An Eventful Life is filming all competitors on cross country at
Tonimbuk International Horse Trials 2021 - order or view videos here
After a few days of cancellations around the equestrian world – Badminton, Europe and HOY NZ – it is a relief and joy to say that the Cardinia Shire Tonimbuk International Horse Trials is full steam ahead this weekend.
The opening International event of the Victorian calendar, Tonimbuk has had its fair share of past problems to cope with, from the Tonimbuk Equestrian Centre being bought by the international corporate Hanson Group (who are now great supporters of the event and the facility as a whole) to devastating bushfires, but last year they finally had a bit of luck to narrowly avoid Covid-19 cancellation and this year everything is well on track (as well as Off the Track, another supporter of the event)
The CCI4*-S course design by New Zealand’s John Nicholson has been taken over by Australia’s Ewan Kellett while Mick Pineo will be designing the 3*, 2* and 1* courses and Will Foulkes the 95cm and 80 cm courses. Last year, Mick and Will, along with New Zealand’s Chris Lever, built many fences to replace those destroyed by the 2019 fires and this year yet more new fences have been added.
The CCI4* has just six combinations entered but the other classes (CCI3*-S, CCI2*-S, CCI1*-S, Eva95 and EvA80) are all well subscribed.
South Australian Olympian Megan Jones is making the trip as she usually does and hopefully it will be much more fruitful than her last long journey from Adelaide to Ballarat Horse Trials, Victoria when sadly the event was caught in a snap Covid lockdown and the MJET team had to turn around and return home with the horses not getting a run at all.
Megan and Kirby Park Impress must be one of the favourites to win the CCI4* but keep an eye on local rider Sam Jeffree riding Woodmount Lolita. This will be the 13-year-old mare’s first CCI4* start but the 2019 Australian Young Rider Champion and winner of the CCI3* here last year will give it all they’ve got.
Some dressage for the EvA80 and 95 classes will take place on Friday, but the big guns enter the arena on Saturday and all cross country takes place on Sunday.
We'll be providing daily website reports with full wrap-up next week and don't forget to stay tuned to our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for video snippets and more during the weekend ....
Megan Jones and Kirby Park Impress on course at Tonimbuk in 2020
