HAPPY HOMECOMING FOR MELISSA GALLOWAY

It was a happy homecoming  hattrick for Melissa Galloway and Windermere JÓbei W at the first New Zealand based CDI for 2023. In addition to the three wins  notched up, the pair performed for a personal best score in the Grand Prix Special in front of judges Maria Schwennesen & Mary Seefried (AUS), Vittorio Barba (PHI) and  Helen Hughes-Keen & Mura Love (NZL).

The event was transferred from the Cyclone Gabrielle affected Horse of the Year Show to the Waikato Oro Equestrian Championships at Taupo and attracted an experienced eight strong field.

“I’m over the moon with Joey” said Melissa after her Freestyle. “He had a break when we got back from Herning, and then a longer unplanned break when I broke my leg.  But he’s come back better and stronger than ever. Now it’s just more time and more strength without too much pressure. This was the first time I’d ridden that music and it’s got a lot of prominent bass. At home you just ride it with your headphones, so he hadn’t had  a chance to listen to it! He made some honest mistakes in the freestyle – the speakers by our pirouettes surprised him. But his half passes just left me with the biggest grin on my face – I couldn’t stop smiling” 

Sue Hobson, Chair of the Ground Jury was also full of praise for Melissa’s Freestyle ride. “The half passes were something special. I felt quite emotional watching them. My scribe had to ask if I was OK !”

Both Melissa and fellow competitor Cooper Oborn, an Australian athlete based in Masterton said how grateful they were to Dressage NZ for ensuring the CDI went ahead. “and to have Melissa back is so inspiring”  said Cooper.

Wendi Williamson on the youngest horse in the field, Don Vito MH, showed great form to be runner up in all three CDI classes. Don Vito has made a great comeback after serious illness prevented him from contesting a team place for the 2022 FEI World Championships. Both Wendi & Melissa have the CDI at the NZ National Championships in two weeks on their radar and then both plan to head to the Sydney CDI

The next placings were shared between Vanessa Way and her wonderful campaigner NSC Andreas, Gaylene Lennard & Jax Johnson and Cooper Oborn with the Stutchbury family’s Aphrodite.

FMG BIG TOUR FEI CDI Grand Prix

1 – Melissa Galloway (Marlborough)         Windermere JObèi W 72.20%

2 – Wendi Williamson (Waimauku)            Don Vito MH 71.37%

3 – Gaylene Lennard (Te Aroha)                Jax Johnson 69.94%

4 – Cooper Oborn (Masterton)                    Aphrodite 65.35%

5 – Vanessa Way (New Plymouth)             NSC Andreas 65.28%

5 – Lucarne Dolley (Tamahere)                    Ardmore 65.28%

7 – Chelsea Callaghan (Wellington)            Sisters II Etta J 63.54%

8 – Jen Sim (Karaka)                                         Stoneylea Lancelot 60.74%

Superior Rubber Surfaces –  FEI CDI Grand Prix Special

1 – Melissa Galloway (Marlborough)         Windermere JObèi W 73.19%

2 – Wendi Williamson (Waimauku)            Don Vito MH 72.09%

3 – Gaylene Lennard (Te Aroha)                 Jax Johnson 69.53%

4 – Vanessa Way (New Plymouth)             NSC Andreas 66.43%

5 – Cooper Oborn (Masterton)                    Aphrodite 65.36%

6 – Lucarne Dolley (Tamahere )                   Ardmore 63.21%

7 – Jen Sim (Karaka)                                         Stoneylea Lancelot 57.43%

FEI CDI  Grand Prix – Zilco Freestyle to Music Sponsored By Harvest Grain

1 – Melissa Galloway (Marlborough)         Windermere JObèi W 72.83%

2 – Wendi Williamson (Waimauku)            Don Vito MH 72.46%

3 – Vanessa Way (New Plymouth)             NSC Andreas 71.80%

4 – Gaylene Lennard (Te Aroha)                 Jax Johnson 71.42%

5 – Cooper Oborn (Masterton)                    Aphrodite 70.45%

6 – Lucarne Dolley (Tamahere)                    Ardmore 69.19%

The programme was complemented with CDN classes for ponies and young riders

Christine Weal Equestrian  Open Pony – FEI Pony individual test

1 – Paige Fitzgerald (Christchurch)             Greenmoor Euphoria 69.53%

2 – Gemma Lewis (Springston)                    Pennyweight Effervescent 66.22%

3 – Frankie Lawn (New Plymouth)             Pied Piper Trick or Treat 65.95%

4 – Grace Purdie (Mahoenui)                       Skyhi Leandro K 65.00%

5 – Riley Chase (Palmerston North)           Asti 61.96%

6 – Zoe Lawn (New Plymouth)                     Rifesyde Firefly 58.04%

Christine Weal Equestrian  Open Pony – FEI Pony Freestyle

1 – Paige Fitzgerald (Christchurch)             Greenmoor Euphoria 71.24%

2 – Grace Purdie (Mahoenui)                       Skyhi Leandro K 67.70%

3 – Gemma Lewis (Springston)                    Pennyweight Effervescent 66.54%

4 – Frankie Lawn (New Plymouth)             Pied Piper Trick or Treat 65.51%

5 – Riley Chase (Palmerston North)           Asti 61.95%

6 – Zoe Lawn (New Plymouth)                     Rifesyde Firefly 56.90%

 

Spectravet FEI Young Rider Team Test

1 – Morgan Beere (Hamilton)                       Redwood Furst Affair 67.13%

2 – Anna Wilson (Hamilton)                          Neversfelde Rupert 64.27%

3 – Morgan Abel-Pattinson (Pukekohe)   Don Tobio 62.87%

4 – Emily Townsend (Waiau Pa)                 Astek Ginsling 62.13%

5 – Gemma Lewis (Springston)                    Ruanuku R 61.69%

6 – Charlotte Thomas (Oxford)                    Time After Time 61.03%

7 – Tannah Johnson (Clevedon)                 Minobie 60.52%

8 – Anna Isaac (Whakatane)                         Besonders 59.34%

TeQ FEI Young Rider – Freestyle to Music

1 – Morgan Beere (Hamilton)                       Redwood Furst Affair 68.58%

2 – Gemma Lewis (Springston)                    Ruanuku R 67.64%

3 – Anna Wilson (Hamilton)                          Neversfelde Rupert 67.18%

4 – Morgan Abel-Pattinson (Pukekohe)   Don Tobio 66.65%

5 – Tannah Johnson (Clevedon)                 Minobie 64.49%

6 – Emily Townsend (Waiau Pa)                 Astek Ginsling 62.78%

7 – Charlotte Thomas (View Hill, Oxford) Time After Time 59.71%