Australian Hazel Shannon on Willingapark Clifford claimed her second Mitsubishi Australian International 3 Day Event CCI4* this afternoon in Adelaide. The combination have made Aus3DE history by winning the CCI4* class for the second time since its inception in 1999*. They won the event in 2016.
“It feels great, as good as the first time, I’m still in disbelief,” Hazel said afterwards. “He loves Adelaide.”
Amanda Pottinger on Just Kidding went into the show jumping in pole position but unfortunately the poles came down – four of them – and she had to settle for second place. “At the end of the day, I was pretty happy,” she said afterwards. “I am over the moon but obviously also disappointed, more because he had four rails down as he has never done that before in his career.”
Amanda had three rails in hand as Hazel and Clifford had two down in their round, which is unusual for the consistent horse. Hazel put that down to the lack of runs he had before the event. Willingapark Clifford also took home the Off The Track Thoroughbred award.
No horses jumped clear in the show jumping in the CCI4* class which was held at what may have been the hottest part of the day. Adelaide had certainly put on a wonderful weekend of weather, with Sunday definitely being the hottest, well over 30 degrees.
Amanda is already vowing that she will be back again next year to have another go and hopefully get to that next step up on the podium.
Western Australian Sonja Johnson moved up into third place on Misty Isle Valentino who she said is the complete package. “If he was a human, I might marry him,” she joked afterwards. The pair had two rails and three time faults in the showjumping.
Emily Gray and Jocular Vision had a tumultuous competition, being well last the dressage, temporarily in the lead until the Ground Jury had time to review video footage and take away Hazel and Amanda’s 50 penalties from their cross country scores, and then were in third place going into the show jumping. Having two down and five time faults bumped her down behind Sonja to be in fourth place at the end of the competition.
Queensland-based New Zealander Hayley Frielick was delighted with her Class Action LP. The pair finished fifth in their first four star. “I was going to sell him as a school master, but I’m rethinking that, I really love him.” Hayley hopes to bring through some more young horses to compete at this level.
Gemma Tinney, daughter of the Australian Olympian Stuart, was having her first four-star start on Annapurna, and she had a very credible finish in 6th place. Her father retired on cross country so she certainly has boasting rights in that family for a while!
Jessica Woods was still getting over the disappointment of having 50 penalties awarded to her for jumping outside the flag over one of the brush fences in the water yesterday. She was still adamant she was within the flags, but the Ground Jury disagreed. Just De Manzana didn’t have her best show jumping round, finishing with 28 jumping faults and four time penalties to leave her in tenth place, but the pair obviously have potential. Their round yesterday was very impressive.
Rounding out the finishing riders today was Renee Faulkner and Rubinstar. The pair have finished on their first attempt at a four-star, with Renee’s cross country riding impressing many. They finished with 20 show jumping penalties as well as 6 time faults to be in 11th place.
The only other rider in the four-star competition who completed the cross country was Andrew Cooper and Hunters Hill, but they withdrew overnight.
This is the first time that there has been an all-female top ten in a CCI4* event across the world.
So while the New Zealanders’ fortunes varied, it was great to see them test themselves on what was described as true four-star cross country and show jumping courses. There is certainly a lot of homework to do, but a good base is there, and the experience will undoubtedly benefit them all.
Olympian Shane Rose won not only the 2018 Horseland’s CCI2* on Easy Turn, but also the RM Williams CIC3* class on Ultimate Velocity. Olympian Stuart Tinney on Leporis was 2nd in the CCI2* to Shane, with Emma Mason and Aramatai Fox 3rd. Callum Buczak from Victoria riding Matavia Cheval finished in 2nd place in the CIC3* with Victorian professional rider Andrew Cooper third on Oaks Onyx.
