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Heath and Rozzie Ryan are well known Equestrian identities on the Australian scene. Both of them have been involved in riding for Australia at World Equestrian Games and Olympics and World Cup Finals and major three day events overseas and at other international competitions. On the Australian scene their involvement is even more diverse with Rozzie about to head off to Boneo Park in Victoria for the Winter Dressage CDI with her two Grand Prix horses whilst Heath is about to start the young stallion Wimborne Constable in his first 3* one day event. However probably more urgent right now is the organising for the July Auction of the Stars (AOS) to be held on Heath and Rozzie’s home facility in Heatherbrae, NSW on the 28th & 29th July. This is a monster production when Ryans and the Byalee mob headed up by Ann-Maree Lourey combine forces to produce an Australian icon event where some of Australia’s best up and coming competition horses are sourced by riders of the future and also existing Australian super stars. This production is the Auction of the Stars.

Rozzie Ryan. Being part of what she loves.

So what does an event of this magnitude need to become a reality?
1. Firstly sourcing really good horses in the Olympic disciplines for an Auction is almost impossible. Traditionally Auctions are for horses that have not been successful and the owners are not able to sell privately or the horses are those that have vices or soundness issues which are sometimes overlooked in an Auction situation. Consequently Auctions do tend to be cheap prices for discard horses.

Ann-Maree and Dimity Lourey

So what is different with the horses in Auction of the Stars (AOS)? Heath and Rozzie and Ann-Maree actually put their names to these horses. That’s a big deal. Heath and Rozzie will breed 40 foals a year and have been doing this for 40 years. Actually there have been some years where 70 foals have been born at Ryans. All of the breeding has been continually updated with the best genetics in the World particularly in the Dressage and Eventing programs. The stallions which make up the AOS presentation have been very successful in competition at the highest levels and Regardez Moi has been the Australian Grand Prix Champion on three separate occasions. The broodmares are a collection of the genes packaged together over the last four decades and perhaps represent the most state of the art collection of broodmares anywhere in the world. The bloodlines include all of the icon dressage dynasties that exist in Europe. Donnerhall, Rubinstein, Ferro, Weltmeyer, Jazz, Florestan, Sandro Hit, Pik Bube, Angelo, Consul, Bjorsells Briar 899, Bernstein, Landadel, Aktion, QuandoQuando, Brentano II, Wenzel, Hohenstein, Florencio, Lauries Crusader, Gribaldi, Vivaldi, Salute, Don Schufro, De Niro and Totilas. Its from these bloodlines that the Auction of the Stars sources most of the Lots offered.

Bree Tillitzki who has been at Ryans for 12 years. Bree seen here riding the stallion Fiji R in the CDN Grand Prix class at the 2018 Sydney CDI dressage show. (Photo credit Amy-Sue Alston)

“At a personal level this is tough. I am offering for sale Utopian Cardinal who is my life’s work and a partner who has backed me in the biggest arenas at the most important dressage shows in Australia. Selling good horses is emotionally tough.”

2. How do you take a well bred youngster and start its education and schooling in such a way so as to optimise its likelihood to reach its potential? This is a very tricky aspect of producing top competition horses and its probably realistic to say that 90% of good horses in Australia are irretrievably compromised by less than expert training by the time they are 5 years of age. There are of course riders out there in Australia who do a great job however finding a collection of riders in one facility other than a family, probably does not exist anywhere else in Australia, other than Ryans. At Ryans there are up to 7 full time riders working the horses each day and many of these riders have actually been at Ryans for up to 10 years. These riders are all given one or more lessons a week from Heath and/or Rozzie. Currently there are three riders not counting Heath or Rozzie who have trained and competed and are competing right now at Grand Prix dressage. It is also worth noting that on the Byalee side of the equation Ann-Maree’s daughter Dimity is also competing Grand Prix. Dimity is also very involved with producing for the AOS. There are at Ryans three riders who have competed successfully at 3* Eventing level and this includes Hazel Shannon who won the only 4* in the Southern Hemisphere, Adelaide International Three day event in 2016. Quite frankly this is an amazing team no matter where you are anywhere in the World. It is this team that will oversee the training of the young horses for the Auction of the Stars.

Sarah Clark who is the baby of the Ryan team on her first pony ASH Starlight (Starry). Starry is offered for sale at the July AOS 2018. Starry has competed at Prix St George dressage and will jump 1.10m which is nearly as tall as her. (Photo credit Peter Stoop)

“The staff at Ryans would be the super star number 1 rider at most stables anywhere in the World. I do know how lucky I am to have these riders. At Ryans we do not have grooms, everyone is a rider in training.”

3. The Auction of the Stars then needs buyers and people who have confidence in Heath and Rozzie and Ann-Maree and the horses and the process. This is very tricky and requires enormous skills in Event management, enormous effort in advertising which includes social media, print media, personal connections and dialogue between buyers and representatives of the Auction of the Stars. Given the stigma associated with traditional Auctions this is all more easily said than done. At Ryans most of the skill development is focused on riding and so this section of the Auction, public relations, depends upon staff having some natural flair for this aspect of the Auction. Ryans are lucky in having Jenny Lamb who originally started some 15 years ago as the part-time bookkeeper. Jenny evolved into the most driven Event Organiser and can be found driving not only the Auction of the Stars but also the fundraising Black Tie Ball for the last Olympics at Rio for Australian based riders to Christmas parties etc etc. Over the years buyers have developed confidence in the AOS and a couple of years ago the AOS had a really good sale but returned the most amazing statistic in every buyer had bought sometime previously at a prior Auction. Repeat buyers at the AOS are a really big percentage of the customers and this is a great indication of the confidence that buyers have developed over the years in the Auction process and the quality of the AOS offered horses.

Hazel Shannon who has been at Ryans for 8 years having never ridden in Eventing before joining the team. Photographed with Willingapark Clifford winning the Adelaide International 4* three day event in 2016. (Photo credit Julie Wilson)

“I have never worked a day in my life. Each morning I get up and do exactly what I want to do with people who are my friends, my family and people who I have the greatest respect for. Most of the buyers are also friends and peers.”

4. Perhaps the biggest test of time is how successful have the horses sold through the Auction gone on to be. Without a doubt the success of these horses is evolving into a stand out story. These are just a couple of the successful partnerships that evolved through the sourcing of horses through the Auction of the Stars.
• Stirling Stilton (gelding) sold 1994 as a 3yo. Represented Australia at the WEG 2002 Spain in dressage.
• Stirling Sprite (stallion) sold 1991 as a weanling. Sire of Adelaide Hills who this year won the 3* at Sydney Three Day Event and is now in contention for the Australian WEG 2018 team.
• CP Dresden (gelding) sold 2011 as a 4yo. Currently Grand Prix with Alycia Targa. Won the CDN Grand Prix at Willinga Park 2018.
• Aspire R (gelding) sold 2009 as a 4yo. Went on to win 3* eventing and then sold to the USA.
• Jude (colt) sold 2006 as a weanling. Won the CDN Grand Prix at Sydney CDI 2018.
• Questing Atticus R (colt) sold in-utero 2015. Supreme Champion (Champion of Champions) 2018 AWHA National Championship and Classification Tour. Scored a 10 for trot, 8.5 for canter and 9.125 for walk.

Sappho Ransan-Elliot who has been with Ryans for 12 years. Pictured on the stallion Desert Storm in full flight show jumping.

“Originally the breeding program was conceptual around supplying Rozzie and myself with horses to represent Australia at the Olympics on. It still is focused on Olympics however the selling of some of these horses helps pay for the passion.”
At Ryans there is never a dull moment and the Auction is just part of the journey. Our biggest secret goal (not secret anymore) is to have three of the Ryans riders to make the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Everyone at Ryans is throwing everything they have at every moment of every day!
“Today there are probably 7000 Equestrian Australia members who potentially could make the final Australian considerations for the 2020 Olympic Games. Realistically there will be no more than 10 serious considerations at the final trials in each of the disciplines in show jumping, dressage and eventing. At the end of the day its just those riders who dare to plan and then never give up.”

Cathryn Herbert who has been with Ryans 2 years. Cathryn completed her Engineering degree at Curtin University, WA where she passed with first class honours. Cathryn is responsible for pioneering the online Auction facility that is now part of the AOS. (Photo credit Tom Testone)