Background

The group was formed in 1977 and has been at home on Clevedon Showgrounds since the 1980s. Our aim is to provide a quality competition and training venue for dressage in a supportive environment.

We cater for riders at all levels of our sport – from the beginner dressage rider to Olympic representatives, from young riders to masters, both able bodied and para-equestrians.

The club is governed and run by volunteers who organise winter training days, judges seminars, informal competitions, formal competitions encompassing a spring series and an autumn series of shows and a Regional Championship.

Facilities

Clevedon showgrounds is being completely revamped. The Dressage area of the park has been completely resited and redeveloped and the group now sports two all-weather 80x100m riding surfaces, grass warm up and competition areas, a large “clubhouse” complete with full secretarial facilities, kitchen, bathrooms, meeting rooms, storage and common areas as well as wrap around balconies which overlook the competition arenas.

The group has 20 covered yards and 50 open yards and is currently working hard to source funding to construct stables to accommodate stallions at our shows.

Innovation

Auckland Dressage was one of the first dressage groups in New Zealand to secure an all-weather competition surface at their club grounds which was capable of holding 4 full sized competition arenas.

We instigated competitions for amateur riders within registered classes in 2007 and we are lobbying hard to get an amateur/restricted series and national titles to cater to grass roots riders.

The vision, persuasion and organisation of two club stalwarts Shirley Watts and Adrienne Alderslade has seen the club secure a fantastic home at Clevedon Showgrounds with double the area of all-weather surface, all-weather parking (still under development) and an area earmarked for a future indoor arena.

In conjunction with our long term sponsor Reharvest Cushionride we have a fabulous new suite of competitions for the 2010/11 season. These include Cushionride Quests (nominated classes) at each show which offer very rewarding prizemoney for one level of graded horse per show (every level gets a quest throughout the season) and rugs for the best performed newcomers at each show in the training divisions. In addition to this there is an accummulator with rewarding prizemoney which runs over the entire spring and autumn series of shows.