Australia’s Grand Prix Dressage Champion Brett Parbery is poised to put a sleepy South Coast village on the international equestrian map.
Parbery hopes to produce Olympic and world games horses from his new working home at Bawley Point after hitching his ambitions to that of Willinga Park Equestrian Centre.
Willinga owner Terry Snow announced the partnership on Wednesday, December 13.
Their ambition is “to create a high-performance hub for several equestrian sports”.
The facility, north of Batemans Bay, has dressage, showjumping, campdrafting and polocrosse, and an Australian Stock Horse breeding and training program.
Parbery grew up in regional NSW, competing in camp drafting, polocrosse and rodeo.
He has many Australian Dressage Championship titles and a top-ten World Equestrian Games result under his belt.
He also has experience working with Australian Stock Horses.
Mr Snow said Mr Parbery was ideally suited to Willinga Park.
“Brett is a formidable horseman and rider, with the ability and the smarts to take Australian dressage to the podium, from his base here on the South Coast,” Mr Snow said.
“The partnership ambition is to have regular international judges visiting Willinga Park, providing assessments, and monitoring performance of Australian horses against the world, and to have European dressage coaches regularly attend the facility. This will also be available to other high-performance riders.”
Mr Parbery will initially move 11 horses and his staff to Bawley Point, including Olympic short-listed DP Weltmieser (owned by Susie Duddy) and Grand Prix gelding Zeppelin (part owned by Helen Batson).
“The facilities at Willinga Park are second to none, worldwide,” Mr Parbery said.
“This partnership will not only enable me to grow professionally and to further develop my riding, but will greatly contribute to the ongoing success of Australian dressage on an international stage,” Mr Parbery said.
Willinga Park also recently welcomed Hazel Shannon and equine partner Clifford to the Willinga Park team. Winner of the 2016 Australian International Three-Day Event in Adelaide, Hazel is an up-and-coming superstar in eventing. Hazel and Clifford will remain based near Newcastle, under the professional guidance of elite equestrians Heath and Rozzie Ryan.
Willinga Park will host Dressage by the Sea from February 22-25th and from May 17-19 will host top Australian and American riders at the $200,000 World Championship Gold Buckle Campdraft event.
