Japan’s Yoshiaki Oiwa and Tullyoran Cruise JRA at Strzegom
Follow our Japan-based blogger, Tokyo 2020 Eventing Co-ordinator Carola Brighenti
Japanese riders may not have had their moment in Tokyo this year, but they are still working towards Tokyo +1, both at home and internationally
In International competition Japan’s Yoshiaki Oiwa riding the 12-year-old Tullyoran Cruise JRA had a major win in the CCI4*-L class at LOTTO Strzegom Horse Trials in Poland recently. This is a fairly new ride for Yoshi, previously known as Direct Tullyoran Cruise he was competed by Izzy Taylor and Australia’s Sammi Birch before entering the JRA stable. Their recent success now gives Yoshi another Tokyo +1 qualified horse but it isn’t just in Europe that Japanese riders have been competing
Despite Covid-19, the Japanese Equestrian Federation still managed to get the Northern Horse Park Eventing Trial Series 2020-2021 underway with events in July and August.
Northern Horse Park is based on Hokkaido, one of Japan’s most northern islands famous for its seasonal events such as skiing in winter and its wildflower fields in summer. Many of Japan’s top racing stables and thoroughbred breeding farms are based here, including Godolphin Japan and Northern Farm, a leading racing and training farm affiliated with the Horse Park where other equestrian activities take place. Northern Horse Park also has an affiliation with Australia, being the sponsor of this year’s Lakes & Craters International Horse Trials in Victoria, scheduled for December
The first competition of the Northern Horse Park Series took place at on the Yamanashi Prefecture Equestrian Centre on 25th & 26th July. Yusuke Nakajima riding Credit Krunch won the CCN1* and they then followed it up with another win at the same level at the August competition.
Kazuhiro Yoshizawa took second place in the August CCN1* on board Master Grey, a German-bred gelding previously ridden by Julie Lawson in Britain while Takayuki Yumira riding Poachers Hope took third place. The 14-year-old bay Irish Sport Horse gelding Poachers Hope and Takayuki Yumira were one of the combinations to compete in the 2019 Tokyo Test Event, as did Kenta Hiranaga and Koko Doro, who took fourth place at Yamanashi
Koko Doro started eventing life in Australia with Rob and Cassie Palm, winning the CCI2* at the Australian International 3 Day Event with Cassie before heading to Japan, taking fourth place at the 2018 Asian Games in 2018 with Ryuzo Kitajima before Kenta Hiranaga took over the reins
In 2018 Ryuzo also won the CCI2* at Rockingham Castle on Koko Doro and this is how they did it …
