First rider of the day - Megan Jones and Kirby Park Grand Impressions
The first cab off the ranks in the CCI2* dressage phase of the Australian International 3 Day Event was local rider and Olympic medallist Megan Jones riding Kirby Park Grand Impressions. With three rides in this class and Kirby Park Allofasudden in the CCI4* Megan will be a busy girl but looked as cool as a cucumber and pleased with the horse that she started to ride quite recently
The nine year old Australian Stock Horse scored 61.90% to be provisionally in 14th place at the end of the morning session and his owner John Hunter was very pleased after watching the test rather nervously on the sidelines. John first saw the horse when he was ridden by Chris Burton and competed him up to 1* level himself before work commitments prompted him to put the horse with a professional rider
“I really wanted him to be with a top rider who is based here in Australia” says John
John Hunter
John watches Megan's test
The lead changed several times during the first session of the hot morning with Queenslander Eleanor Osborne being the first to break into the 40’s with a score of 49.40 to lead at the morning break when the Ground Jury Annabel Scrimgeour (GBR), Christian Landolt (SUI) and Riccardo Bordoni (ITA) were probably very pleased to escape their judging boxes for a cool drink. It is another hot day here in Adelaide but thankfully the weather is set to change tomorrow with much cooler temperatures and some rain forecast.
The 2012 CCI2* winner Will Enzinger completed his test this morning on Paihia Wilhelm and he assured us that the sweat when he got off his horse was due to the heat, not the pain. Will is riding with an injured leg which will need to be in a brace for Saturday’s cross country phase
Will, without a leg brace for the dressage, waves to son Ethan as he finishes the test
You can follow the live scoring here and we'll have lots more in our full report tonight
