Hazel Shannon and Willinga Park Clifford
Hazel Shannon and her thoroughbred gelding Willinga Park Clifford have won the Peel Valley Machinery CIC3* class at Tamworth International Eventing for the fifth time.
Sitting in second place after the dressage and show jumping phase, Shannon moved up to the top of the leader board with a fast cross country round, while time penalties saw dressage leaders Emma Bishop and CP Issey Miyake take second place overall.
Emma Bishop and CP Issey Miyake
In his first attempt at the CIC3* level, Pakistani Olympic hopeful Usman Khan thrilled the crowd with the fastest cross country round in the class, and was clearly delighted with his horse Al-Buraq’s outstanding performance on course, which saw the pair finish in fourth place behind third placed Sam Lyle and BF Valour.
Usman Khan and Al-Buraq
Grace Kay and Celerity Park Faberge led the Tamworth Landrover CIC2* class from start to finish, while Andrew Barnett and Bradgate Park Galileo emerged victorious in the Inland Technology CIC1* class.
The cold and windy conditions were no deterrent for an enthusiastic crowd who gathered on course to cheer on over 330 riders who competed at the event.
“Conditions were very trying, however eventers are known for their tenacity and everyone had a great time” said Tamworth International Eventing President Carolyn Campbell. “Over 100 volunteers are involved in running an event of this scale, and they braved sub zero temperatures in the morning and fierce winds in the afternoon with admirable dedication”.
In 2019, the Tamworth International Event is expected to reach new heights with the construction of several new feature fences including a water jump which is expected to be the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.
“Competitors cannot speak highly enough of the world class facilities here at the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre” Campbell commented. “We are excited about what the future holds for equestrian sport in this region and look forward to running two events again in 2019.”
Grace Kay and Celerity Park Faberge
