while Sharp Seal, a 10-year-old gelding,
is David's own-bred mount for WEG. This combination has had two very
good seasons, winning a World Cup qualifier, second in the Australian
Championship, and also second in the first three of the six selection
competitions.
Youngest member of the squad, 21-year-old Jamie Kermond from
Warrnambool, Western Victoria, will ride the 13-year-old thoroughbred
gelding Stylish King, bred in New Zealand. Stylish King was a fairly
expensive yearling who proved unsuccessful on the racetrack. He did show
some jumping form by winning a 3,000-metre hurdle race, but an injury
saw him retired and subsequently purchased by the Kermond family. After
a couple of seasons in lower-grade jumping, the pair was successful in
2004, winning two World Cup qualifiers. A skiing accident in early 2005
left Jamie with a broken arm, which kept him out of the saddle for some
months, but after his return he had a number of successes in 2006,
finishing third in the Australian Championship and placing well in the
selection series. Jamie explained, "I have had a number of offers to buy
the horse, but I am in the sport to try and find one like Stylish King,
and did not wish to sell him. He has opened up a lot of opportunities
for me." He continued, "I had a trip to New Zealand on borrowed horses
and it gave me the chance to ride with and compete against experienced
riders and that is pretty special." Adding, "You can't buy experience
like that."
Fifth member of the Australian squad is 25-year-old Peter McMahon from
Brisbane, Queensland and his nine-year-old grey gelding KC Genoe. This
combination has had a very successful season and demonstrated
significant potential in the selection trials.
Finally, 27-year-old European-based James Patterson-Robinson, originally
from Geelong, Victoria, has been competing in Europe for the past seven
years with a great deal of success, particularly with young six- and
seven-year-old horses. James has qualified with Splendid van de
Heffinck.
The Australian showjumping team will be finalised after the CSI*** Balve
competition on August 6.
Dressage:
The Equestrian Federation of Australia Dressage selectors have named the
following combinations to travel to Europe to participate in a training
camp in Germany, prior to team selection August 15:
Heath Ryan/Greenoaks Dundee
Rachael Sanna/Chatham Park Jac
Kelly Lane/Amoucheur.
They will be joined at camp by the following European-based riders:
Kristy Oatley/Quando-Quando and Don Belero.
Matthew Dowsley/Cinderella.
Eventing:
The selectors have named the following Australian-based riders to also
travel to Germany for a WEG preparation camp prior to final naming of
the team in late August:
Megan Jones/Kirby Park Irish Jester
Sonja Johnson/Ringwould Jaguar
Rebel Morrow/Oaklea Groover
Janelle Pitts/Mr. Showoff
Shane Rose/All Luck
Wendy Schaeffer/Koyuna Sun Magic
The overseas-based combinations also attending the camp are:
Phillip Dutton/Connaught
Clayton Fredericks/Ben Along Time
Lucinda Fredericks Headley/Britannia
Together with long-time Australian representatives:
Andrew Hoy (horses TBA) and
Matt Ryan/Bonza Puzzle
Naturally, Andrew Hoy will start as one of the favourites for the
individual gold medal given his winning form at major events (Lexington
and Badminton) since the start of this season.
Endurance:
Australia is sending perhaps its strongest ever endurance team to
compete at WEG. Recently announced, it includes Australia's best
performance combinations, with a history of world-class results, and
will indeed present a powerful force. The Australian Endurance Riders
Association is probably the best organized of all of the disciplines
that will represent Australia at the Games. The riders are very well
trained and have a great back-up team of officials headed by Chef
d'Equipe, Dr. Patricia McKay-Annetts and team veterinarian Dr. Ann
Barnes, plus a number of experienced assistants and managers. The named
horses and riders are:
Meg Wade/China Doll
Penny Toft/Bremervale Justice
Peter Toft/Electra BBP Murdock
Brooke Sample/La Mancha Archduke
Jennifer Gilbertson/Bramall Jazzmin
Joyce Corbett/Reeflex
Donna Wiesman/Hirstglen Fargo
Danielle O'Loughlin/Pravado
The selectors have also included four reserve horses for riders Meg
Wade, Penny Toft, and Brooke Sample, plus one owned by Toft Endurance.
Two of these horses are already in Europe. Kristie McGaffin has been
included as the reserve rider. The final team will be announced shortly
before the Games.
Carriage Driving:
Australia will be represented by at least one driver, in Boyd Exell. The
34-year-old four-in-hand driver, originally from Bega, New South Wales,
has been based in England for a number of years. Boyd has competed very
successfully in Europe in both full competitions and the Driving World
Cup series of 2005. Recent success at Royal Windsor Horse Show is a good
indication that Boyd and his team will be a formidable combination at
WEG. Two other Australian drivers are currently competing in Europe in
an attempt to qualify. The Equestrian Federation of Australia is
awaiting confirmation of appropriate performances by these two
competitors before announcing a full team for the Games. Australia was
represented by a carriage driving team comprising Rod Ryan and Mike
Thill at the inaugural WEG in Stockholm 1990, but since then has only
fielded individual competitors.
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