A second presentation on Sunday saw not only a prize giving but also the crowd singing 'Happy Birthday' for Megan's 40th birthday
It was an exciting finish to the RM Williams CIC3* on Saturday afternoon at the Australian International 3 Day Event. With the two CCI classes already having taken place, the shorter course CIC3* saw a new group of riders and horses head out into the centre of the parklands, this time in reverse order to keep the crowd (and the riders!) guessing until the last moment
With the elimination of Tim Boland’s GV Billy Elliot on Friday afternoon in the show jumping phase, Oliver Townend on one of Tim’s other horses, Napoleon, led the competition and was the last rider to go. As the first riders headed out it soon became clear that the optimum time of 6 minutes 52 seconds was going to be very hard to achieve and that Fence 9, which had proved troublesome in the CCI4* was also a tricky one, catching out both Deon Stokes on Crime Time and Andrew Cooper on Tasman Park Ovation while New Zealand’s Sam Felton had a problem at Fence 19 on her first ride, Ricker Ridge Escada.
Sam Felton and Ricker Ridge Pico Boo
Sam had a great run on her second horse however, Ricker Ridge Pico Boo who finished in third place (63.60), coming home with 10.8 time penalties, making the journey from New Zealand all the more worthwhile. Sam is leaving Pico Boo in the safe hands of Sam Lyle (who took a bit of a tumble in the CCI2* earlier in the day but no serious damage done) but will be coming back to compete at Wallaby Hill in December
Sam Felton
Megan and Kirby Park Impress
Megan Jones had the fastest time of the day on Kirby Park Impress with just 6.8 time faults which you could attribute to her local of these parklands but, amazingly, Megan was eliminated on her first horse Kirby Park Invader for missing Fence 13. Megan was blissfully unaware until she came through the finish flags and then worried about doing the same thing on her next horse!
Oliver Townend and Napoleon
But it was the international visitor on a catch ride that took the honours. Oliver Townend has been the King of the CIC competition in the UK this year and he continued his great form on a horse he had only ridden a few times before starting this competition. To set out on a new horse around a 3* track he had never even seen before this week, never mind ridden, is quite a feat but Oliver pulled it off, coming home with 13.2 penalties to win the class
Rob Palm and Koko Story
Rob Palm riding the nine year old chestnut gelding Koko Story finished in fourth place, picking up just 11.6 time penalties but Rob also can claim some kudos for the winning horse ridden by Oliver Townend.
Rob started the horse in its international competition career, winning the CCI1* at the Melbourne International 3 Day Event in 2013 when the horse was known as Parklands Oakley; Rob and his wife Cassie are fantastic at finding and bringing on these young horses and it looks as if Koko Story may be another star in the stable
