Galloway Breaks Grand Prix Freestyle Record

Melissa Galloway Shows Top Form at Taupo in Grand Prix Championship

In their first appearance at the New Zealand Bates National Dressage Championships since 2020, Melissa Galloway and Windermere JObei W were on top form at Taupo, not only winning all three classes but breaking New Zealand records, achieving personal bests, and etching their name on the championship title. Their Grand Prix test produced a new high of 73.456%, the score including a 74.8% from 5* judge Isobel Wessels (GBR) and 75.9% from Australian judge Kerrie-Swan Bates. The pair have just gone from strength to strength, their time spent training with Anne van Olst and competing in Europe and at the FEI Herning World Championships being the just the start of the pair setting new high standards. Their Grand Prix showed great consistency some real highlights with seamless pi-pa transitions and world class execution of both movements, but the Freestyle was sensational for an average 80.120% for Artistic and 73.950% Technical and another national record of 77.035%

Despite the pain of a tooth abscess, Melissa was overjoyed with her dancing partner Joey. “I just couldn’t be happier with him” she grinned “but think I look like a chipmunk with my swollen cheek!”

For now it’s back to Marlborough on the ferry with next stop Sydney CDI at the end of April.

Championship Runners up Wendi Williamson and Don Vito MH are a combination relatively new to the Grand Prix level but Wendi’s previous experience on a number of other horses at this level is proving invaluable as she pilots the powerful Don Frederico gelding through the tests giving him confidence and showing more maturity at every outing. He has great ground cover in the extensions, and ability for the collected work so at just ten years old has plenty in store for the future. This pair is also heading to the Sydney CDI.

The next placings were shared between Waikato’s Gaylene Lennard on Jax Johnson who showed his quality but lacked some consistency and confidence at times, and the two fifteen-year-old Anamour progeny Aphrodite (ridden by Cooper Oborn and owned by Belinda & Emily Stuchbery) and Ardmore (Lucarne Dolley). Ardmore was retired from Grand Prix level competition at the event, but finished in style having scored over 70% in the Freestyle.

Grand Prix

1 – Melissa Galloway (Marlborough) Windermere JObèi W 73.46%

2 – Wendi Williamson (Waimauku) Don Vito MH 70.37%

3 – Gaylene Lennard (Te Aroha) Jax Johnson 67.37%

4 – Lucarne Dolley (Tamahere – Waikato) Ardmore 66.07%

5 – Cooper Oborn (Masterton) Aphrodite 65.15%

FEI Grand Prix Special 2022 CDI 3*

1 – Melissa Galloway (Marlborough) Windermere JObèi W 72.87%

2 – Wendi Williamson (Waimauku) Don Vito MH 71.04%

3 – Cooper Oborn (Masterton) Aphrodite 66.49%

4 – Gaylene Lennard (Te Aroha) Jax Johnson 64.79%

5 – Lucarne Dolley (Tamahere – Waikato) Ardmore 64.60%

FEI Grand Prix Freestyle

1 – Melissa Galloway (Marlborough) Windermere JObèi W 77.04%

2 – Wendi Williamson (Waimauku) Don Vito MH 74.13%

3 – Gaylene Lennard (Te Aroha) Jax Johnson 71.64%

4 – Lucarne Dolley (Tamahere – Waikato) Ardmore 70.96%

5 – Cooper Oborn (Masterton) Aphrodite 70.75%

The Young Rider CDIY was dominated by Ben Weir aboard Melissa Steed’s NPE Del Rico, (by Dorincourt) but was chased throughout by the Canterbury duo of Gemma Lewis and Ruanuku R. Ben is in his final year of Young Riders, while Gemma has recently joined the ranks on the seventeen-year-old Regardez Moi gelding Ruanuku R who was purchased as a schoolmaster for Gemma as she transitions from ponies.

FEI YR Team Test 2022 CDI Y

1 – Ben Weir (Auckland) NPE Del Rico 68.32%

2 – Gemma Lewis (Springston) Ruanuku R 65.88%

3 – Morgan Abel-Pattinson (Pukekohe) Don Tobio 63.41%

4 – Emily Townsend (Waiau Pa) Astek Ginsling 63.41%

5 – Charlotte Thomas (View Hill, Oxford) Time After Time 59.06%

6 – Tannah Johnson (Clevedon) Minobie 58.21%

FEI YR Individual Test 2022 CDI Y

1 – Ben Weir (Auckland) NPE Del Rico 68.19%

2 – Gemma Lewis (Springston) Ruanuku R 67.55%

3 – Morgan Abel-Pattinson (Pukekohe) Don Tobio 63.19%

4 – Emily Townsend (Waiau Pa) Astek Ginsling 62.45%

5 – Charlotte Thomas (View Hill, Oxford) Time After Time 59.32%

6 – Tannah Johnson (Clevedon) Minobie 58.97%

Class 912: Treadlite – FEI YR Test Freestyle to Music CDI Y

1 – Ben Weir (Auckland) NPE Del Rico 72.24%

2 – Gemma Lewis (Springston) Ruanuku R 71.21%

3 – Emily Townsend (Waiau Pa) Astek Ginsling 67.91%

4 – Morgan Abel-Pattinson (Pukekohe) Don Tobio 65.77%

Bates National Championships 2023 – Results 25 March

Bates Level 9 Champion: Melissa Galloway and Windermere JObèi W. Reserve: Wendi Williamson and Don Vito MH. 2023 NZL-Bates NZ Dressage Championships. NEC Taupo. Saturday 25 March. Copyright Photo: Libby Law Photography

NZL-Melissa Galloway rides Windermere JObèi W. Final-1st. Brett Kendall & Rosemary Carter -Test FEI Grand Prix Special 2022 CDI 3*. 2023 NZL-Bates NZ Dressage Championships. NEC Taupo. Friday 24 March. Copyright Photo: Libby Law Photography

NZL-Ben Weir rides NPE Del Rico. Final-1st. Treadlite – FEI YR Test Freestyle to Music CDI Y. 2023 NZL-Bates NZ Dressage Championships. NEC Taupo. Saturday 25 March. Copyright Photo: Libby Law Photography