Australian Dressage rider Brett Parbery has made history at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, Kentucky USA. 

Parbery has qualified for tomorrow night’s Grand Prix Freestyle riding Carolyn Lieutenant’s Victory Salute.  This is the first time an Australian has ever made it through to the prestigious Freestyle at a World Championships.

Parbery and Victory Salute went head to head with the best horses and riders in the world twice this week.  Firstly in the Grand Prix where he finished 15th and again yesterday in the Grand Prix Special placing 9th with a score of 72.125%, the highest score ever awarded to an Australian at either a World Equestrian Games or an Olympic Games.

The top 15 combinations from the Special progress to the Freestyle.
 
“I can’t believe it,” Parbery said, “I did a personal best at the World Championships and now I am through to the Freestyle, it is a dream come true.”

The 30,000 seats for tomorrow night’s Freestyle have sold out.  Moorlands Totilas (arguably the greatest Dressage horse of all time) and Edward Gal (NED) are the favourites to win. Gal and Totilas currently hold the World Record for the Grand Prix Freestyle (92.30%).

Brett, who lives in Penrose in the Southern Highlands of NSW, has been based at the training stable of Edward Gal in Holland since March in order to prepare for these World Games. Parbery has been separated from wife Mel and their son, Jake, who was born in May.

“It has been difficult to be away, especially since Jake was born,” commented Parbery.

Parbery and Victory Salute could seem an unlikely pair to be amongst the world’s best Dressage competitors.
Brett is a former saddle bronc rider who competed on the rodeo circuit.  However, his cowboy skills are wasted on Victory Salute, who is a gentle giant.  Standing at 18hh Victory Salute was ridden in the 2008 Paralympics by Australian Para-Equestrian Georgia Bruce winning two bronze medals. 

Brett and Victory Salute have developed into one of Australia’s most successful Dressage combination.  They are the Australian record holders for highest score in a Grand Prix and a Grand Prix Freestyle, 2010 Australian Dressage Champions, 10th in the 2010 FEI World Cup Final and were 10th at Aachen Grand Prix and Freestyle this year.

Tomorrow night they will be trying to rewrite the record books and get Australia its first Word Championship medal for Dressage.

Kristy Oatley is the only other Australian rider to make it to the Freestyle at a Major Championship.  German-based Oatley rode Wall Street to 9th place in the Freestyle at the 2000 Olympic Games.

 “It is the dawning of a new era in Australian Dressage when a home bred horse, trained and campaigned in Australia can be in the line-up with the best horses of all time,” commented Brett Mace, Chef de Mission of the Australian Team.

Equestrian Australia