from The Marlborough Express (dated 25nov10)

Tracey Johnston and mount Apollo 4's selection for the FEI World Dressage Challenge was the major highlight in a successful weekend for Marlborough dressage competitors in Canterbury over the weekend.

Johnston and Apollo 4 were one of four Marlborough combinations to win titles at the Canterbury Championships, taking out the open medium class.

The other title-winning duos were Laurel Carre and Winter Acacia in advanced, Dianne Wallace and Cathiness Masquerade in medium and Angela Fergusson on Leitto GNZ in the elementary class.

Also competing was Anna Gale on Le Mahr, who featured prominently in the novice section, as did Fergusson on second mount Lucius GNZ in the preliminary class.

Johnston's outstanding effort in the Canterbury Championships earned her selection in the New Zealand team for the world dressage challenge on Tuesday, an event in which two other Marlborough riders, Dianne Wallace on Don Freese and Janelle Sangster-Ward on Roulette, also competed.

Competing in the FEI advanced section, Johnston and Apollo 4 again shone to pick up second place, while Sangster-Ward collected second in the FEI prix St George section and Wallace claimed third in FEI elementary section.

Combinations had to meet qualifying criteria to make the cut for the prestigious event which featured riders from more than 50 different countries competing in all seven dressage divisions.