Shenae Lowings won the CCI2* on Venture Sky High
It was damp and overcast conditions for the last day of the eventing season in Victoria on Sunday December 7th. Before the rain on the final morning the previous days of Lakes and Craters had been held in ideal conditions, cool and not too hot
The event started with trot up on Thursday, followed by the EA105 and EA105 junior classes doing their dressage that day. This competition is the only one in Victoria to run the EA105 classes in the 3 day format and as such continues to provide valuable experience for the Pre-Novice riders who wish to experience all the fun (and stress!) associated with a long format competition.
Organisers ran a CCI YR 1* class, an Open 1* class and both CIC and CCI classes at the 2 and 3 star level. On Friday the action of the star classes doing dressage took place on the main oval, and all four sections of EA 95 completed their dressage. The committee continue to do an amazing job providing this EA 95 class in the two day format, and with these riders doing both cross country and the show jumping on Saturday they were then free to go home or watch the exciting conclusion to the other classes on Sunday!
This event not only heralded the end of the 2914 eventing season, but was also the end of an era with it being the last international event both Barry Roycroft and Neil Clinton will be at in an official capacity as a judge or Technical Delegate.
Will and Wenlock Aquifer through the water
On the flip side it is also the start of a new era with the opening of a brand new water complex at the centre. The R and M Roycroft Memorial water jump is newly built and was well and truly christened over the weekend with all classes travelling through with varying degrees of success
Will Enzinger has ridden around this course many times and once again he had a successful day riding Wenlock Aquifer, winning the CCI3* ahead of Wendy Schaeffer on Sun Showers while the only other competitors in the top class Cassandra Webb on Dutch Determination retired on the cross country and Murray Lamperd withdrew after a heavy fall from his first horse in the CCI1*, Rusted. Luckily both horse and rider were okay but Murray opted not to ride the rest of his horses that day as he was feeling as if ‘someone has attacked my thighs with a hammer’
Shenae Lowings won the CCI2* on Venture Sky High with more than 10 penalty points in hand over second placed Nat Davies on Chatswood Design while South Australian rider Cooper Oborn won the CCI1* on Bellhaven Clover (above), adding only 1.2 time penalties to his dressage score
