JOIN THE COMMITTEE
Hawkesbury Dressage Club Inc was founded in 1991 by well known A level judge Jan Geary.
HDC is committed to supporting all riders from Preparatory to Grand Prix, from our recreational riders and weekend warriors to full time professionals and elite riders. HDC is a friendly club, and we pride ourselves on being a Horse Friendly group: our motto 'For the Sake of the Horse' means that horse welfare and the promotion of kind, classical training methods are our priority.
Hawkesbury Dressage Club was the first metro club to offer riders the opportunity to compete at one of the best facilities in the State, The Sydney International Equestrian Centre (SIEC). SIEC was home to the Sydney 2000 Olympics, and has been the home of HDC for many years, moving from our first grounds at Horseworld Stadium in Maraylya in 2003. Learn more about the Sydney International Equestrian Centre.
"for the sake of the horse"
ABOUT HAWKESBURY DRESSAGE CLUB
READ THE
CONSTITUTION
Hawkesbury Dressage Club is guided by its constitution. This is reviewed and any changes voted upon at the Annual AGM.
Hawkesbury Dressage Club is guided by its constitution.
This is reviewed and any changes voted upon at the Annual AGM.
HDC offers one of the most innovative dressage events on the Calendar, the inaugural Hawkesbury Dressage Festival. This event offers riders from Preparatory and upwards the opportunity to experience a high calibre and large-scale Championships at a premium venue without the need for qualifiers. HDC offers one of the only opportunities in Greater Sydney for riders to participate in Freestyles. You can learn more about the HDC Dressage Festival here:
HAWKESBURY DRESSAGE FESTIVAL
FESTIVAL INFORMATION
READ THE
CONSTITUTION
Hawkesbury Dressage Club is guided by its constitution. This is reviewed and any changes voted upon at the Annual AGM.
Hawkesbury Dressage Club is guided by its constitution.
This is reviewed and any changes voted upon at the Annual AGM.
MEMBERS MONTHLY MEETING SUMMARY
Hawkesbury Dressage Club meets monthly online, opening up participation to members with a vested interest in the club who may no longer be living locally. Committee meetings are held virtually on the fourth Monday of every month at 7.30pm. All members are welcome to attend each month. Please contact our Secretary for the meeting link if you are a member wishing to attend.
COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Members are asked to attend our Club AGM each year. Members attending the AGM enjoy a meal voucher. The 2024 AGM is scheduled for late September at a venue to be determined. Find minutes of previous AGMs below.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
PAST AGM MINUTES
The Committee
The HDC committee may consist of up to 20 elected members including 4 Executive Committee Members. The Club holds an AGM following the end of each Financial Year where all committee positions are declared vacant and a fresh committee is elected.
You can commit to as much or as little as you like.
- All of our meetings are online, so you can join even if you aren't local
- Voice the things that you would like to see at events and make them happen!
- Give back to your sport
- Meet great new people and gain friendships for life!
- Great additions for your CV - you'll gain skills for your own career development and resume - perfect for university or TAFE students and those needing project management or corporate experience!
EMAIL HAWKESBURYDRESSAGECLUB
@GMAIL.COM
MEET YOUR COMMITTEE
Executive Committee
Sally-Ann Barbera
PRESIDENT
Other roles: Judge Coordinator
Committee member since 2007
Sally is a local coach & rider, and has been on the HDC Committee for sixteen years. Her roles included Sponsorship Coordinator and Secretary, before becoming President in 2012. She has 40 years of experience of working in the horse industry as a rider and coach, and started her competitive career as a showjumper in the UK. She has competed extensively in eventing and ridden to FEI level dressage. She is an accredited NCAS Level 2 Coach (General & Dressage Specialist), not to mention a coach educator, Chair of the NSW and National Coaching Committee, and has a Cert III in Equine Nursing! Sally has two competition horses who she bred herself, Maybelle Negroni and Benjamin Britten.
As voted at the 2023 AGM on 22/09/2023.
Leanne Bell
SECRETARY
Other roles: Volunteer Coordinator
Committee member since 2011
Leanne has been the HDC Secretary for 11 years, and competes up to Elementary as an AOR. Leanne got her first pony at age 7, and has ridden dressage, eventing, and more. She had a short break from riding but only managed to last 2 years without a horse! A serial volunteer, Leanne is also heavily involved in Pony Club at a local, state and national level. She currently has 4 horses, two of which are retired, one in work and one is a PC mount for a friend. Outside the horse world, Leanne works as a Produce Manager for Woolworths.
Justin Worthy
VICE PRESIDENT
Other roles: SIEC Liaison
Committee member since 2007
Justin is a professional dressage rider who has been on the HDC Committee for over 10 years. Justin trained under the late, esteemed Miguel Tavora and translates his systematic approach into his own training. Justin's Career highlights include winning a multitude of State Champion & Reserve Champion titles at Dressage State Championships, DJWTS Champion of Champions Pony in 2021, not to mention success in the show ring including winning the NSW Arabian 'Triple Crown' (several times!) and Australian Dressage Champion titles at Arabian Nationals. He now owns just one horse, Finley, and rides a range of clients' horses and ponies competitively, from promising breakers to those at FEI.
Maree Gawley
TREASURER
Other roles: Public officer
Committee member since 2022
This is Maree's second year on the HDC committee. She joined up to help a local club continue to offer riders the chance to follow their dreams. Maree was a pony clubber as a kid, and many years ago jointed the Hawkesbury Riding Club. She says she fell in love with watching riders complete a flawless walk to canter transition, and now she is riding them herself! She has two horses, Summer; a chestnut Elementary horse who loves to babysit the grandkids, and Danza, her gorgeous bay 6 year old who is currently competing Elementary and will hopefully one day be her GP horse!
General Committee
Mary Bokey
SPONSORSHIP
Other roles: Judge Coordinator
Committee member since 2023
Mary joined the committee in late 2023 after she saw the call for committee members, and wanted to see if she could help! Mary has been riding since she was 4, and did her first dressage test on her Shetland pony Ryan when she was 5 and has loved it ever since. Mary is a passionate advocate of pony dressage, and owns two of her own. Their names are Mimi (SPB Amour De Luxe) and Popsy (Calca Park Piccolo), who she competes at Prelim to Elementary. Her goal is to train them both through to FEI and enjoy every minute of the journey!
Dee Thompson
SPONSORSHIP
Other roles:
Committee member since 2023
Dee is one of our newest members, and joined the club to support the interests of young riders. As the mother of a competitive young rider, Dee has travelled all over Australia with her daughter Angelina to compete in a range of equestrian sports, though they're now focussing on Dressage. Angelina has had great success competing Advanced and FEIJ on her super horse Enbarr.
Lexi Stapleton
PUBLICITY
Other roles: Program, Freestyle Coordinator
Committee member since 2019
Lexi has been on the HDC committee since late 2019. She has two chestnut ponies, her 'senior orange', Arthur, who she competes at advanced, and her 'baby orange', Gig, who is learning the ropes with her coach. Outside of HDC, she dabbles in photography, and works as a Project Officer for the Department of Education.
Gail Benson
HOSPITALITY
Other roles:
Committee member since 2022
Gail is a long time member of HDC but relatively new to the committee. Many of you may know Gail from one of her many other roles in the dressage community! Not only has she been a long time committee member of DNSW, she has organised catering for the CDI, Nationals and States at SIEC, and is the Secretary of Hawkesbury Riding Club. Gail has two retired dressage horses, Arkie and Gracefield Stefan, who are living their best-bud life hanging out together. She also has two competition horses; Noblewood Park Casino Royale who is currently at Medium/Advanced, and BC Furst Light, a young horse competing Preliminary and Young Horse.
Madeleine Green
SPONSORSHIP
Other roles:
Committee member since 2023
Maddie is an AOR enthusiast, and joined the committee in late 2023 after having enjoyed HDC's training days and competitions for many years! She hopes to give back to a club which has created so many great memories for her and her horse. Maddie has been riding since just 8 years old, and owned her first horse, Elle, until she passed away at age 25. Her competition horse is her 17yo Percheron/Thoroughbred McConanughy (known as Matty to his friends) has been in her life for 8 years. They've competed at States and Nationals together, and rode their first freestyle this year at Elementary level. She trains classically and loves learning all things dressage.
Jess Capps
HORSE OF THE YEAR
Other roles: Social events
Committee member since 2021
This will be Jess' third year on the committee. Horses have always been part of her life, but she was particularly drawn to dressage during her high school years, attracted by the partnership between horse and rider. Jess has two 5 year old warmbloods; Enzo (JC Firenze), who is a chestnut home bred and Tilly (Amora) who is a Friesian cross. Both horses are competing at Premliminary.
Emma Gerts
GRANTS
Other roles: Program
Committee member since 2021
Emma joined the HDC committee in late 2021. Although a broken hand prevented her from competing in the first inaugural Festival, she was still there every day to help out! Emma is an AOR rider and is competing at Novice on 7 year old warmblood mare Sky (Kenlock Royal Sky), and will be having her first ride at Elementary at the Festival! Emma now lives just outside Yass, NSW, and in her day to day, she works as a Librarian at the ANU in Canberra. She also owns a retired 17 year old Paint horse called Bob, who she once regrettably did dressage with!
Esme Denver-Stevenson
WEBSITE
Other roles:
Committee member since 2021
Esme (Ez) joined the HDC committee in 2021. A Veterinary Nurse by day, she has been riding since she could walk. Ez and her Paint Quarter Horse, Lexi, started out in show hunter competition, but now compete at Elementary dressage. Ez is one of our out of area committee members, living in the beautiful Hartley Vale, with her beloved Koolie pup, Penny.
Chris Brunton
MERCHANDISE
Other roles: Judge Coordinator
Committee member since 2023
Chris is one of the newest members of the HDC Committee. He joined in early 2023, to help out his friends and to support the community that he enjoys being a part of so much. Chris started riding with his mum on the Northern Beaches when he was young and it's something they still often do together! He fell in love with dressage in his twenties and has since worked as a stablehand, groom and rider, even doing a brief (and hair raising!) stint breaking and pretraining thoroughbreds. He is currently working part time as a groom while he completes his architecture degree and competing Medium on his chestnut German Riding Pony, Lacey (Freeman's Lodge Denim N Lace).
Karen Lever
CO-OPTED MEMBER
Event Secretary
Coming soon!
PAST COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Hawkesbury Dressage Club would like to thank its past committee members and executives for their contribution to the Club's history. A non-exhaustive list of committee members over the last decade can be found below.
PAST COMMITTEE MEMBERS & EXECUTIVES
PAST PRESIDENTS
- 1991 - 1995 Jan Geary
- 1995 - 2000 Lyn Alabaster
- 2000 - 2002 Elizabeth Eurell
- 2002 - 2004 Cathy Cupit
- 2004 - 2004 Nika Kulakowski
- 2004 - 2006 Stephanie Bellanto
- 2006 - 2007 Toni Ambrose
- 2007 - 2012 Patricia Brennan-Wood
- 2012 - present Sally-Ann Barbera
LIFE MEMBERS
We have eight life members. These include previous committee members Jan Geary, Lyn Alabaster, Trish Brennan-Wood, Pip Tonkin and Penny Callum - all of whom continue to support our club. In addition, we have three life members currently serving on the committee: Sally Barbera, Justin Worthy and Leanne Bell.
Club Patron
JAN GEARY
HDC Founder & President from 1991-1995
Jan Geary, well known A level judge, founded HDC in 1991, and has now been recognised as our Club Patron. She was president from 1991-1995. Jan has been a member on the Australian Dressage Judge's Committee, Dressage NSW Committee, and has been Australia's sole FEI 5* para equestrian judge. She was a member of the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Equestrian Ground Jury.
LYN ALABASTER
Lyn Alabaster was HDC's second president from 1995-2000 and still helps the club with pencilling from time to time.
TRISH BRENNAN-WOOD
Trish was on the HDC Committee from its inception. She competed to Novice level with her heart horse who she tragically lost, and retired from riding. She was president from 2007-2012 and stayed on in the committee after standing down. She is also a keen animal lover and gardener.
PIP TONKIN
Pip was born into a horsey family. She studied design in university and became a primary school teacher before becoming an equestrian coach. She is a Vaulting Level 2 Coach and teaches dressage lessons out of Tonkin Equestrian Centre in Ebenezer.
PENNY CALLUM
Penny started riding as a child in England. When she came to Australia at 18, and became heavily involved in riding at Centennial Park. She was a showjumper turned dressage rider, and joined HDC in 1991, shortly after it was created, and stayed until 2015 as a general committee member and catering coordinator. She has also been a judge and bred several horses, including Wisteria, pictured.
The Venue
All Hawkesbury Dressage Club competitions are held at Sydney International Equestrian Centre (SIEC). SIEC is located on the M7 near Horsely Park, Gandangara land, and was the home of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. SIEC boasts impressive facilities including a world class Otto-tex surface on their indoor arena.
LEARN MORE
ABOUT SIEC
