Stuart Tinney went into the final day with two horses in the lead - Annapurna (above) in the CCI2* and Pluto Mio in the CCI4*
Major events are a bit like the ‘willy willy’ that ripped through the arena during Seumas Marwood’s 4*dressage test on Friday. You can see them coming a long way out, there is a big swirling build up, frantic action in front of an avid crowd and then it’s all over. Dreams are dashed for some whilst others go home on a high, but for everyone who has taken part, it’s been a huge few days.
As Isabel Houghton said in our interview with her on Friday, a three day event actually consists of five tests and the final two took place today. The second horse inspection is always a nervous time but every horse in both classes passed, as we reported this morning. The two leading horses, Stuart Tinney’s Annapurna in the CCI2* and Pluto Mio in the CCI4* both looked incredibly well but there was a big day coming up.
The CCI2* show jumping started at the very civilised hour of 11am, giving people plenty of time for a coffee and catch up with friends before the action kicked off. The second rider into the arena was Judy Clarke on Diablito (below), leaders after the dressage who had dropped way down the leader board during the cross country phase but their clear jumping round today was sheer class.
This was followed by another clear round from Western Australian Benjamin Leahy riding Le Directeur and it looked as if John Vallance’s course was not going to be too testing. However the rails soon started to fall and time penalties add up before the show jumping specialist Anthony Thomas on Southern Warlock showed how it should be done. Anthony only started eventing in the past two years, having show jumped at top level for many years, and he handled the whole course well but particularly fences four and five which were proving problematic.
The next rider in, Lara Pizimolas provided the first drama of the day when her horse Latitude flailed through the pink oxer at fence eight depositing Lara uncomfortably on the ground. The medics were quickly on the scene and Lara taken from the arena on a stretcher with commentator John Kyle assuring us that she was fine, adding
“The biggest injuries these eventing riders suffer usually come from fighting off the medics because they just want to get back to riding eight horses a day”
Jade Findlay and her eight year old Oaks Cordelia, a bay mare by the show jumper Premier des Hayett, provided another clear round, as did Shane Rose on Shanghai Joe (above) who he was riding out of order for two more clears but poor Rebel Morrow only made it to the second fence. Rebel and Ivy Bank Casper were sadly eliminated for jumping before the starter bell had been rung and Rebel walked from the arena, no doubt a bit stunned, as was the next rider Tesse Cook who quickly struggled into her jacket, having anticipated a little more time before her round.
Nat Davies and El Grado
Victorian riders Chris Height and Nat Davies both had good rounds with just four faults on their young horses Devil’s Misstress and El Grado, both definitely ones to watch in the future, while their friend and fellow Victorian Isabel Houghton dropped two rails to move down to sixth place overall but still win the Dublin Australian Young Rider Championship. We talked to a delighted Issy about her win afterwards and you can hear that interview here
Crystal Conning may be small and the horse she was riding, Emily Scott’s Mustang may be big, but their clear round was great to watch with the rangy chestnut’s ears pricked and looking as if he was loving every moment.
“He felt awesome” said Crystal “I gave us a bit of a scare at fence two but Mustang looked after me - after that I think we got in the groove and it felt awesome. Actually once we got rolling it felt like he could have jumped anything today, he felt fantastic”
Cassie Lowe and Koko Doro
Third placed Ali Foye and Kung Fu Panda GP’s twelve faults gave Cassie Lowe some extra breathing space but Cassie didn’t need it, jumping clear and under time on Koko Doro putting extra pressure on the overnight leader, Stuart Tinney. With less than a rail between them, Cassie took the Horseland CCI2* Championship when Stuart’s promising young mare Annapurna had an early fence down but then went on to jump a beautiful round.
Debbie Higgs talks to Cassie Lowe about her win
It has been an exciting morning, the sun was shining down and two champions crowned but there was plenty more action to come in the afternoon with the HSBC Adelaide CCI 4* ………
