If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.
The quote is from Lewis Carroll, but it might well be from the Australian Dressage selectors’ manual – or perhaps the line about believing half a dozen impossible things before breakfast will do just fine to describe the selection process. Here’s one that L. Carroll might have written:
What’s the best way to get into the Australian dressage team? Why, don’t compete in the selection event of course!
In the run up to the first selection event in Odense, Brett Parbery’s Weltmieser was still having foot problems, but Brett decided to start him anyway. Had Brett stayed home, the option Lyndal Oatley took when she decided her horse wasn’t right to compete, and like her, picked up the average score from the three lowest scores – 66.087 (actually the score would have been better, 66.853 to be precise, because it was Brett’s score that dragged it down), and added that to his score at Rotterdam, he would have ended up on 134.047.
Brett and Weltmieser at Rotterdam
Lyndal and Sandro Boy at Rotterdam
Similarly, if Sue Hearn had taken the Kelly Layne option, of sitting out Rotterdam, and picking up the average there – 65.426 – she would have been on a total of 134.246.
Sue and Remmington at Rotterdam
That would have put both Sue and Brett in front of Kelly, who has the 5th best score because of her 67.88 in Odense and the Rotterdam rotten average of 65.426, for a total of 133.306. Fifth best. But since Mary Hanna is sitting in 2nd place with Boogie Woogie on 135.54, and 4th on Umbro with 134.22, Kelly moves into 4th spot, and a place in the team, assuming her horse passes a vet check.
Mary with Umbro at Rotterdam – they got to ride in the real arena, not out the back in the old showjumping warmup ring…
Mary with Boogie Woogie at Rotterdam
What a farce this selection process has been from go-to-whoa.
First of all team management seemed to think that somehow Odense and Rotterdam were going to let seven Australian horses into their Nations Cups, while Purfect THM Office Cat could have told them that no more than four would go in the main class, and that the other three would have to compete in the separate national Grand Prix, AND that there were good shows, with real atmosphere, centrally located in Germany that would let 7 into the same GP class, without hours of travel to the wilds of Denmark…
Maree and Diamantina at Rotterdam
As it turned out only three Australians – Kristy Oatley, Mary Hanna and Maree Tomkinson fronted the four-star at Odense when Lyndal stayed home, with the other four in the three-star. At Rotterdam, after paying lots of money (say €25,000) to get into the show, the Aussies all competed in the three-star, held in an out-of-the-way arena, in front of empty stands. Pressure test? Not.
Kristy and Du Soleil at Rotterdam – the pair had the best scores at both Odense and Rotterdam
It was at Odense in the three-star, that Kelly Layne made her bid, the 6th place, her ticket to Rio. Let’s put this in perspective. The class was won by Severo Jurado Lopez riding Lorenzo, at the time of the competition, ranked 221 on the world. After Odense, he shot up to 56th. The 2nd placegetter, Cassio was ranked 422 in the world, but has moved to 269th. The 3rd placegetter, NOHS Daijoubo is ranked 579th, and the 4th placegetter, Bufranco, 590th.
Kelly and Udon P at Odense
I guess Kelly will be up against somewhat stiffer competition at Rio.
The other question is the ability of team members to handle the pressure of a major event. Kristy Oatley made the team for the last WEG in the calm of Deauville where she won the Freestyle on Ronan – it was rather different in the football stadium at Caen and the horse scored very badly. Perhaps more to the point, the last time Kelly Layne represented Australia was at the WEG in Aachen, where Amoucher attempted just the first two movements of the Grand Prix before being eliminated while trying to demolish the long side fence. Kelly and Udon P qualified for the Australian selection events in Florida. Now the time I was there, the dressage was conducted in front of empty stands with no atmosphere and pressure to test either horse or rider…
The next quandary for the selectors is what happens if Udon P fails the vet check, leaving Sue and Brett tied on a total of 133.16? Do they toss a coin? Try to find another last minute competition – or is the answer to be found in the tea leaves?
The photos from Rotterdam were supplied by my friend Kenneth Braddick who runs a splendid website where you will find all the details and scores from the selection events:
I agree with what you have said. How is it possible to send a horse to the Olympics when it was lame for the 2nd selection event? I think there are 2 possibilities – send Kelly, Sue, Brett and Maree to another show – Aachen is coming up. OR only use 1 of their scores that would leave the team as (i think) Kristy, Mary, Lyndal & Sue with Brett as reserve.
tea leaves
I was thinking the same thing re not starting at the first event and earning your place on one start. Glad you verbalised it.
A little birdie told me that Purfect sat out both qualies but picked up the average of 132.279 and will trot up sound. Is she still hoping for a call up?
Or do something like the American selection have 3 events one being compulsory and then choose one of the other two starts. Driving to Denmark was crazy and a long drive that didn’t need to happen, there were plenty of good German shows like Weisbaden and Munich held around the same time. Everytime a major championship comes around our selection events turn into a disaster … Why is it so hard!?
Kelly is a fine choice with scores in Florida that confirm her position on the team.
Nothing has changed in the selection process in more than 20 years and the scores have barely improved either
Curiouser and curiouser,,,
Make it 3 qualifiers and if theres a no-show by anyone at 1 event they’re out of contention. How can it possibly be so hard except that spoiled noses are out of joint!
I think if a horse is unfit to compete it should have been given a zero score. What is the point of taking horses in doubt on a huge trip at great expense to try and compete at the Olympics.
Really makes you think: why bother even trying out with all the expense and stress when the selection process is so frought with inconsistancies.!!
Was it really necessary to bring up what happened to Kelly on a different horse all those years ago? Udon has been scoring really well in US against world class competition at shows which look like they have a huge atmosphere, much bigger than most of our Australian shows. IT doesn’t matter which way the selectors go, someone’s nose will be out of joint.
Having had experience with tender splints, can I say if it’s playing up at this late stage they would want to be VERY confident of Udon handling the long flight to Rio and arriving sound.
And if he does get chosen, how do they work around the reserve position?
It’s such a shame Sue’s horse hit that six weeks after flying flat spot..
AND I hate this only going in one test business, it might be honest, but it’s also so open.to manipulation
I am very happy with whoever makes the team. But team selection has to be fair. But surely with the scores achieved why go (except pride for your country). These days you need to be scoring over 75%.
I greatly admire all those that chase the dream of representing Australia on the world stage – whilst it all may seem glamorous from afar – I have no doubt the reality is far from it with many sacrifices to be made along the way ….I would prefer not to see personal comments made about our possible Aussie representatives. They did not set the selection criteria and they are all working hard to achieve a worthy goal. However, I agree that the selection process could be a little more helpful and I like the 3 selection event model where it would be compulsory to attend at least 2 and the top 2 scores provide a final outcome. I do not condone an adjustment for non attendance – still no system is perfect and maybe next time the path to Aussie representation will be more clear cut for our dressage team and the field leveled a little more. Good luck to our Team – we are pretty excited here in WA to have our own Sharon Jarvis selected to the Paraequestrian Team for Rio – watching (and supporting) her journey has certainly highlighted to me that it takes a rare and special breed to follow this path and we should support our Team regardless of our personal thoughts or relationships.