Hello my name is Oliver Barrett and I have had a very exiting 2013.
This year I have competed my pony Kerulen Midori, aka Rory at Interschools in Feb and I finished the year by completing Scone and Camden at Intro level. However the most exciting events I attended this year were the HSBC Classics at Luhmühlen and Adelaide.
Dad, Jesper and me standing under the HSBC sign at Luhmuhlen
In June I was very lucky to be able to attended Luhmühlen CCI4* in Germany. We arrived the day of the dressage and I was able to watch the international stars of eventing. My favourites were Michael Jung, Ingrid Klimke, Andrew Nicholson (who I was lucky enough to shake his hand) and I also met William Fox-Pitt who also has a son named Oliver.
Cross country day was super as I got to walk the course with Lucinda Fredericks . Lucinda went clear cross country with just a couple of time penalties. The other Australian riders went clear cross countryand I even got to video the Australian riders. It all came down to the show jumping with Andrew Nicholson in the lead with not even one rail between him and Zara Phillips who I got a photo taken with, who is the Queen's granddaughter.
Me with Zara
Zara went clear and put the pressure on Andrew Nicholson. Andrew Nicholson came into the arena looking for the win and put in a clear round for the win. So Andrew Nicholson had won with Zara Phillips in second.
After all this we went to Aachen World Equestrian Festival in Germany. We watched the eventing and it was very exiting. It all kicked off with the dressage with Paul Tapner, one of the Aussies, who did a good test. Our next rider for the Aus team was Bill Levett with his horse Silk Stone did a good test.
Chris Burton came into the arena as defending champion this time on his Olympic ride Leilani who put in probably a PB with a score of 35.80 and was fifth after dressage. One of Aussie Olympic champions came in to the arena. It was Andrew Hoy this time on Cheeky Calimbo who did a wonderful test scoring 31.00. Sandra Auffarth was in the lead after dressage.
Show jumping was on the same day as the dressage. Chris Burton, aka Burto put in a clear round. Andrew Hoy had one down which put him back into fifth.
Walking the show jumping course at Aachen with my brother Jesper
Then it was cross country day at Aachen and the course was set and it looked like a CIC 4 star not a CIC three star. The riders were set. Our first rider out was Paul Tapner who went clear with just a couple of time penalties. After a couple of riders we were starting to think that the corner in the water would cause a couple of problems and it did. Burto, probably one of the fastest men in the world, went out on course looking to finish on his dressage score but at that time no one had gone under time.
Then Sandra Auffarth went out on course. Burto had finished and had gone under time by about five seconds; Sandra Auffarth finished and thought she had won but the score had came up and it said Burto had won it was only by 0.40 It was one of the most exiting finishes ever and it meant he had won it two times in a row. And that was Aachen for 2013.
After Aachen we got a plane to England and was in England for a couple of days and went to Barbury Horse Trials. The highlight of those few days was riding Lucinda Frederick's wonderful horse Headley Brittania. Then we got a plane back home.
Me riding Headley Brittania
And, did I mention that a few weeks ago I got to go to a Chris Burton clinic. It was fantastic and mum videoed me in the rain ...
The next exciting thing in 2013 was the Adelaide International Horse Trials that have just been. I had to be picked up from school by my Aunty Felicity who happens to be Felicity Cribb who went to the 1994 World Equestrian Games at The Hague in the Netherlands. She had a fantastic horse called Carmody St. We went to Sydney airport to catch a plane from Sydney to Adelaide. We got there and my mum, aka Prue Barrett, was sitting outside the hotel waiting for us.
The 4star dressage kicked off at Victoria Park. First to go was Beijing Olympian Sonja Johnson on her horse Belfast Mojito putting in a good test 51.00. Next to go was Stuart Tinney on Sydney. Shane Rose on one of his best horses Taurus did a good test with a score of 45.00 putting them in third place.
Next to go was London 2012 rider and Aachen winner Chris Burton on his catch ride picking up from Will Enzinger just a week before and did a wonderful test with a score of 49.00.
At Adelaide with Auntie Felicity, mum, dad, Julie (who owns Sparkle) and Brett Parbery (who coaches the Australian eventers)
Next to go defending champion here at Adelaide was Craig Barrett (my dad) on Sandhills Brillaire, aka Sparkle who put in a PB at 4star level with a score of 46.00 which saw him in 4th position. Later in the day saw their second rides with some of the big stars such as Christine Bates, Shane Rose, Sonja Johnson and Stuart Tinney did very well.
Cross country day provided some great action at Victoria Park and it all kicked off with the 2 Star cross country. After the 2 Star was the 4 star, with Sonja Johnson kicking the 4 Star going clear with just a couple of time penalties. Stuart Tinney withdrew his horse Sydney before he went cross country. The next experienced rider to go was Shane Rose riding Taurus who put in a clear round with just .40 of a time penalty. Chris Burton, aka Burto had his catch ride TS Jamaimo and went out on course and produced a clear round and under time.
Next to go was Daddy on Sparkle (aka Sandhills Brillaire who are defending champions at Adelaide) and were looking for a clear round and they just did that but he did not go under time and had 2 time penalties. Later in the day saw Christine Bates go clear with a couple of time penalties. Just a couple of riders later and Sonja Johnson went out on course and she went clear and under time after that was Shane Rose and Stuart Tinney who both had clear rounds.
It all came down to the show jumping with not even one rail between the top four.
Fifth last to go was Chris Burton who put in a clear round to put the pressure on the top four. Next to go was Daddy riding our homebred mare Sparkle who went clear until the last fence came down but they were still lying in fourth position. Third to go was Shane Rose but he had two down.
Last to go was Stuart Tinney. It was an exciting finish with Chris in the lead and sadly Stuart having two down meant that Chris had won on his catch ride TS Jamaimo! That wraps it up from at Adelaide.
Kick For Gold
Oliver
