CIC 3 Star starters at Aus3DE

       Tim Boland on form at the Prydes EasiFeeds Spring Horse Trials at Werribee Park

It may be small but the RM Williams CIC3* class at the Mitsubishi Motors Australian International 3 Day Event will be hotly contested and fascinating to watch

For those in despair that Shane Rose is not competing in the CCI4* this year, there is solace in that he will be out to win this class. Riding the eight year old bay gelding Swiper who won his first CIC3* start at Canberra on one of Shane’s recent flying visits, Shane will be keen to add another win to his good tally for this year in both hemispheres

However Christine Bates and Megan Jones are two ladies who may have something to say about that. Christine, riding Adelaide Hill, and Megan on Kirby Park Invader are both huge competitors and, although their recent form may not show it, they could both win here

       Megan Jones and Kirby Park Impress were second in 2016

The man who on form is Tim Boland who has both Napoleon and GV Billy Elliott entered. Napoleon was last year’s winner of this class with visiting rider Oliver Townend on board, starting with a good dressage score of 44.90 and adding 13.2 time penalties on cross country

We’d expect to see Napoleon’s dressage scores in the low 40’s again; Tim and Napoleon recently won the CIC2* at Werribee park, starting with a dressage score of 41.6 and were second in the CIC3* at Tamborine, starting with a dressage score of 45

GV Billy Elliott too is very fancy on the flat. They won the CIC3* at Werribee in September, starting with a dressage score of 42.8 and added 9.6 time on cross country to win but picked up 20 penalties on cross country at their next start at Tamborine. Last year Tim and Billy Elliott led the CIC3* in Adelaide after the dressage with a score of 44.3 but Billy took a huge dislike to the large screen in the show jumping arena and their event finished there. No doubt Tim has been doing lots of training with big screens this year!

      Christine Bates and Adelaide Hill are back

Deon Stokes’ Crime Time is another one to watch in the dressage phase; they scored 41.70 in the CIC3* at Canberra but 20 penalties on cross country lost them the lead and they won the CIC2*at Tamworth in August, starting with a dressage score of 36.4. Deon, who also rides Grand Prix dressage, will also be competing the 13 year old gelding Koyuna Levi in this class

The only rider competing in all three classes in Adelaide is Victoria’s Andrew Cooper and he is riding Brook Howarth’s Lagoes Choice in the CIC3*. Andrew has only taken up the reins in international competition once on this horse, who is normally ridden by Andrew’s partner Izzy O’Loughlin, to finish fourth in the CIC2* at Wandin Park in March. They made the time on course there and we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Australian thoroughbred blitz around this course with Andrew on board, even if it is the horse’s first CIC3* start

RM Williams CIC3*