“We don’t talk about planes,” said a very happy Christine Bates after winning the Bates Saddles CCI3* at Sydney International Horse Trials riding her own Adelaide Hill. Christine has suffered her fair share of injury challenges with ‘Spooks’, as Adelaide Hill is known, and has learnt to keep the plan simple and not to look to far into the future
“In previous years when we have planned to head overseas with Spooks it has never gone right, so today I’m just going to enjoy the fact that the plan was to come to Sydney and win and we have achieved that … so I’m very happy.”
We caught up with Christine after her win
Christine Bates
The CCI3* class attracted 17 combinations and it was Amanda Ross and Koko Popping Candy (above) who led the class after both dressage day and cross country day.
This talented 11 year old mare, who was previously campaigned up to 2* level by Rob and Cassie Palm, produced a 27.2 test with Amanda. They backed that up with a cracking cross country round and the pair were looking very much on track to take out the CCI3* win. Sadly show jumping day didn’t quite go their way and three rails down saw the pair drop back to finish fourth.
Christine, who had been lying just 0.4 behind Amanda on dressage day, slipped down the leaderboard a couple of places after cross country day when the pair picked up a few time penalties.
This allowed Megan Jones and Kirby Park Impress (above), who went clear cross country, to move up into second place going into show jumping day. Like Amanda, Megan didn’t enjoy the best show jumping rounds and five rails down saw them drop down the leaderboard.
The only rider to finish on their dressage score was Robert Palm riding Koko Story (above). Rob was lying 12th after a test, which scored 35.5 and looked very classy both cross country day and show jumping day.
Certainly Koko Story, who finished sixth last year at Adelaide CCI4*, looked very keen to get on with things in the show jumping arena and their performance was good enough to see them finish in second place and win the Highest Placed Thoroughbred award, sponsored by The Thoroughbred Club (very appropriate considering Rob's racing connections)
Shane Rose enjoyed a slightly mixed weekend but was happy to take home a win in the CNC3* riding Virgil. Shane was one of five riders, over nine classes, to win their class from start to finish. However Shane’s ride on Swiper in the CCI3* resulted in the pair walking home.
We spoke to Shane prior to the CNC3* show jumping who explained what had happened to Swiper (and his other rides) and why he is very excited to have Swiper as a back up to Virgil.
One young lady who continues to impress with her results is 18 year old Olivia Barton (above). At Sydney Olivia, or Golly as she is known around the eventing circuit, finished second behind Shane in the CNC3* riding her consistent homebred gelding APH Bertie Bad.
Olivia, who was named in the EA Recognition Squad earlier this year, moved up to 3* level earlier this year, winning her first 3*. This very likeable young lady, who also won The Rod Winchester Trophy for the Best and Fairest Young rider on Sunday afternoon, spoke to us before the show jumping phase.
Tim Boland and Menlo Park
Tim Boland was understandably happy with his results on both his reliable campaigner, Napoleon, who won the CCI2* and the ‘new kid on the block’ Menlo Park who won the CCI*.
“Menlo Park only came over from the UK three months ago and he has certainly hit the ground running. He’s a pretty exciting horse and one of four or five that I have in partnership with Oliver Townend. I’m not riding a lot of event horses these days but I do like to ride good horses,” said Tim “Menlo Park won the one star at Canberra and was in the lead at Equestriad when I managed to miss a flag so basically I feel as if he has pretty much won three out of three one stars, which is very exciting.”
Oliver Barrett and Ballyhoo - second at their first ever CCI1*
Second behind Tim in the CCI2* was 14 year old Oliver Barrett riding Ballyhoo. Oliver had actually overtaken Tim after cross country day when he went clear and under time but a rail down on show jumping day (and one time penalty) slipped him back to second. It was nevertheless a fantastic achievement for one so young although Oliver was quick to thank his parents. “Mum and dad give me lots of advice and walk the course with me, which is a big help … I’m very lucky.”
Other winners at Sydney included Rachel Watts who was the well deserved winner of An Eventful Life Mike O’Callahan Grooms Award while the Holstein Park Lelani Highest Place Mare award went to CP Issy Miyake, ridden by Emma Bishop, who finished third in the CCI3*.
Two talented ladies - Emma Bishop and CP Issey Miyake
Article and interviews by Alison Duthie and Peter Gillis
