Mary Hanna & Calanta Win Bawley Park CDI4* Freestyle on Australian Record Score, First Above 80%

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Mary Hanna on Calanta competing at Bawley Park in Australia.

BAWLEY POINT, Australia, Feb 29, 2020–Mary Hanna and Calanta set an Australian record score and the first above 80% to win the Willinga Park Dressage by the Sea CDI4* Grand Prix Freestyle Saturday.

Mary, at 65 years of age seeking to go to her sixth Olympics, scored 80.145% to cap two weeks of “firsts” for the 13-year-old KWPN mare that she began competing at Big Tour in Europe almost three years ago.

The previous highest score by an Australian was 79.330% by Kristy Oatley on Du Soleil in Salzburg, Austria in December, 2018. The previous highest score for Mary was 76.205% on Calanta in a Freestyle five days ago, the first of back-to-back CDI4* events staged here. 

Melissa Galloway, who will celebrate her 27th birthday in four days time and burst into prominence on the New Zealand-bred Windermere J’Obei W, placed second on 75.665%. This was the fifth time in six starts she was runner-up to Mary since she debuted the nine-year-old gelding at Grand Prix here a week ago.

Fellow New Zealander John Thompson on the Australian-bred JHT Chemistry placed third on 74.905%.

Of the five FEI5* judges on the panel, Eduard De Wolff Van Westerrode of the Netherlands gave Mary and Calanta the highest score, 82.200% with the other four all above 79%.

Mary is seeking to go to the Tokyo Olympics in July that would be her sixth Games beginning with Atlanta in 1996 followed by Sydney 2000, Athens in 2004, London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Her first championship performance was on Mosaic at the 1994 World Equestrian Games, one of five world championships in which she appeared. She also competed Mosaic at the Atlanta Olympics and the World Cup Final in 1997, one of her three annual championships.

She has typically split her time competing in Europe and Australia, and in but recent years was coached by Swedish Olympian Patrik Kittel who is based in Germany with his Australian Olympic and championship team rider Lyndal Oatley. However, after her daughter sustained an accident a year ago, Mary moved back to Australia but continues to be coached by Patrik by video over the Internet.

Results:

CDI4* Grand Prix Freestyle

                  Anne Gribbons Eduard De Wolff Van Westerrode Katrina Wüst Magnus Ringmark Susan Hoevenaars    
Place   Score %   Nation Athlete Horse     E H C M B   Spectators
1.   80.145   AUS Mary Hanna Calanta     79.725 82.200 79.475 79.975 79.350   78.300 (1)
2.   75.655   NZL Melissa Galloway Windermere J’Obei W     76.050 76.625 76.525 73.875 75.200   73.374 (5)
3.   74.905   NZL John Thompson JHT Chemistry     75.125 75.625 76.000 75.000 72.775   74.597 (2)
4.   74.190   AUS Alycia Targa CP Dresden     71.850 76.375 76.175 71.100 75.450   74.092 (4)
5.   73.675   AUS Mary Warren Mindarah Park Raphael     74.000 75.050 72.825 74.175 72.325   71.316 (7)
6.   72.520   NZL Wendi Williamson Don Amour MH     70.300 72.350 72.900 73.100 73.950   71.142 (9)
7.   71.785   NED Marvin Smink Haya     72.025 72.200 70.250 70.525 73.925   70.615 (11)
8.   71.475   AUS Rozzie Ryan Jarrah R     69.600 69.775 73.600 71.125 73.275   71.823 (6)
9.   70.900   NZL Victoria Wall Letty Lei Edh     71.725 72.000 66.875 71.225 72.675   70.909 (10)
10.   70.890   AUS Fiona Selby Tacita     69.225 73.250 69.650 68.475 73.850   74.367 (3)
11.   68.790   AUS Melinda Hart Richmond H     68.950 70.825 67.900 67.275 69.000   70.144 (12)
12.   67.555   AUS Katharine Farrell Luxor 118     67.425 67.900 68.525 66.300 67.625   71.200 (8)