Australian eventing Olympic medallists Stuart Tinney and Shane Rose are experienced riders at world championships but neither has yet won a medal. In this two part article we look back at their past WEG experiences and forward to Normandy 2014. To read the first part of this article click here
Stuart and Pluto Mio finished fifth at the only 4* event in Australia, the 2013 Australian International 3DE, but it wasn't quite good enough to put them on the EA WEG 2014 Squad
To compete at the 2014 Alltech FE World Equestrian Games in Normandy, the first step is to be selected for the Australian team. It is a long process which requires the right performances at the right time while ensuring that their horses remain injury free and ready to peak at the end of August. From past experience both Shane and Stuart know this is not as easy as it sounds
“It’s all about performance” points out Stuart “You need good performances to be selected and sometimes you have to compete more times than you would like. Things don’t always quite go to plan in the lead up and you have to work around that. It isn’t always the ideal preparation you would like heading to a major championship but it’s the preparation you have to do to be selected”
Shane agrees that often selection is harder than the actual competition and that being based in Australia has its own challenges
“In Australia we only have one CCI4* event per year to aim our horses at. If for some reason they miss that event in Adelaide at the end of the season you have to wait another 12 months whereas in Europe there are several opportunities to compete at 4* events throughout the year. Because of that there is the potential for our lower level events – CIC level – to have more impact on our selectors’ opinions. Certainly one of our difficulties in getting selected is that you’re not only competing for a spot on the Australian team against people here in Australia but also Australians competing in Europe or America”
Shane and his young horse Virgil on course at Le Pin - note Stuart videoing in the background!
Recognising the importance of reconnaissance, Shane and Stuart visited Normandy’s National Stud, Le Haras du Pin, in August 2013 where the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Test Event was being held. Three UK based Australian riders Chris Burton, Andrew Hoy and Kevin McNab finished on top in the CCI2* teams test event here while Shane and Stuart were in attendance to support the team and check out, literally, the lie of the land. Shane had brought one of his young horses from Australia to compete in Le Grand Complet CIC 3* the following weekend to finish in 10th place and Stuart used his time to familiarise himself with the site that will host the eventing competition from August 28th to September 1st.
Obviously much work will be completed at the venue between then and now but both riders felt it provided valuable information.
While the historic stud buildings front Le Haras du Pin, the new dressage arena and some of the cross country course will be located in a natural ampitheatre overlooked by the Chateau Photo: CG -de-lOrne
“Visiting a venue in advance doesn’t tell you what the actual Championship course will be like, the visit is more to find out about the layout of the venue and the logistical side of things. That way, when you arrive you’ve already got a handle on where things are, which really helps” explains Stuart, who was impressed by the venue
“The footing and going at Le Pin in July was really lovely while the location and the amphitheatre area in front of the Chateau are beautiful and should provide fabulous viewing for the public. But for me, seeing the terrain of the cross country course was really useful; that helps you understand how fit your horse needs to be and what kind of fitness your horse needs to perform well there.
The terrain is undulating and not very flat so the horses will need to be fit. Compared to Mike Etherington-Smith’s course at Kentucky, my guess is that Pierre Michelet’s course for Normandy will be busier as the terrain at Kentucky had long undulations but there were long galloping stretches and the turns were fairly soft. In Normandy I think that the course will see a lot more twisting and turning on hills that are bigger and more demanding. Interestingly the terrain is quite similar to that of the current course at Sydney International Horse Trials here in Australia”
An idea of the rest of the cross country course area away from the Chateau can be seen in this ariel photo, courtesy CG -de-lOrne
Shane also thinks that Haras du Pin will provide an impressive venue and challenging course. He wonders if it may not prove to be as massive a test as some people have been suggesting although he quickly adds “I’m not saying it’s going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination!”
“I thought that the cross country terrain had a really good feel to it” he says “It’s hilly and undulating but it isn’t Burghley. Time is certainly going to be difficult to make – 11 or 12 minutes on those hills and turning on the good going, which is slightly softer than we’re used to here in Australia, will take it’s toll”
There is another way that Shane or Stuart may be travelling to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy as they have both qualified to compete at the final of the Alltech Equine Advantage Series. Organised by Alltech Australia, riders had the opportunity to qualify their less experienced horses at various Australian events in 2013 and the winner of the Series final at the Sydney International Horse Trials in April will secure a trip for two people to the Games. Spectating from the sidelines isn’t the way that either of them plans to be spending their time in Normandy but both of them will still be out to win the Alltech Equine Advantage Series on their less experienced horses
After all, they may be friends but they are both there to win
