Leading the way in Australia

Taranaki dressage queen Vanessa Way has London in her sight after winning heading home the best of the New South Wales Grand Prix dressage competitors at a pre-Olympic qualifier event at Clarendon near Sydney at the weekend.

Aboard her star horse KH Arvan she scored an impressive 67.8% at the event that many were using as a warm up for the Australian Dressage Nationals and Olympic Qualifier to be held at the Horsley Park Sydney Olympic venue at the end of the month.

Way, who is just back from a stint with the world class dressage rider Carl Hester in the UK, says she has come home revitalised and even more determined to push both herself and her horse to the heights required.

Extremely wet conditions at the Sydney event saw many withdraw, but Way was 6% ahead of her nearest rival.

“We haven't had a start since April and that was also in Sydney when the conditions weren't very good, so I just figured we had to get out there and do it,” she said.

She credits her great result to her intensive weeks with Hester and having trainer Clemens Dierks at the event with her.

“We got that mark and had a couple of small mistakes, so I know there is room to improve,” she says.

“Carl thinks he can make us a better combination and improve my riding, and that with a few minor tweaks it will really put the icing on the cake.”

Way and Arvan will head back to the UK in January to base at Hester's yard in the build-up to the London Olympics.

“It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she says. “I keep looking at the journey we have been on. I've had Arvan since he was two and had done nothing... we have come so far and he is such a gifted and kind horse. It is just awesome and I know we can go further.”

She is one of a five-strong Kiwi team who will compete at the Olympic qualifier at the end of the month. Other nations looking to qualify and fill the two available team spots are South Africa and Australia.
It's going to be a tough ask for the Kiwis, given the Australian team notched their best global team placing ever with an eighth finish at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky last year.

Joining Way in the team are Louisa Hill (Clevedon), Nicky Pope (Whitford), Shiwon Green (Cambridge) and Kieryn Walton (Owhango).