2011 Australian Dressage Championships
By Nicole Tough

Always the culmination of the competition season, the Australian Dressage Championships was again held at the amazing SIEC, with the impossible to ever replace, Toni Venhaus as Event Director. A very polished event, competitors from all the over the country, try all year to qualify for the Championships, and then before we know it, we're on the long journey north, east or south to compete against the country's best combinations.

Riding Linda and Beau Dowsett's horses, I had qualified Furst Tyme (5 year old) with the 2nd highest ranking in the novice fields, and the highest ranking combination for the elementary. Also qualifying on Flavio (7 year old) for the medium and advanced classes, and Dante (8 year old) was selected for the Australian Prix St George Challenge and qualified for the Prix St George and Intermediate 1. All up, I had 11 tests to ride.

The horses travelled really well and were ready to compete on the day. Dante's explosive personality is perfectly balanced on Athlete Plus, Cool Performer and Performa 3 oil. Despite his highest placing being an 8th in the Prix St George, I could not have complained with what he gave me. I was very proud of him and our training and he gave me his best for most of the 3 scary indoor rides.

Furst Tyme's 2nd trip to Sydney was a highlight for me. His enthusiastic personality is balanced with a mix of roughage, Athlete Plus, Xtra Cool and Performa 3 oil. He placed 3rd and 4th in his elementary classes, finishing 3rd overall. He won the Novice 2C and the Rod Barkham Award for the highest % of the whole competition!

And our precious Flavio (who really suffers from the Equine equivalent of Attention Deficit Syndrome), and who we keep thundering on a mix of roughage, Athlete Plus, Extruded Barley and Performa 3 oil, won the 4B and was 2nd in the 4C making him the Australian Medium Champion! Flavio and I were also very honoured to achieve a National Performance Gold Medal.

My eternal thanks to Mitavite whose support has helped me to ensure these three special horses get the best diets possible, so they are in the best mental and physical place to give all they can. If I could thank Furst Tyme, Flavio and Dante for the pleasure I get from training and campaigning them, I would.

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