WA Virtus Riders Shine on World Stage as Part of Team Australia at Virtus World Equestrian Dressage Championships
Article written by Lee Dabic
From 21–25 July 2025, the first-ever Virtus World Equestrian Dressage Championships took place at Sparsholt College near Winchester, UK. Sport Inclusion Australia sent a large team of eight riders, with a strong contingent from Western Australia: Bel Dabic and Luke Purtill, Chloe Karstens, Sui Watts and Andrew Driffield from NSW, Catherine Viney from SA , Phoebe Roche from Vic, and Sarah Sherwood from Qld. The support staff included Head Coach Mary Longdon, Team Managers Jessie Downs and Nicole King, and Stable Manager Kathy Angel.
Team Journey & Event Buildup
The team flew from their respective states to join together in Singapore enroute to the UK. On arrival at Sparsholt College, athletes settled into their accommodations, enjoyed nutritious cafeteria meals, and spent the early days bonding, preparing for competition and also some sightseeing. The athletes enjoyed their time out visiting wooded New Forest Ponies, a Bird sanctuary, the Sparsholt teaching zoo, and the Broadlands RDA fair. This time was balanced carefully with some time spent working with Mary on test theory and accuracy.
Competition Highlights: Team & Individual Success
The competition kicked off with borrowed horses being allocated and tested. Great Britain and France were the only nations riding their own mounts while everyone else adapted to new partners.
On Day 1, the Australian team—comprisingof Bel Dabic(II3), Catherine Viney (II1), Chloe Karsten (II2), and Luke Purtill (II1), delivered exceptional performances. Their top scores combined earned Australia the silver medal in the team event, second only to Great Britain.
In the individual rankings, Chloe Karsten took gold in II2, and Bel Dabic earned silver in II3 class.
On Day 2, Chloe repeated her gold-medal performance in the II2 class, and Luke Purtill rose to the podium with a bronze in II1—marking a proud personal achievement for our Western Australian riders.
The competition was a great success for our West Aussie contingent:
- Bel Dabic (II3) – Consistently strong from selection through the World Championships, Bel’s silver in II3 added to her history of success from the 2024 European Champs and recent Virtus video competitions.
- Luke Purtill (II1) –Luke’s composure under pressure earned him a bronze medal, underlining his rise in the II1 category and proudly representing WA on the global stage.
Their performances anchored the WA contribution to Australia’s silver-medal-winning team and showcased the state’s talent in the growing Virtus equestrian movement.
This success story would not have been possible without the unwavering support of the entire support team particularlyHead Coach Mary Longdon. Mary’s years of dedication to athletes with intellectual impairment, experience, and coaching were pivotal to the team's success. From her early connection to Sparsholt’s RDA roots to guiding Bel and Luke and the entire Australian squad through the challenges of borrowed horses and international competition, her service is deeply appreciated by all.
We congratulate Bel Dabic and Luke Purtill on their medals and thank Mary Longdon, Jessie Downs, Nicole King, and Kathy Angel for their outstanding support. Thank you also to Sport Inclusion Australia, Equestrian Australia, Virtus, and Sparsholt College for hosting such a landmark event.
We look forward to future championships and to seeing WA riders continue to shine internationally.
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