Katie Taliana and Trevalgar II
An Eventful Life is filming all competitors on cross country at the
Mitsubishi Motors Australian International 3 Day Event - find out more here
“He is amazing” says Katie Taliana of Trevalgar II, the horse she bought for £1,000 and brought back from the UK thanks to an online romance and her parents’ support. For some time now Katie has dreamed of being in this position after the dressage in Adelaide and today it came true
Katie and her 14 year old gelding bred by Preci-Spark in the UK is by Fleetwater Opposition, also the sire of Opposition Buzz, Ngong Hills and Absolut Opposition, lead the CCI4* after the dressage at the Mitsubishi Motors Australian International 3 Day Event with a score of 31, just ahead of Emma Bishop and CP Issey Miyake, another horse with great breeding.
Emma Bishop and CP Issey Miyake
CP Issey Miyake (known as Rose at home) is by the stallion Staccato, who competed at 4* level here in 2005, and out of the fabulous Australian eventing mare, Iz’bella Rosselini, who also had two 4* starts here in 2003 and 2004, finishing in the top 10 on both occasions, so Rose has a lot to live up to. They go into the cross country phase on a score of 31.50 and Emma admits to feeling rather nervous about tomorrow saying “I think it’s huge!”
Lauren Browne and Skys Da Limit
In third place are a combination from Western Australia with Lauren Browne and the off the track Skys Da Limit who was a ‘terrible racehorse’. However, Lauren fell in love with him, despite the fact that he was ‘skinny and long’, and she knew he was one she had to take home ‘But I never dreamed he would go this far!’
They are on a score of 32.90, making it an all-female Australian top three although another lady rider, this time from New Zealand, is very close behind
Emily Cammock and Shaw Lee
Emily Cammock and Shaw Lee are the best placed of the nine Kiwi combinations competing in the CCI4*, in fourth place on a score of 32.90, and she is joined in the top ten by her compatriots Bundy Philpott on Tresca NZPH (equal sixth, 34.6), Amanda Pottinger on Just Kidding (eighth, 34.8) and Jess Woods riding Just De Manzana (ninth, 35.9).
We caught up with Amanda after her test when she was very relieved that it was all over!
Two chestnut horses could prove to be big threats to the leaders tomorrow with the 2016 winners Hazel Shannon and Willinga Park Clifford well positioned heading into cross country on a score of 33.90 in fifth place and Olympic medallist Sonja Johnson riding the stallion Misty Isle Valentino is also dangerously close in equal sixth place on 34.60. Both of these ladies know this terrain well and will be out to hold the trophy on Sunday
It wasn’t all plain sailing for some today in the atmospheric arena with breezy conditions. Victoria’s Rohan Luxmoore, who finished fifth here in 2016 and has had a very good season so far, had a few uncharacteristic difficulties in the arena with a tense Bells ‘N Whistles, Jess Grossman kept smiling although Belmont Backstage was not enamoured by the dressage today and Emily Gray is probably very relieved that this phase is over.
But one combination that have had difficulties in the past few months with dressage arena tantrums came up trumps today; Andrew Cooper had hoped that the format of this competition, with plenty of time to work his horse Hunters Hill in situ would help and it certainly seemed to do the trick.
“It was his ninth ride since we arrived here” said Andrew, who retired the horse from the dressage phase at Albury International recently “I think it worked!”
They are currently in 15th place but only eight points off the leader and, with a difficult course looming and time penalties also likely to be largely in play, Andrew’s fast record around this course could be very useful even though this is Hunter’s Hill first 4* start
Andrew Cooper and a well-behaved Hunter's Hill
For many riders it was the start of their first 4* career today and one was of those was Stuart Tinney's daughter Gemma. Riding the 13 year old mare Annapurna, owned by John and Jane Pittard, this is a big event for not just Gemma but her owners too
Coming Up - What do 4* riders and top coaches Prue Barrett and Jock Paget think of the cross country course?
