Bek McDougall and ESB Irish Patience - "He knows to prick his ears because he does so many Horseland catalogues!"
For the second year in a row, the Tonimbuk International Horse Trials has christened a new 3* winner. Last Year Tania Harding and Jirrima Yorkshire won their first 3* event here and this year 25 year old Rebekah (Bek) McDougall riding ESB Irish Patience have won the Cardinia Shire CIC3* at only their second 3* start
Heading into today’s cross country Bek and her 13 year old grey Irish Sport Horse were in third place behind two very experienced competitors – Megan Jones in the lead on Kirby Park Impress and Amanda Ross on the Adelaide CCI2* winner Dicavalli Diesel. Bek had been really happy with ESB Irish Patience’s performance in the dressage phase and they then moved into third place during the evening’s show jumping under lights in the indoor arena with a clear round when Katja Weimann opted to withdraw BP Flamboyant and Nina Clarke’s third placed LP Boudin was unfortunately eliminated at the first fence (more about that coming up in our interview with Nina soon)
Today Megan was to be the first competitor out on Ewan Kellett’s new 3* course which started near the indoor arenas and finished after the water jump, making it a perfect spot for spectators to base themselves, but after warming up her chestnut mare and even tantalisingly walking over to the Start Box, Megan decided to withdraw.
“She just felt really flat as we were warming up and just not her normal self” she explained later “Then as I walked over to the Start Box, she gave a big blow through her nostrils and stuff came streaming out so I knew she wasn’t okay to compete. It’s just a cold and she will be fine but it wasn’t fair to run her around a 3* course”
That meant that Rob Palm and his chestnut Koko Story were the first out on course and Rob topped and tailed the class with his colourful Visual Laughter the final horse to compete – they finished in sixth and seventh places – but it was Rebekah who put in the fastest round of the day of 6:32 (11.2 penalties) to move into the lead.
Nat Davies and Chatswood Captivate fly towards the water (above) and Tania's Jirrima Yorkshire stretches his long legs (below)
None of the nine competitors that completed the course made the optimum time of 6 minutes 4 seconds but Nat Davies riding Chatswood Captivate came very close to Rebekah’s time with 6:33 (11.6 penalties) to move into fourth place and last year’s winners, Tania Harding riding the long legged Jirrima Yorkshire were also pushing on but finished with 12 time penalties for third place.
Amanda Ross and the lovely Dicavalli Diesel were in pole position with Megan’s withdrawal but Amanda just couldn’t find an extra gear from Diesel at his first 3* start and their 20 time penalties meant that they stayed in second place and Rebekah took the win on a score of 65.90
It’s been quite a big couple of weeks for Bek who was married last weekend and is therefore technically on her honeymoon! An amateur rider who works full time for the Horseland head office in Victoria, Bek exercises her two horses before going to work “And now I have a husband to come home to and cook dinner for in the evening so no more evening riding!” so it was naturally a thrill to win her first ever 3* title
Bek McDougall
Bek - very happy coming out of the dressage
More to come from the various classes at Tonimbuk International Horse Trials including winners’ interviews and photo galleries – coming soon
