The Advanced 5E was ridden on the main Olympic competition area - and what a thrill it must have been for the riders with horses almost ready to enter FEI.   The advanced class is often light in entries at 'regular' competition days, as the advanced 5E is a very demanding test with very little difference from the Prix St. Georges.  The only significant one is the three four times flying changes and the three x three times changes.  In the PSG the test specifies 5 of each.  Most riders will confirm that if you can reliably ride three changes, then the horse has an adequate understanding and the obedience to perform 5!  Many of the other movements and their degree of difficulty are almost the same.

So this class is where we will see horses that are very close to entering the FEI in the Prix St George and Intermediate ll classes.

This 5E class and the Novice 2F were conducted in adjoining rings, and provided a visual  impact of where good training should be taking our horses, seldom do these classes work along side each other, and I found it fascinating.  There were some outstanding young horses with elastic movement and lovely lightness through the shoulders.  The well ridden Novice horses were round over the back, and a little deeper in their frame ... in order to encourage 'schwung'. 

Horses of this quality - well trained and ridden - were observed in the Advanced class, many  demonstrating the lightness of the forehand, and use of the back, that the correct early work will enable.   However, there were some Advanced horses which were stiff and set in their carriage, with very little use of the back or the 'schwung' which makes for a beautiful performance in FEI.

There is a lot to be learned from  such an observation - and more and more the judges will be rewarding the horses who have received correct basic training and demonstrate softness, bend and lightness.  

As was the case with my other Friday (except for the Grand Prix) I have not included all horses in this report.   The were pictures randomly and not in any specific order or merit.

Heather is from the the Macedon Ranges in Victoria.  Ajax is a very talented horse and Heather finds him delightful to work with.

He an outstanding type of performance horse,   by Falkland Victory from Northern Carmen.

Heather would hve been disappointed with their score of 55.42% as Ajax has been in fine form leading up to this event, but she is very focussed, and will learn lots from this experience.

Goodwill is of unknown breeding but does have some Percheron in his ancestry.

Again - it would have been a very valuable experience for Heather.  They scored 57.71% for 15th place.

True Seville is by the Thoroughbred Meriville and from the Trakehner mare Samland who is the dam of Socrates and Solo ll (dec.)

They did not work up to their usual standard -   Lisa has put in some great performances to quality for this event and both the horse and rider will have learned much from a big trip away - a very necessary part of becoming truly competitive.

Well done Lisa!  They scored 56.67% for 18th placing.

They did some great work without any serious errors, but the mark says that more polish and collection are needed for this level.

Good luck Amy.  They scored 56.46% for 19th placing.

Maree Tomkinson is devoting much effort to ensure that she makes a succesful transition from the show ring, to the greater demands of high level dressage.

She has quite recently imported two superb horses from Germany.  One, a 4 year old stallion, that she will train herself ... and the other, an establlished grey gelding who has been in competition with renowned rider Martina Hanover.  He will be out in competition with Maree in 2002.

Kingss Warrier scored 58.75% for 12th place.

They scored 56.15% for =20th place.