Christine Bates will be busy, not just riding but as President of Sydney Eventing
The Randwick Equine Centre Sydney Eventing Summer Classic will have some competitors brushing off their trot up togs as the first CIC3* of the season in Australia takes place
Usually this honour falls to Tonimbuk, Victoria or Scone, NSW in March but the Sydney Eventing competitions that are becoming more and more popular are this year running a CIC3*, CIC2* and CIC1* as well as their national CNC counterparts. The response has been enthusiastic with 21 competitors in the CIC/CNC3*, 33 in the CIC/CNC2* and 36 in the CIC/CNC1*
As Hazel Shannon told us recently, there are not many CIC3* competitions in this part of the world and, with the cancellation of Scone Horse Trials due to drought, the high level competitors are looking to maximise their training runs and performances in a year that will see the selection of the Australian team for the World Equestrian Games in Tryon
Two riders that know all about how to campaign for selection are the very experienced Shane Rose and Stuart Tinney and both are competing in this weekend’s Randwick Equine Centre CIC3*; Stuart on board War Hawk, who finished last season with a third place at the Mitsubishi Motors Australian International 3 Day Event CIC4* and Shane on the less experienced Swiper, who also finished his 2017 season on a high note with second place in the Adelaide CIC3*
The 2016 Australian CCI4* winner Hazel Shannon and Willinga Park Clifford are also having their first big run of the season here as is Christine Bates with both Adelaide Hill, the Adelaide CIC3*champion, and Ned O’Reilly
Emma Bishop and CP Issey Miyake at Wallaby Hill Photo courtesy Stephen Mowbray Photography
In the Horseland CNC3* look out for two petite ladies with big talent; Emma Bishop on CP Issey Miyake, winners of the CCI3* at Wallaby Hill in December and Emma Mason on the 11 year old gelding Currabeha
Tim Boland and Tania Harding both have rides in the CIC3* but their horses in the Randwick Equine Centre CIC2* are ones that could really do well in this class. Tim’s Napoleon is such a classy horse who should enjoy a gentle run at 2* level to start the season and Tania’s Jirrima Yabba Dabba Doo is a cross country machine that has never had a cross country jumping fault in his international career
Stuart Tinney is moving one of his young horses, Elizabeth Brinton’s Celebration, up a level for his first 2* start here while Stuart’s old mount Pluto Mio will be enjoying a romp around in ‘retirement’ with Steph Bender on board. Sam Lyle and BF Valour finished well last year with third place in the CCI1* at Wallaby Hill on their dressage score of 39.9 and Sam is another one moving his horse up a grade here
Young Thea Horsely was doing well in the CCI2* in Adelaide until a horror show jumping round dropped them down but keep an eye out for their comeback this weekend in this class. Another one to watch, this time in the Brighton Saddlery CNC2* is Grace Kay and Celerity Park Faberge, winners of the CCI1* at Melbourne and Wallaby Hill in 2017
Shane and Stuart are going to be busy this weekend with both of them also having rides in the Randwick Equine Centre CIC1*. Shane has the two chestnuts, Togo, the off the track thoroughbred and the warmblood Finch Farm Spruce and also has a catch ride on Soigne Jackson’s nine year old Ultimate Velocity, who is a horse we love but has quite a background story (especially interesting as Shane refused to get on him as a young one!)
Stuart is riding the two young German imports, Leporis and Diabolo, both making their step up to international competition
Oliver Barrett and Ballyhoo on their way to a win in November
Today’s eventing world is full of familiar names as young riders bearing well-known surnames such as Tinney, King, Green and others make their mark. Oliver Barrett is a tad younger than these but is another one with a good pedigree to keep an eye on and this weekend he is competing on Ballyhoo in the Beecroft Physio CNC1*, having won the EvA105 here in November
There are also hundreds of riders competing from EvA80 to EvA105 and we’re delighted to be sponsoring the EvA95B. We’re looking forward to seeing another retired superstar Diablito competing with Kim Cole while his real ‘mum’ Judy Clarke is riding another gorgeous chestnut following in Diablito’s footsteps, Uka. Looking forward to lots of interviews in this class!
So stay tuned this weekend for reports, photos, interviews and of course we will be filming all riders on cross country both days of the event.
See you there and smile at the camera!
