Shane Rose and CP Qualified
Shane Rose is in the enviable position of being in first and second places in the CCI4* after a day of cross country which saw, as predicted, the experienced competitors rise to the top.
Stuart Tinney and Pluto Mio, the first combination out on course, moved up sixteen places after an uncharacteristically low dressage score yesterday. As the trailblazers, Pluto and Stuart may have inspired others to think that the time on Mike Etherington-Smith’s course was going to be achievable when they came home with only 1.6 time penalties but Stuart had used all his experience to take the most economical lines and still come home safely.
Shane Rose set off soon after and at the first fence looked to have a decidedly ‘wiggly’ CP Qualified underneath him.
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Eventually however they got into their stride and came home with only 3.2 time penalties, ensuring their first place was still intact.
Two of the younger riders in the class didn’t have such a smooth ride early in the piece with Andrew Cooper, who had just jumped double clear around the CCI2* on two horses, having two stops on Evergem Perfection and 19 year old Emily Gray incurring elimination with a fall from Jocular Vision at Fence 19.
Megan Jones and Kirby Park Allofasudden
Two more Olympians then showed their class with Megan Jones having a few slightly hairy moments (and demonstrating a remarkable ability to sit back during them) on Kirby Park Allofasudden but coming home with just 8.8 time penalties to finish in sixth place. Western Australia’s Sonja Johnson and her thoroughbred gelding Parkiarrup Illicit Liaison went even faster to come in with only 1.2 time penalties to finish in fourth place despite very little preparation for this event due to a badly timed overreach injury
Sonja Johnson
Sonja and Parkiarrup Illicit Liaison over the An Eventful Life Brush Oxer Photo: Jane Thompson
Another Western Australian rider and last year’s CCI4* winner Jess Manson and her Australian Stockhorse Legal Tender (known as Trumby the Brumby thanks to his slightly wild ways with anyone but Jess) didn’t manage to emulate their fast round from last year, incurring 25.2 time penalties and Katja Weimann added 11.2 to move her down from second place into fifth despite a very good jumping round from BP Flamboyant.
Katja and BP Flamboyant
John Twomey and Yona Lloyd both survived interesting moments without steering when they lost their reins at crucial moments - Yona eventually unclipped his martingale to somehow get both reins back and John showed a good hunting seat but they paid the price with heavy time penalties. Yona’s Victorian compatriot Seumas Marwood sadly came to grief at Fence 13, one of only two rider falls during the class.
Christine Bates, third after the dressage, was the other casualty of the day. Christine and Adelaide Hill looked to be in great form as they covered the ground but their bid for a good 4* result ended at Fence 27 and a burst water pipe on the track that Christine had just galloped over then held up the proceedings for a while.
Irrigation has been one of the ways that some of the parkland had been prepared for the horses galloping across it but a gushing burst water pipe hadn’t quite been on the agenda. After a short delay and a few workmen in attendance, the competition resumed
Alice Dunsdon and Fernhill Present
As Judy Clarke had commented after the CCI2* class, the course at Adelaide is not the easiest to navigate due to the twists and turns, a fact which sadly may have brought Alice Dunsdon’s bid to complete six consecutive CCI4* events to an end. Alice, who was in 11th place after the dressage on Fernhill Present appeared to lose her way on course, eventually being stewarded back onto the track but picking up considerable time penalties in the process. It is easily done and even the Event Director Gill Rolton can recall making a similar mistake but it means that Alice now finds herself in 19th place on a score of 94.70
Isabel English and Feldale Mouse
Another bad luck story was young Isabel English who looked to have a fabulous ride on her Connemara/TB cross Feldale Mouse but were given time penalties for not starting at the correct time; Isabel has now dropped from ninth to 13th place
Clarke Johnstone and Balmoral Sensation
The last few riders on course put on a burst of speed that outdid the burst of the pipe. Clarke Johnstone’s Balmoral Sensation was absolutely primed to go and gave Clarke a great ride with ‘everything going exactly as planned’. They moved into second place when they picked up just four time penalties despite really going for it across the line
Shane Rose and Virgil
With one horse in the lead, Shane left the Starter Box on his second ride Virgil with only himself to beat. He didn’t quite manage it but he finally managed to beat the optimum time of 11 minutes and moved into second place ahead of Clarke
Shortly afterwards Andrew Cooper joined him as the only other rider to make the time riding his second horse, the off the track thoroughbred Black Crest, moving them a whopping 20 places from 27th to 7th place on 65.20.
