Maree Tomkinson is one step further towards claiming the title of Australian Dressage Champion for the second year in a row after winning the CDI-W Grand Prix at the 2013 Australian Dressage Championships in Sydney, Australia, on Friday, October 25, 2013. Her winning partner….DIAMANTINA!!
DIAMANTINA is an 11-year old daughter of the top sire, Diamond Hit. Her dam is our state premium/elite mare, COSMOPOLITAN. After an excellent performance at the Oldenburger Elite Mare Show in Rastede and receiving a 1c rank, DIAMANTINA was twice finalist at the World Championship of the Young Dressage Horses in Verden as a 5- and 6-year old with her rider and co-owner, Maree Tomkinson.
The full brother to DIAMANTINA is our 6-year old licensed stallion, DON CISMO, who won with Stefan Puschmann the qualification to the Bundeschampionship by scoring nationwide the second highest score of 9.0. Furthermore, DON CISMO was also nominated for the World Championship of the Young Dressage Horses.
Here is how Eurodressage describes Maree Tomkinson and DIAMANTINA’s Grand Prix ride at the 2013 Australian Dressage Championships:
Tomkinson Grabs Grand Prix Lead at 2013 Australian Dressage Championships
Photo © Franz Venhaus
Last year’s defending champion was the last to go in the Grand Prix and the crowd waited eagerly to see her and her mare Diamantina’s first performance at a major event in almost a year. Judges awarded the combination a score of 67.96% which moved them into first position ahead of Sheridyn Ashwood and Prestige VDL who obtained a score of 67.77%. The battle for the top three was tight with third placed Rozzie Ryan and GV Bullwinkle scoring 67.36%.
Tomkinson was pleased with her performance but had been hoping for more of an improvement on the score she achieved last year.
“She can piaffe now quite clearly but she’s still a young horse so things will just get better," she said. "She’s an amazing horse and I’m very lucky to have her and I thought the test was a lot better and I think she has improved a lot. I’m very lucky to own a beautiful horse that gives me and all my team an enormous amount of pleasure. My Young Rider (Morgan Duell) won the CDI-Y this morning so it’s been a great day for us,” Tomkinson said.
CONGRATULATIONS to a great pair!!
