Australian eventing riders Shane Rose and Shenae Lowings took centre stage at the Lexus Melbourne Cup today.
The two Olympians were part of an elite group that escorted the 2024 Lexus Melbourne Cup trophy on its final journey from the Winning Post to the Carbine Plinth, just minutes before the race began.
Three-time Olympic medallist Shane and Shenae, who represented Australia at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games alongside Shane as part of the Australian equestrian team on her retired racehorse Bold Venture, joined multiple Olympic gold medallist and Melbourne Cup Carnival Ambassador Ariarne Titmus OAM and dual Paralympic gold medallist Alexa Leary.
The television cameras, which broadcast into over 200 countries and territories with a potential global reach of 750 million people, followed the journey that started with Clerks of the Course Peter and Shane Patterson, paying tribute to their father, the late John “Patto” Patterson OAM, as they carried the trophy on horseback down Patterson Avenue before handing the $750,000 gold trophy to the Olympians.
VRC Chairman Neil Wilson then placed it on the Carbine plinth.
“The Melbourne Cup Carnival is Australia’s original major event, and we are proud to use this opportunity to celebrate the contributions of our country’s sporting, racing and entertainment stars,” Mr Wilson said.
As well as being Olympians, both Shane and Shenae are involved in the racing through their pre-training businesses at Bimbadeen Park and Woodlow Equine where they use their equestrian knowledge to train young thoroughbreds destined for a career on the racetrack.
“This is such an important part of a racehorse’s life” says Shenae of their pre-training and breaking-in process “If you do it correctly, it gives them the best possible chance in life – not just their racing life but whatever they go on to afterwards as well"
