Have you ever had a potentially good result at an event ruined by your horse simply not settling at the venue or you feeling a little bit overawed by everything?
The organising committee of the Sydney @ SIEC events, themselves keen riders, understand that the venue where they hold their events is an imposing one. The Sydney International Equestrian Centre at Horsley Park, the legacy venue of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, is a stunning facility but it can be a little overwhelming for newcomers to the sport or less experienced combinations to find their way around the myriad of arenas and feel comfortable in the very ‘professional’ environment.
The Sydney @ SIEC team organise two events each year and, although they are always attended by the top riders in the higher classes, there is also a strong emphasis put on making the two Sydney Eventing Classic events a welcoming and educational experience for all levels.
With classes starting at 65cm, encouragement awards for Juniors and Over 50’s and Freshman entry options at 65cm and 80cm levels (for riders who have not previously placed in the top 3 at that level), yet another innovative option was added at the Camden Equine Centre Sydney Eventing Spring Classic in September to help riders ease those jangled competition nerves.
While competition ran on Saturday and Sunday, new options were added for Friday with “Protocol Sessions’ available with leading judges and arena hire available by timeslot.
What is a Protocol Session?
It may sound very formal, but the protocol sessions at SIEC on Friday were far from it. Riders booked an allocated 30-minute slot with one of two top judges – Peter Shaw and Beth Turner – who judged the test nominated by the rider (understandably, most chose the test they would ride the following day) but with quite a different approach to what would happen on competition day.
The riders are allowed to warm-up briefly within the arena before re-entering to perform their test and, following the test, the judge gives feedback, not only on the actual test but how to improve for future tests. This is like a mini-lesson and, in the session I watched with Georgie Lorson, the feedback was very much focussed on improving the relaxation which in turn improved the paces and overall way of going.
Georgie is part of the Sydney @ SIEC organising committee and, busy lady she is, had to pick up various things for the event on her way in, making her preparation for the session a little rushed. This happens to many of us – a traffic hold-up on the way to a competition or just ‘life’ getting in the way – but Beth’s advice was valuable in helping Georgie address a similar situation in the future, or just in generally working on relaxation before any test regardless of how much time she has.
And yes, it worked a treat - the following day, Georgie and WHF Casablanca were fourth after dressage in the EvA80 Open A on a great score of 26.30!
While Georgie has competed here many times, she understands how many riders coming here for the first time may feel a little intimidated. She believes that the Protocol Day can help them and their horse settle into the environment, making the overall experience less stressful and more enjoyable. Access to experienced judges and their feedback is a big bonus, as is becoming familiar with their surroundings and arenas before the competition starts, especially for the many who travel several hours to attend the event who can now make the experience a training session as well as a competition.
It's a great idea and one that Georgie hopes they will run again. It was a great success at the September event with all slots sold out so you may need to get in quick if it runs again at the 2026 Sydney Eventing Spring Classic!
