Jai - winner of the Introductory Combined Training at Boneo Park
Several combinations heading to Lakes and Craters in Camperdown, Victoria next weekend opted to compete at the Combined Training Day at Boneo Park on the Victorian Mornington Peninsula on Saturday.
Following on from his win in the CCI 2* in Adelaide riding Flowervale Maserati, Will Enzinger won the CNC 3*. According to the results, he won riding TS Jamaimo but we’re pretty sure that was Ruban Son he was riding! Both horses were entered but Will only rode one – making him the only competitor in the class.
Brent Hanslow and Ambleside Sir William won the CNC 2* from Rebecca McDougall on ESB Irish Patience; again only two in this class. The lower classes were better populated but it seems a shame there were not more in the higher levels as the facilities, arena surfaces and gear at Boneo Park are fantastic. The dressage was held on the large outdoor arena while the jumping was in the very elegant surrounds of the indoor arena designed by the well known South Australian eventing competitor and architect Luke Jones. Clayton Fredericks held a clinic there last week and this 850-acre venue, well known for its dressage competitions, now also has great facilities for jumping and plans for a top class cross country course
The indoor arena surface at Boneo Park is great for dressage and jumping
Tesse Cook won the CNC 1* riding Rimfire Don Pierre and Leesa Clausing the Pre-Novice riding Avalon Park Tomcat. Nicole Stewart of Think Forward Coaching was competing in this class on Contiki Tour and Bell's Park Archibald Prize in readiness for Lakes and Craters – Nicole is joining our stable of bloggers and you’ll be finding out more about her and her horses next week in her first blog.
Talking of bloggers, an old favourite was at Boneo Park; Vaughan Ellis was competing Mio Jupiter in the Pre-Novice and won the Introductory on his young horse Jai, so called as his racing name was Gigantor. The 17hh thoroughbred by Lago Delight (by of course Encosta Delago) came to Vaughan through his contacts at Caulfield Racecourse
Vaughan and Jai
‘He cleared the show jumps by a foot’ says Vaughan who is really happy with the seven year old ‘I haven’t had him very long and he’s just getting better and better'
Vaughan went quiet for a while after his first CCI 1* start at Melbourne International 3 Day Event where all was on track for a top 10 finish until....... (to find out more you’ll have to read Vaughan’s own account)
The painful memory seems to be subsiding and now Vaughan not only has the talented grey Mio Jupiter (half brother to Stuart Tinney’s 4 * ride, Pluto Mio) but also Jai. While he has not been actively competing in eventing, Vaughan admits to having slipped over to the ‘dark side’ for a while, competing in dressage on Sally Stelling’s Warmblood Northern Isaac with some success.
Luckily, it seems that Isaac can jump a bit too, so maybe we’ll soon see Vaughan back on the eventing circuit with three good horses. Time to totally crawl out from under that rock Mr. Ellis
For results from Boneo Park CT CLICK HERE
The next Combined Training at Boneo Park will be held on January 12th – CLICK HERE for more details
