It was an emotional Christine Bates who thanked her sponsors and the team around her for their patience in the past few years during her winners’ speech for the CIC3* in Adelaide
“It’s hard coming back to the top of the sport and at times I may not have been the best person to be around!”
Two years ago Christine were lying third in the CCI4* after dressage at the Australian International 3 Day Event when she fell from Adelaide Hill at Fence 27 on cross country. It was a case of ‘so near but so far’ - they had won the CCI3* at Melbourne International earlier in the year and placed third at Goulburn CIC3* but suddenly Christine was out of contention for Rio and her horse was injured.
Since recovering from injury Adelaide Hill, a spooky 15 year old chestnut that took years of patient training by Christine and her husband Matthew to get to top level, has been doing lots of higher level dressage and show jumping then came back to international level eventing for just one full run at Werribee in September for third place
But Christine saved the best for last, winning the RM Williams CIC3*, leading throughout the competition for a win on 61 penalties although there was a slightly sticky moment in the show jumping when ‘Spook’ spotted the camera boom on approach to the liverpool ( see video below)
Christine Bates
Christine and Adelaide Hill (above) and Shane Rose with Swiper (below)
However Christine had another rail in hand over Shane Rose and Swiper, the horse that gave Shane such a fun ride on cross country on Saturday, who finished in second place on 65 penalties. This is a great result for a young horse at his first CCI3* start and one to watch in the future
Andrew Cooper and Lagoes Choice
In third place was Andrew Cooper on Lagoes Choice, another horse at the start of his higher level career, so not surprisingly Andrew was thrilled with the 10 year old thoroughbred. Andrew then went on to replicate his performance in the CIC3* in the CCI4* with fourth place on Tasman Park Ovation
Another Victorian rider, Callum Buczak, jumped the only double clear round in this class on Matavia Cheval to move them into fourth place – more to come from Callum soon about the nine year old bay gelding he has brought through the grades – while Deon Stokes and Crime Time didn’t have quite such a fun time in the arena, incurring 20 jumping penalties and dropping them to fifth, just ahead of Emily Anker and Glenwwod Park Cooper Street in sixth place
Watch Christine Bates and Adelaide Hills below
