from Manawatu Standard (dated 07mar11)

The first New Zealand Dressage championships to be held indoors at Manfeild were a valuable learning experience for the horses.

It was as close as they are going to get to an international arena and they need that if they venture afar, even to Australia.

The combinations also had to contend with a big crowd for the musical extravaganza night in which Taranaki's Vanessa Way, on KH Arvan, just pipped Ashhurst rider Penny Castle on Gymstar One.

After day one on Thursday, a Dressage New Zealand report said: "Many horses took exception to the flowers, signage and trees, as expected at an event of this calibre.

"Typical equestrians, looking for an excuse to spook," it added. "No major problems, aside from one combination eliminated for taking so long to get into the arena, before going on to notch up what would have been the winning score."

Thanks to the money spent at Manfeild, with Dressage New Zealand assistance, the all-weather surfaces on the outdoor arena allowed competitions to continue unabated.

The drizzle even softened the surface. Competition would have continued on grass but it would have been slippery and the standard lower.

Castle won the Inter II class on Friday and on Saturday was a clear winner in the CDI*** FEI Grand Prix test, finishing on 64.23 per cent, with one of the few clear rounds of the day. That gave her the Burkner Medal for the second time.