Scone’s Andrew Driffield is just days away from taking off to England where he will represent Australia in the Virtus World Equestrian Games.
This will be his third time representing Australia in dressage, but this will be the largest competition for him yet.
“I’m really excited, I think everybody’s in good form at the moment,” he told The Hunter River Times.
“I feel really good, I’m pretty confident we’ll do well over there.
“I qualified by what they call the video competition where you send a video of my performance to the international judges and you need to get a certain score.”
Andrew’s score was supported by recent success at the Hawksbury Dressage Festival, the European Championships and the World Games and collectively it was enough to gain him inclusion on the Australian squad of eight riders.
There will be an individual ride for Andrew, and if he impresses the Australian coaches he may get one of four spots on offer for the team event.
Upon his arrival at Sparsholt College, Winchester, Andrew will be introduced to the horse he will be borrowing for the event as taking his own overseas is not feasible.
Jess Somerfield is Andrew’s coach at home and she is confident in his ability to adapt to the situation that is tricky even for the most seasoned competitive rider.
“Andrew does a lot of lessons on unknown horses, so he’ll come and ride different ones of mine, and obviously this is not his first competition overseas and borrowing horses, so that experience of the riders and the athletes really comes in and gives them the tools to be able to bond with that horse and perform,” she said.
Jess and Andrew have been working together for five years now, and the pair have a bet running to see who can make it to the Olympics first.
“Watching Andrew grow as an athlete, I’m very blessed to do what I do in this community, that I can have my dreams, but then also be a small part of their dreams as well and be behind Andrew and watch him on the world stage,” she said.
There are a number of local’s who have sponsored Andrew to help realise these dreams, including Upper Hunter Landscaping, McGrath Real Estate, Rotary Club of Scone, Stillpoint Equine Therapies and Fortissimo Freestyles.
-JEM ANSHAW
