Tag Archives: Australian International 3-Day Event

*Featured/Spotlights, Eventing/H.T., FEI, Show Jumping

Just Another Day at the Office for Clifford

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Hazel Shannon and Clifford. (Julie Wilson/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), 6 November 2016 – When it came down to the final jumping phase of the FEI Classics™ at the Australian International 3 Day Event in Adelaide (AUS), Hazel Shannon (AUS) had considerable room to move with Clifford, the powerful thoroughbred.

They could have knocked down three rails and still won, but the gelding that “always does his job” did just that and added nothing further to his dressage score than 0.4 of a cross country time penalty. Clifford clearly knew where the rails were and, most importantly, kept away from them.

Heart and mind

“That’s Clifford to a tee,” explained Shannon. “He is not extravagant in any phase – he just does his job and I can’t ask for more than that. There is a huge amount of training that has gone into Clifford, but his temperament is such that he allows you to train him. It is not just about raw talent; it is the heart and the mind of the horse that matters and this was just another day at the office for Clifford. He keeps trying and trying, and getting better and better.”

In the end, Shannon and Clifford cruised home to a popular victory 14.50 penalties ahead of their nearest rival.

“My aim is to keep getting better,” continued the 24-year-old Shannon from the far north Queensland town of Mutchilda, who when she finished high school went straight to the Ryans Equestrian Centre in Newcastle, in the southeastern state of New South Wales. She has been at the centre, which is managed by husband and wife team Heath and Rozzie Ryan, for the past six and a half years. Wendy Ward, Clifford’s owner, is the Ryans’ next door neighbour. “There is no way I could have done this without Heath (Ryan),” says Shannon.

FEI Classics™ in Adelaide – the pinnacle 

The top three places in the FEI Classics™ jumping phase stayed the same, with Will Enzinger (AUS) holding on to second place despite a disappointing three rails down. He also rode Britannica MVNZ into fourth place with just the addition of a further four penalties.

“He was a bit off today, but I am over the moon,” says Enzinger of his Wenlock Aquifer. “Some of the more experienced horses are not here because of the Olympic Games, but we are here and all our horses have made great progress. For us, the Adelaide FEI Classics is the pinnacle of the sport and there is nothing like this in the world.”

The 24-year-old professional Andrew Cooper (AUS) looked a picture in the final jumping phase, but two rails on the floor added a further eight to his score on Evergem Perfection, placing him third. Nonetheless he represents the new guard of top-level FEI Classics™ eventers along with Shannon and Enzinger.

Living the dream

Three other combinations jumped clear in this tough final jumping phase. Rohan Luxmoore (AUS), who has declared that he “is living the dream” by competing in the FEI Classics™ in Adelaide for the first time, went clear riding his Bells ’N Whistles, finishing fifth.

Stuart Tinney (AUS) looked impressive on War Hawk to take sixth place, with the sixth clear round coming from Tegan Lush and her Jetball Thoroughbred gelding Tempis Fugit who placed seventh.

The crowds came in their thousands to enjoy the final phase of the FEI Classics™ at the Australian International 3 day Event in Adelaide.

The FEI Classics™ now moves to the United States for the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event (27-30 April), the third leg of this prestigious series uniting the world’s six four-star eventing competitions.

Full standings for the FEI Classics™ series will be available here: https://inside.fei.org/fei/events/fei-classics.

See full results: www.australian3de.com.au/results.

Social media: #FEIClassics #Eventing #TwoHearts

See FEI Classics™ hub: www.fei.org/fei/events/fei-classics.

By Anna Sharpley

Australian International 3 Day Event Media Contact:

Katherine Maitland
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
katherine@lightbulbmedia.com.au
+61 407 721 004

FEI Media Contact:

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
Email: ruth.grundy@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 145

*Featured/Spotlights, Eventing/H.T., FEI

Clifford Shows His Class on Adelaide Cross Country

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Hazel Shannon (AUS) and Clifford. (Julie Wilson/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), 5 November 2016 – Hazel Shannon (AUS) felt the benefit of a Thoroughbred when she rode Wendy Ward’s Clifford to add just 0.4 of a time penalty to take the lead in the cross country phase of the FEI Classics™ at the Australian International 3 Day Event in Adelaide (AUS).

It was the second best cross country run of the day and the chestnut gelding looked like it was making easy work of the cross country course and looked fresh over the line.

“I could not have asked any more of him,” said Shannon. “By the time I got to the end of the course, he did not feel like he had just completed a four-star. He felt as if he could have gone again. Whatever you point Clifford at he will do his best to get over it.”

Shannon and Clifford, who is named after the grandfather of the owner Wendy Ward, now have the lead of the FEI Classics™ in Adelaide by just 2.50 penalties – all eyes are now on the jumping phase.

“He is a careful jumper. We will just go in tomorrow and do our best and whatever happens happens,” concluded Shannon.

Happy horse

Will Enzinger and Wenlock Aquifer, leaders after the dressage phase, were first out on cross country, and made the course look easy coming home with a surprising 3.2 time penalties to slip to second place.

“He was just on song,” said a delighted Enzinger. “Everything I asked him to do he did. I was a bit surprised to get time penalties, but there were a couple of times I just balanced a little bit to make sure I got the line and that’s the price you pay. He is a happy horse and still fresh and I could not be happier.”

From Jumping to Eventing

Interestingly, the only clear round of the FEI Classics™ cross country phase came from the Warmblood, Rebecca Zamel’s Evergem Perfection, ridden by Victorian professional athlete Andrew Cooper. The effort moved them from seventh to third place on 59.70 penalties.

“He was amazing,” said Cooper. “He had two run outs in the four-star last year, which was down to greenness, but he has had a full year of three-star competition and that experience showed. He never looks fast, but he is so adjustable and I took a few inside lines. He can just land and go. He was purchased as a showjumping horse, so I can only hope he remembers that tomorrow.”

Skinny

Rohan Luxmoore, third after dressage, had a run out at 14b (Horseland Hollows) on Bells ‘N Whistles. He was in good company as Stuart Tinney with War Hawk, Shane Rose and Glenorchy South Park, and New Zealand’s Andy Daines on Spring Panorama all had a run out at the same skinny fence.

The cause of the problem was a ditch – an obstacle that has been sorting horses out since eventing began. It did not pose a problem as such, but it did take the horse’s eyes off the skinny one stride away.

It was mild and sunny and claimed to be the best weather experienced on cross country day at Adelaide since the event began in 1997. The beautiful parkland was packed with spectators who enjoyed a day of exciting horse sport.

Don’t miss a hoofbeat! Watch it all LIVE on www.feitv.org.

See full results: www.australian3de.com.au/results.

Social media: #FEIClassics #Eventing #TwoHearts

See FEI Classics™ hub: www.fei.org/fei/events/fei-classics.

By Anna Sharpley

Australian International 3 Day Event Media Contact:

Katherine Maitland
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
katherine@lightbulbmedia.com.au
+61 407 721 004

FEI Media Contact:

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
Email: ruth.grundy@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 145

Competitions, Eventing/H.T., FEI

Australian International 3 Day Event Ready to Celebrate Eventing

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Stuart Tinney and War Hawk. (Julie Wilson/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), 2 November 2016 – The Australian International 3 Day Event, second leg of the FEI Classics™ 2016/17, and which takes place around the Adelaide inner city parklands, introduces Eventing to a whole new crowd every year thanks to its unique location and real celebration of the horse.

This year’s four-star field features ten combinations, and there is plenty of quality in that ten. Rio Olympic team bronze medalist Stuart Tinney is leading the pack with Corinna and Darren Huskinson’s War Hawk, a gelding by the German Holsteiner stallion Ramirez and bred in New Zealand, and their win at this year’s Saddleworld Melbourne International 3 Day 2016 in June suggests he will be a serious FEI Classics™ contender this year.

Tinney’s fellow Rio team member and 2015 Adelaide winner Shane Rose will be riding Lee Hokianga and Jamie McDonald’s Thoroughbred, Glenorchy South Park, in his debut four-star. Thoroughbreds have a successful history at Adelaide and the Kinjite gelding could well gallop away with a victory.

Wilhelm Enzinger (AUS) is perhaps the most experienced rider not to have won the Adelaide FEI Classics™ event and he has a double chance this year. Some may remember that he had this chance in 2013, but a broken leg on the eve of the event saw the ride on TS Jamimo go to Christopher Burton (AUS) who claimed the title that year with the former racehorse.

Enzinger has two four-star rides this year, with his own Thoroughbred, Wenlock Aquifer by Alannan – that had its only race win at Victoria Park, the home of the Australian International 3 Day Event – and the ride on Wendy Keddell and Carolyn Jolley’s New Zealand-bred Britannica MVNZ by Silvestone. Both had a run in the four-star last year and finished just out of the top ten, but according to Enzinger, “They are going the best they have ever gone, and I am going to the event confident of a good performance.”

New Zealand talent

The New Zealanders have been known to claim Australia’s premier event and no-one can question their talent. Twenty-four-year-old Andy Daines has spent time riding in the UK with Tim and Jonelle Price and is bringing his and Leanne and David Jensen’s Spring Panorama to tackle their first FEI Classics™. They come full of confidence having won the Taupo NZ CIC3* early in October.

The FEI Classics™ athletes begin their quest for the title in Adelaide this Friday, 4 November, with the Dressage phase in the Victoria Park Main Arena. On Saturday, they will test themselves over Mike Etherington-Smith’s parklands Cross Country course, with the Sunday Jumping phase deciding the title.

Don’t miss a hoofbeat! Watch it all LIVE on www.feitv.org

See full results: www.australian3de.com.au/results.

Social media: #FEIClassics #Eventing #TwoHearts

See FEI Classics™ hub: www.fei.org/fei/events/fei-classics.

By Anna Sharpley

Australian International 3 Day Event Media Contact:

Katherine Maitland
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
katherine@lightbulbmedia.com.au
+61 407 721 004

FEI Media Contact:

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
Email: ruth.grundy@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 145