Antipodeans make moves on FEI Eventing Rankings

      Celebrations for Hazel Shannon, Amanda Pottinger and Sonja Johnson in Adelaide

The latest FEI rankings as of 30^th November 2018 sees the top 10 remaining in place with the sole change of Ingrid Klimke and Phillip Dutton having flipped places at 9^th and 10^th

Britain’s Oliver Townend still leads the rankings (569 points) with Ros Canter close behind (564) and New Zealand’s Tim Price in third (514) but it is the riders based in the Southern Hemisphere that have made the big moves in the past month

The Australian International 3 Day Event, with three classes eligible for points at CCI4*, CIC3* and CCI2* levels, always has an effect at this time of year when little else is happening around the world and this year is no different.

The CCI4* winner Hazel Shannon, who has only one horse, Willinga Park Clifford, currently competing at international level, has shot from 570^th up to 125^th in the rankings while New Zealand’s Amanda Pottinger has moved from 167^th into the Top 100 riders in 56^th place

Sonja Johnson finished third on Misty Isle Valentino this year and fifth last year in Adelaide but she didn’t compete at Capel this year, where she won and took second place last year, so her FEI ranking has dropped from 29^th to 171

Another drop has been for Australian-based Andrew Cooper, who has topped the FEI Rankings for Australian riders for over a year. Last year Andrew finished fourth in the CCI4* at Adelaide but withdrew his ride after the cross country this year, dropping him from 13^th to 41^st but he remains in the top 50

Chris Burton now tops the FEI Rankings for Australia in 24^th place with Andrew Hoy close behind in 26^th and two Australian based ladies, Amanda Ross and Emma Bishop are next in 33^rd and 34^th places. Shane Rose’s two wins at Adelaide in the CCI2* and CIC3* have moved him from 58^th to 36^th. Christine Bates round out the Aussies in the Top 50 in 46^th place