Chris Burton and TS Jamaimo finish on their dressage score
Twenty five horses and riders started in the HSBC Adelaide CCI4* at the Australian International 3 Day Event on Friday and only one of these finished on their dressage score – Chris Burton and TS Jamaimo.
In a strange twist of fate, and thanks to some top class riding, one of Australia’s top UK based eventing riders has ended up winning his country’s top international three day event on a catch ride and is himself a little bemused, but very pleased, by it all. The fairy tale story started last Monday when Chris was approached to ride the horse and, after a little research, decided that he would
It ended today with a double clear show jumping round, one of only three around John Vallance’s big course, resulting in the horse that is for sale winning the southern hemisphere’s only 4* event and Chris picking up valuable points in the 2103/14 FEI Classics Series.
The show jumping phase proved tough and poor Monica Oakley from New Zealand endured a horror round early on in the afternoon, knocking down nearly every fence on the course riding her thoroughbred Fontain. Monica’s aim is to ride at all Four Star events in the world and, although this is probably one day Monica would rather forget right now, the pair have tucked their first 4* completion under their belt and have many more to look forward to.
The other 4* first timers, Tarryn Proctor riding ESB Irish Quest (above) and Isabel English riding Feldale Mouse finished in 17th and 12th places respectively; Tarryn and Irish Quest had only four jumping faults and eight time penalties while Isabel’s Feldale Mouse rolled two rails but it was a good performance from both of them today in a tough class.
Last year Keira Byrnes and the evergreen Fox Hill finished in fifth place despite clocking up quite a few jumping and time penalties. However this year the pair picked up one of the lowest jumping penalty scores of the day with only four faults although they did have quite a few time penalties to finish in 18th. Another ‘veteran’ of two years at 4* level at the grand old age of 20, Jessica Manson from Western Australia finished in 15th on Legal Star.
When Rebel Morrow rode into the arena, she made a point of ensuring that the starter’s bell had rung, having been eliminated earlier in the day riding her 2* horse Ivy Bank Casper. Rebel’s Hillgrove Enviable looks a bit of a handful and Rebel describes her as a ‘hot redhead’ but they managed a creditable eight jump penalties and three time faults.
Another chestnut, the very attractive Adelaide Hill put in a lovely round to jump a clear round with just one pesky time fault creeping in; considering her preparation for this event, Christine Bates has done a great job this week finishing in 11th place. Now that Christine has her horse back after her finger injury, it will be interesting to watch their progress in 2014.
Seumas Marwood went one better with the jumping machine Wild Oats (above) and provided a rare double clear round, despite having to contend with a rogue photographer almost wandering into his path. Seumas obligingly called out to the photographer to ‘stay still’ as Wild Oats approached fence nine and luckily it seemed to affect neither the horse or rider; they went on to place sixth and won the ATCO award for the best show jumping round of the day.
Having had a freak ‘willy willy’ blow through the dressage arena on Friday when he was competing and today nearly mowing down a photographer, Seumas must wonder why the gods were conspiring against him this week. However he overcame both with aplomb, something you need when you wear a kilt for the trot up
Sonja and Parkiarrup Illicit Liaison
The other clear round had come from Sonja Johnson very early in the afternoon when she rode the then seventh placed Belfast Mojito out of order. This was a lovely round which eventually earned them an well-deserved second place but Sonja was kicking herself for giving Parkiarrup Illicit Liaison, who went into the show jumping in fifth place and ended up in eighth, a ‘bad ride’.
Sonja Johnson interviewBefore Parkiarrup Illicit Liaison, Chris Burton and TS Jamaimo had provided the very enthusiastic crowd with another clear round but, even at that point, he was probably thinking it unlikely he would win with three Olympic medallists and last year’s defending champion yet to ride.
Craig Barrett and Sandhills Brillaire (Sparkle) looked set to improve on Chris’ score until the very last fence – exactly the same fence (even the same sponsor) that he knocked down last year
Craig and 'Sparkle'
“Sparkle, what a star, 3rd today at Adelaide” tweeted Craig @SandhillsHorses “Horse of a lifetime, she can’t wait till the jockey can ride the last fence”
Shane Rose riding his and the Wischers’ CP Qualified had two early rails down but the big grey got better as the round went on, however eight faults and two time penalties slipped them down to seventh. Having gone out of order on this horse he was soon back with the second placed Taurus but a surprising two rails down dropped them down a few places and meant that Chris Burton was now only 3.8 penalties behind the leaders Stuart Tinney and Pluto Mio (below).
The fences which had brought Shane unstuck also were Stuart’s undoing – in Stuart’s case it was Fence 4 and 5a which fell and he added one time penalty, dropping him to fifth place behind Shane and Taurus in fourth, Craig and Sandhills Brillaire in third, Sonja on Belfast Mojito in second and the visiting Chris Burton in first place.
On Thursday, John Lechner (who has been doing a fabulous job running AEL Twitter during the event) suggested to Chris that it would be interesting if Chris “went out and won it”
“I don’t think it quite happens like that in our sport, sadly” said Chris “But the owners are obviously expecting to see the horse go its best so I’ll be doing my damnedest to try and deliver”
And deliver he did.
Watch our video interview with winner, Chris Burton
