Orange riders mix with best

FOR dressage enthusiasts the competition at the Sydney CDI is the ultimate.

Watching Australia's best riders battle it out for the top ranks - and this year a ranking that would contribute to their chances of competing at Athens - in the Prix St George, Intermediate I and II, the Grand Prix and the Kur (dressage to music), kept the audience's jaws dropping in awe.

A CDI event is an international standard event run to the rules of the world governing body. To be truly international there were riders from America, England and Sweden competing on horses loaned from Australian riders and New Zealand riders on their own horses.

But not all the Australians competing were from our cities, a handful travelled and competed among the best from the Orange district.

These included Cathie Drury-Klein on Lou-Lum, Brett Davey on Argentille Shamada, Cassie Tucker on HP Lupin, Bianca Wilson on Turandot and Victoria Kendall-Hawk on Rohirrim Tintagel Magic.

And not only were Orange riders represented but members of the Orana Dressage Club were also present to lend a hand to the organising committee.

Cathie and Trevor Drury-Klein, who are both members of the small organising committee of only eight, spent the week in Sydney helping to run the show and Cathie also competed on her gelding.

Having improved on her scores from last year, Cathie was thrilled with her performance on the horse she has trained herself.

"The quality of the competition and the horses were better this year.

It is constantly improving and the international riders thought Australian riders should be scoring higher marks than they do,'' Cathie said.

As well as competing in her two events, Cathie's horse Lou-Lum was chosen in the Derby event as a loan horse for the international riders.

Two riders from Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, America and England compete in the Derby event where they draw from a hat horses that they have never ridden before. Riders have half an hour to ride the horse and then compete in a Prix St George test.

American rider Todd Bryan drew Lou- Lum and rode him exceptionally well, scoring a final tally of 58.75 per cent.

He said he loved Lou-Lum and seemed thrilled after the event.

The local riders were up against the likes of Heath and Rozzie Ryan, Glennis Barrey, Ricky MacMillian, Diane Jenkyn and Matthew Dowsley.

This weekend the Ryans will be in Orange for the Sydney University Orange campus warmblood auction where services to Heath and Rozzie Ryan's stallions will be up for auction as well as about 30 horses from the college.

As well as lending their support to the auction, Rozzie will also be giving lessons to a number of lucky locals who will gladly welcome her expertise.