Skip Carney & Ingrandire, leaders in the EvA95 Div 1
When you head out the door at 3:30am you never quite know what sort of day you are up for. Well when I left home in the Hunter Valley it was a fair 5 degrees celcius, the further I drove up the New England Hwy the colder it got. So by the time I got out of my car a little before 7am it was -3. That I was not expecting. What did great me however was the rising sun over the beautiful equestrian paradise that is AELEC.
I have never been to AELEC before and I was floored. For those of you who have been to SIEC (which was the home of the Sydney Olympic Games Equestrian), AELEC makes SIEC look tired and not very well thought out.
Emma Bickley and Chicken Run in the EvA Div 2
AELEC was completed in September 2008 and was focused on western disciplines of horse sport. Since that time the English disciplines have discovered the great facilities including 478 stables. The local Eventers have coveted the grounds that surround the permanent facilities and today is the culmination of those dreams with the first day of competition in the first ever one day event held at AELEC.
The cross country courses were designed by Kiwi Tich Massey (CIC3*) and Darryl Burgess (CNC classes) and built by Tich, Darryl and Brett Ryan with the assistance of countless local volunteers.
Amber Sinclair and Mr Bunds, second place in the EvA95 Div 2 after dressage and jumping
Competition today was dominated solely on Dressage and Showjumping with all classes doing their Dressage and EvA80 & EvA95 classes jumping also. At the close of day one the EvA95 Div 1 class is led by Michelle (Skip) Carney and Ingrandire on their dressage score of 45.6. Skip had a couple of moment in her jumping round but her horse honest enough to leave all of the rails up. Dean Morris and Leo are in second with Cheryl Grant and Danson Renegade in third.
EvA95 Div 2 is led by Junior rider Chelsea Balcomb with Valley King on their dressage score of 52.8, Amber Sinclair with the awesome Clydie Mr Bunds on 54.6 in second and Joanne Perrotte on Oscar with 55.6.
Serena Osbourne and Islebe Jessie in the EvA95 Div 2
In the EvA80 class Div 1 - Tracey Boyle with Linda lead on 40.9, in front of Brianne Heffernan and Vienna Surprise with a score of 43.6 and Megan Drennan on Rodeo Romeo on 45.0.
The EvA80 Div 2 is a Junior class and is led by Lucy Herbert and Black Pepper 53.9, Samantha Dnee with Fox Soup 55.9 and Emma Bickley with Chicken Run 57.3.
I am well aware that I haven't said anything about the three star of any of the bigger classes, but this week we are celebrating the bread and butter of our sport, the weekend warriers that make it possible to fund the elite levels of the sport in so many ways. I know that I am guilty of reporting on only the three star and not even mentioning the rest. This weekend I will try and make up for that.
Yours in Eventing
John Lechner (ESJ)
