VICTORIA'S Dressage and Jumping With The Stars showcase for young performance horses has always been an exciting event - but this year organisers got more than they bargained for.

The event always invites a superstar overseas rider to give a final verdict on the young champions.

Unfortunately, this year's invitee, German Olympic triple gold medallist Monica Theodorescu, was laid low by a vicious bout of flu.

She bravely fulfilled her first two days, but was then confined to bed.

Luckily for the organisers, Danish champion Lone Jorgensen was present and able to take over the running of the master class.

Dr Ulf Muller, who was the invited rider in 2002, and present to represent DJWTS sponsor, Performance Sales International, took over the final riding of the four age group champions to decide the overall winner.

There were three very good young horses forward.

Dr Kerry Mack's four-year-old Brentano II, the five-year-old Belcam Cadel, ridden by Bianca Barnes, and the six-year-old black stallion Shiraz Black, ridden by Gitte Donvig.

Shiraz Black repeated his win of last year, but all three were exciting, high-potential dressage horses.

Olympic showjumping rider Matt Williams rode the finalists in the jumping championship, as the invited judge, Arno Neeson, is a trainer and not currently riding.

Those on display were the four-year-old winner Patangas Oberon, owned by James Harvey, Russell Johnstone's five-year-old Carlo, Tim Clark and Cherie Edmond's dapple-grey six-years-old Coltango, and the ultimate winner, the seven-year-old imported stallion, Valhalla 3, ridden by Jamie Kermond for his owner Des Russell.

There were some notable absentees in the Grand Prix dressage, with some of the usual NSW champions deciding to stay home, and Mary Hanna's Tango V recovering from a virus.

Brett Parbery starred with Carolyn Lieutenant's Victory Salute.

What was good to see was the good numbers of very nice young horses that are moving up through the ranks into the higher level tests and scoring well. They will make for some very good competition in the next couple of years. The dressage ponies made their debut in the four-year-old Material Class.

Low numbers in the first year were to be expected, as until now pony owners have had no reason to plan ahead to have them ready at a younger age. But with the interest it has created, there is every reason to expect that they will appear in numbers next year in the four and five-year-old event.