Judy Clarke and Diablito lead the CNC3*
I know that I bang on about the weather a lot in these reports but when you spend the day in the elements as I do, trying to take photos and write notes on often soggy or wind blasted paper, you’ll hopefully indulge me this little quirk. Today however at Horsley Park it was my idea of heaven – just like Goldilocks’ porridge it was not too hot, not too cold but just right.
Sitting in the stands around the arena built for the Sydney Olympics I was reminded of that magic occasion in 2000 when similar weather saw the Australian team win gold on this very spot. This truly is the ‘legacy’ site that major event organisers always promise will be left after big sporting events – even when the weather is not as beautiful as today, the Sydney International Equestrian Centre (SIEC) is one of the best places in the world to hold an event. Well landscaped, easy to navigate and with great facilities for horses and riders, it is just a shame that the venue doesn’t attract more spectators for its big annual event, the Sydney International Horse Trials.
The event this weekend however is very much geared to attract the eventing community with 400 competitors across 17 classes from EvA60 to CNC3* while many also attended on Thursday for the Ariat Sydney Eventing Winter Warm-up with Combined Training classes to get people in the groove.
Stuart Tinney and War Hawk
One of the gold medallists from Sydney 2000, Stuart Tinney was busy on his home turf today with four horses in the CNC3* and Advanced Intermediate classes. In the Randwick Equine Centre CNC3* Stuart replaced John and Jane Pittard’s Annapurna with the Huskinson family’s War Hawk due to Annapurna having a minor injury; despite being a last minute stand-in, War Hawk put in a good test to score 45.90 and finish the day in third place while his German import Carlchen finished in fourth on 51.20. Tim Boland’s two horses Napoleon and Gorsehill Star can usually be relied upon to be up there in the dressage and Napoleon was really on form today for second place (45.30) while Gorsehill Star, who was a little exuberant in his changes and also had to wait for the tea ladies to depart before being able to get into the arena, finished in sixth place on 53.40.
But it was dressage diva Judy Clarke riding Diablito who really nailed it; circling the arena, Judy and Diablito looked great and they danced their way with precision and accuracy through the 3* test to finish more than 10 points ahead of Tim and Napoleon with a score of 33.80. Young Isabel English and her thoroughbred Grand Andi rounded out the top six with a good flowing test for a score of 52.20 in fifth place while fellow Queenslander Eleanor Osborne and Highborne Rocker, leaders of the CCI2* dressage phase at MI3DE, had one of those days. Poor Eleanor had two errors of course and told the judge that “I had such a good warm-up, I should have thought more about the test!”
Katie Roots and Trevalgar II
The Mitavite Advanced Intermediate (3* dressage, 2* cross country and 3* show jumping) saw Katie Roots and Trevalgar II take the lead (45.40) just ahead of Stuart Tinney’s Pluto Mio who will be having his first cross country run tomorrow since Normandy. Katie and Trevalgar are a delight to watch; this big horse has big presence and floats effortlessly in the extended paces, looking as if he is really enjoying the whole thing. Another young Queenslander, Isabelle McIntyre riding Grandios is in third place
Prue Barrett and Sandhills Special (above) - Felicity Cribb riding Sandhills Charisma (below)
In the CNC2* Prue Barrett also had a memory ‘moment’ at the final halt for an error of course but still finished in second place on Sandhills Special (50.50) behind Andrew Barnett and Bradgate Park Fonzie in the lead on 47. Prue’s sister Felicity was riding Sandhills Charisma in the EvA80A to finish fourth overall – this is the half sister to Sandhills Special, by the stallion Croftlea Artizan, out of a Staccato mare. The eight year old Sandhills Charisma has come to competition quite late due to breeding duties and Felicity now finds herself in the interesting position of riding the mother, father and son!
Emma Bishop riding CP Issey Miyake
It is the battle of the Emmas in the CNC1* with Emma riding CP Issey Miyake and Emma Mason riding Currabeha both on a score of 54.50 after the dressage and show jumping. Both ladies scored 50.5 apiece in the dressage and added four faults in the show jumping while the dressage leader, Jessica Rae and Rascal had two rails in the jumping dropping them down to third. The seven year old mare CP Issey Miyake is back in competition having had some time off due to a problem after getting some hay stuck in her throat
“She’s loves her food” says Emma “But she ended up at the vet for two days because of it!”
The EvA60 and 80 all completed today but tomorrow the rest of the classes take to the cross country course on (hopefully) yet another beautiful day
