Byalee Stables

10/06/2026

We are absolutely and incredibly proud of Byalee Magic II and his Victorian rider Maddison Cooke, just announced as number 11 in the world in Grade 2 para dressage.

Well done Maddison!!!

Byalee Magic II was sold at Auction of the Stars for more than $20,000 and was a champion show hunter with the Drapers before becoming a para horse with Maddison.

Known as Raffy, Byalee Magic II is yet another example of a successful Richmeed Medallion (imp) out of a Salute (imp) mare, a full brother to Grand Prix champion Byalee Magic.

This amazing bloodline continues at Byalee Stables, with full sister Byalee Miracle and her daughter, Byalee Brooke.

We look forward to catching up with Raffy and Maddison at the Hawkesbury Dressage Festival later this month.

https://www.equestrian.org.au/news/australian-para-dressage-riders-shine-fei-world-rankings?fbclid=IwZnRzaASWHY9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEerZJI8hKu1M8yhdejNzsfPrr2aP-oR9PrO1h925KU-B1-EzkcTiHpfqQBGWw_aem_kc-NKZ9AgTr2mbHznGI6RA

The latest FEI World Rankings have delivered outstanding results for Australian para dressage, with four athletes ranked within the top ten of their respective Grades.

08/06/2026

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08/06/2026

Another incredible winter’s evening on the arena …

04/06/2026

A cold, grey, rainy day marked the last autumn competition for Byalee.

AM got to snuggle in the car and stay at least a little warm, judging elementary to Big Tour, while Dimity and Kara braved the elements (considerably earlier too!).

Highlight of the day was Kara and Byalee Possum Magic, who won reserve champion T&C Haulage OC Best Performed Pony of the Day after two great performances, placing in both of their first official novice tests. She enjoyed her first-ever test in the indoor, and there's nothing like beating grown ups when you are only 10 years old on the smallest pony at the competition!

Dimity and Byalee Zorro had a great ride in the Prix St Georges with a PB, and placed third in both of their FEI tests.

Thanks so much to the organising committee and to the sponsors, and especially to Amy-Sue Alston for the absolutely stunning photos!

28/05/2026

Super well done! Congratulations to Emily from On Centre Line Dressage!

The only question is - why dirn’t someone think of it sooner!!???

When you don’t feel like going anywhere, when the car’s broken, when the horse won’t load … the perfect solution!

28/05/2026

Dressage riders go rogue ...

We've finally got the photos to prove it.

While AM was winning preliminary champion at Wisemans Dressage on Mother's Day, the rest of the team was just four minutes up the road enjoying a great day out at Lovedale Equestrian Park for some showjump schooling in the lead up to the big couple of weeks that were to come.

Most important of all - it was a debut for our little next-gen rider, Kara, who showed off the versatility of Byalee Possum Magic by tackling her first showjump courses at 45cm. Super job!

Then there was dressage rider Emmy, who took out her TB Malibu to tackle a course at CANTER ... a good fun outing to practise for her annual eventing outing at Denman ODE!

Maybe there should be a Christmas party award for the best face pulled by a dressage rider over a fence ....

And finally there was Dimity, riding our event pony Byalee Boy Soprano in the 70cm and 80cm training rounds and her own Dimity's Dream in the 90cm and metre rounds.

After so much excitement, it's a quiet training month during June ahead of Denman ODE.

Thanks to Dianne K Smith Photography and the organisers for a great day.

28/05/2026

This past week was another busy one for Byalee.

AM: off to Cairns to judge at the Amy Abrahams Memorial Competition. Not only was this the perfect opportunity to escape a wet and dreary week in the Hunter, it was also a chance to support one of the most enthusiastic little clubs you could ever want to visit. Amy Abrahams was a super keen dressage rider and eventer who sadly lost her life in a car accident back in 2013, and the club runs this competition in her memory every year. There was barely a dry eye in the house at the presentation when her mother, Julie, gave her thank you speech.

Meanwhile, in the same week, Dimity and her OTTB Dimity's Dream went off to take out preliminary champions at the national TB titles at the beautiful Stonewall Equestrian Park, as well as riding their first competitive 1m showjump round.

The next day, it was Emmy and her OTTB Malibu who went to Stonewall, bringing home a 4th place in the novice at the national TB titles, but more importantly, riding their best tests ever in public!

And at home, supporting On Centreline Dressage, student Terry was all dressed up for the Preparatory 3 on the Byalee arena.

Life's never boring at Byalee!

Many many thanks to FNEG for hosting AM so beautifully (was the aim to come home not only warmer but several kilos heavier??), and to Krissy Harris for hosting the TB titles at her picturesque venue.

(Showjumping hotos at Stonewall by Annabel Zeisler Photography)
(Dressage photos at Stonewall by Arcadia Images)

28/05/2026

The weekend of May 16/17 was a big one for the Byalee team.

AM braved the kangaroos and the Blue Mountains' Victoria Pass detour to make it to Blayney to judge everything from Prep to Grand Prix - her first official Grand Prix appointment, woohoo!

Emmy, Cherie, Dee, Kim and Richie took themselves off to support Hunter Valley Dressage Association at prep, medium, small tour, preliminary and medium level respectively.

And Dimity went north to Quirindi One Day Event!

Talk about spreading the love ...

Well ...

AM didn't hit any kangaroos - and was able to support one of the most far-flung but enthusiastic dressage clubs in the State. Winning.

Emmy's baby Briar, Byalee Bout Time, didn't put a foot out of place. Even cantered in public since it was a Prep 3. Also winning!

Dee's FEI pony worked well; Cherie and Richie navigated through their medium tests and the scores are creeping up - such a big leap to medium from elementary, and it sometimes seems that just as one new movement is mastered, another one disintegrates! It's a fascinating and ultimately rewarding journey. Cherie was second in both with percentages of up to 63% while Richie, in the official side of life, scored over 61%. No mean feat!

And Kimberley did an amazing job with her schoolmaster, Chester in the official preliminaries. The more outings, the more confident they get!

The weekend belonged to Dimity, however - winning the EVA65 on Byalee Boy Soprano (and yes, he is indeed by the show pony stallion Rotherwood Boy Soprano). 'Archie' led from start to finish on his dressage score of 29.3 and pulled just 0.4 time penalties with a double jumping clear. He is just 13hh and would MUCH rather be out jumping than in the show ring! Archie is being produced to meet the market for ambitious young riders who need a solid jumping pony, and will be looking for a partner to 'take over the reins' at the end of the year.

And then there was Spider .. aka Dimity's Dream ... this is one special OTT and he too had a great weekend with a double jumping clear and just a couple of time to finish in 5th place in EVA95. He was first at this venue last year in the EVA65 and is progressing so well. Such a clever boy and becoming more confident in his dressage all the time.

Thanks to all of the committee at CWDG, HVDA and Quirindi - the work that you do creates the life that we love.

(Qurindi photos by Britt Grovenor)

28/05/2026

Perfectly said.

Focus on the positives.

Enjoy the tribe.

Revel in being part of a community.

I rode for well over half of my life. For a good while, it was my entire life.
I do not think every day about the times I was eliminated.
I don’t lose sleep thinking about all the pathetic falls I had.
I never look back on those years and remember all the times I blew a lead.
But every single day I talk to the friends I made while I was riding, and they are still some of the closest friends I have to this day.
Life will change, priorities will change, things that looked like mountains will be grains of sand with the benefit of hindsight.
Even on the days that you walk away feeling like a loser, you might have won something more important and I promise you that matters, and will matter still years from now 🩵

26/05/2026

We’ve been supporting On Centre Line Dressage for a while now - AM is part of the judging pool and many of the Byalee Stables students have competed - so a huge congratulations to its founder, Emily, for making the top three finalists for the Rising Star award in equine business.