Having put our toes in the water (or water jump) covering the first few international level events in March, April set the pace for the rest of the year. Namely, flat out like a croc drinking ..........
The month kicked off with the NFW Queensland International 3 Day Event at Morgan Park in Warwick, Queensland about 130 km south west of Brisbane. Warwick has a strong history in eventing and is probably most famous for the 42 days of quarantine lockdown when Equine Influenza struck on the eve of the FEI World Cup Eventing qualifier in 2007. This year no such disaster struck and Penny Rose brought us a wrap-up of the event as sadly we could not be there (don’t worry, we’ll definitely have someone there each day for the State of Origin event in 2013). Penny reported that “Pretty much everything about the event was perfect. The location, the people, the weather and the challenging course … I feel as if I have just enjoyed a great holiday”. I’m not sure what Penny was taking, but I definitely need some of it – I never feel as if I have been on holiday after an event!
Saturday was Pink Day for breast cancer – pink people everywhere ( the Event Secretary was even brave enough to dye her blond hair pink!) and even a huge complex of pink jumps.
Photo courtesy OzShots
Bella Mowbray and Star Vision (above) won the CCI 3*, Kevin McNab and Kelecyn Cognac took the CCI 2* and Debbie Kopp with King Tim won the CCI 1* while Mattea Davidson took second in the 1* and 2*. Kevin McNab headed overseas leaving the girls to have a really good year on the Queensland and Australian circuit with their very talented horses.
To see our coverage of the NFW Qld International 3DE 2012 CLICK HERE
Sonja Johnson and Parkiarrup Illicit Liaison cantered around Camperdown Photo: Stephanie Rowe
I did get to cover the Camperdown Horse Trials in person however and I was really impressed with the scenic location of this event, held in legend country (read Roycroft family). Barry and Lyn Roycroft are a driving force behind this event while Wayne, recently retired as the Australian National Eventing Coach, was there helping Western Australia’s Olympic hopeful, Sonja Johnson. Megan Jones was there too and ended up winning the CCI 3* on Kirby Park Allofasudden while Sonja took second place on her up and coming horse Belfast Mojito, choosing to take her top horse Parkiarrup Illicit Liaison, well known for his speed and agility, for a slow canter around the cross country. Young Andrew Cooper on Guest of Honour was the fastest on the cross country and finished in third place overall while Will Enzinger and Ruban Son took the CCI 2* and Megan Jones made it worth the trip from South Australia with a win in the CCI 1* as well on Kirby Park Irish Empress
To see our coverage of the Camperdown Horse Trials 2012 CLICK HERE
Talking of Western Australia, Brookleigh Estate hosted the WAYER @Brookleigh event. Sadly I didn’t get to cover this event as I would love to stay at the beautiful Brookleigh Estate (maybe then I would feel as if I’d been on a holiday after an event). Perth based UK journalist Kate Herren covered the event for us and found that Deon Stokes (above), well known for his eventing and dressage skills, was ‘ stoked’ to win the CIC 1*, particularly as he was also competing and winning at the WA Dressage Championships on the same weekend. Lauren Browne and the 15hh Dakota Ultra Easy won the CIC 2* after several riders came to grief on the cross country while the sole CIC*** competitor, Anthonia Hartley, was thrilled to complete her first ever CIC*** with her off the track Thoroughbred, Due Heed, a full brother to the successful WA racehorse, Northerly.
To see our coverage of the WAYER @Brookleigh CIC 2012 CLICK HERE
Victory to Australia in the Senior Trans Tasman Photo: Libby Law
The reason that there was only one competitor in the CIC 3* at Brookleigh lay mainly in the fact that Sonja Johnson had headed to Camperdown while Makayla Wood and Ben Leahy had been picked for the Young Rider Trans Tasman event in New Zealand. John Lechner (ESJ) headed over to Kihikihi to cover the Senior Trans Tasman for us early in April and loved the Kiwi event, course and people. Plus of course it always helps when you have a win; the Australian Senior team of Shane Rose, Christine Bates, Katja Weimann and Natalie Blundell took the honours but the roles were reversed in the YR Trans Tasman with New Zealand coming out on top after a tough cross country (below)
Photo: Annie Studholme
To see our coverage of the Senior and Young Rider Trans Tasman at Kihikihi CLICK HERE
Soon after Kihikihi, Libby Law jetted off from her home land of the long white cloud to head to cover her first major event for AEL – the Rolex Kentucky. We feel that it is really important to cover the HSBC FEI Classics Series in depth and Libby’s camera has been capturing the action at all of these huge events, as well as many others, throughout 2012. Expert US commentators Fran Jurga and Sam Clarke helped us out on their home turf too at an event which saw William Fox-Pitt win the 4* event on Parklane Hawk, putting him in a good position to possibly take home the Rolex Grand Slam of eventing at Badminton (or, as it turned out, not ......).
William Fox-Pitt and Parklane Hawk Photo: Libby Law
To see our coverage of Rolex Kentucky CLICK HERE
Happy to be leading after the dressage, Shane stayed in front throughout the Sydney International 3DE
Meanwhile on the same weekend on the other side of the world in Sydney, Shane Rose and Taurus claimed the Sydney International 3 Day Event’s CCI 3* title, leading from start to finish ahead of Tim Boland riding GV Billy Elliot and Emma Scott on Mustang. Rob Palm and Koko Black won the CCI 2* from Shane on Wisteria Lane while Megan Jones and Kirby Park Irish Empress won the CCI 1*ahead of Emma Mason and Poker Face. The decision for the Australian based Olympic hopefuls who had not hit the mark in Sydney was now, should they compete at the Melbourne International 3 Day Event in June while in the UK things were being thrown into turmoil as the weather dictated play in May ........................
To see our coverage of the Sydney International 3 Day Event CLICK HERE
To relive the photographic memories from any of these events, visit our Photo Gallery
Coming Up Next: It’s wet, wet, wet in the UK and Europe in May while the very popular Eventing Equestriad at Camden shows that eventers know a thing or two about running an event as well as riding in them .....
