Rider: Kallista Field
SYDNEY, 2000
Kallista Field and the 14-year-old mare Waikare were our first Olympic dressage representatives, but not our first qualifiers. That honour went to Kallista’s mother, Sharon, and her NZ-bred Hanoverian, Mosaic, who qualified for – but were not sent to – Atlanta. (Ironically, Mosaic did compete in Atlanta with his new owner, Australian Mary Hanna. He performed well and finished 24th overall.)
Waikare, a dark bay by the Hanoverian Witzbold, from a thoroughbred mare, Rocklyn (Rocky Mountain), was bred by Brian and Marie Pyke. She was bought by Sharon as a weanling, trained by her to Grand Prix level (including winning the 1995 Burkner Medal), and given to Kallista to ride for the Olympic bid.
Kallista and ‘Kerry’ won their Sydney berth with a great performance in the FEI World Challenge in Taupo, 1999, beating riders from Israel, Japan and Korea. Their score of 65.6% was 2% higher than any other, and well clear of the requisite 63%.
They had Grand Prix wins across the Tasman in the lead-up to the Games, and broke records here with a score of 67.24% at Hawera.
Shortly before the Olympics, Kallista declared that a mark of 66% would be as good as a gold medal for her. She and Waikare were magic on the day, especially in passage, transitions and changes: their score was 66.44%.
A delighted Kallista announced Waikare’s retirement before realising that they were in the final 25 and had qualified for the Special.
The pair returned to the ring three days later and charmed the huge crowd with a grand effort, moving up from 21st to 18th overall on a personal and New Zealand record score of 68.04%. They were just one place and less than two points from qualifying for the kür. For nearly two decades, it remained New Zealand’s highest international dressage score, until Julie Brougham and Vom Feinsten’s 68.543% in the Grand Prix at the Rio Games.
But when considering Waikare’s performance in context, you have to remember the scores of that era, and the competition she faced, which included the titans of world dressage, Gigolo (Isabell Werth) and Bonfire (Anky van Grunsven). Gigolo won the GP on just 76.32%, and Bonfire the Special on 78.13%. And at just the age of 22 – she was the youngest dressage rider at the Games – Kallista finished ahead of such big stars as Carl Hester, Christine Stuckelberger, Steffan Peters, Jan Brink and Richard Davison.
Waikare returned home to Paihiatua with the Fields, and went on to have four foals; the first, Waimoana, was by Weltmeyer, and the others all by the Fields’ (now deceased) stallion, Salutation.
She died at the grand old age of 31, in 2017, having lived out her days as the boss of the broodmare paddock.
