Heath Ryan and Mystery Whisper led the field after dressage in the HSBC FEI World Cup EventingTM Qualifier with a score of 39.40 penalties, just .60 penalties ahead of 2009 champions Megan Jones and Kirby Park Irish Jester. Ryan was unable to compete at the World Cup in 2009 after suffering a stroke at a One Day Event prior to the inaugural qualifier. His 2010 dressage test scored 73.25% proving that he was well and truly back to form.
Marcia Williamson on the ex-racehorse Kalason was first out on the Cross country course designed by Wayne Copping. Willimason was in 16th place after dressage with a score of 56.70. Kalason jumped a clear round with 18.4 time penalties, showing the rest of the field the course was jumpable. The next rider out on course, Shane Rose, showed why he was the fastest cross country rider in the world at the 2008 Olympics, bringing the young Taurus home clear and within time to remain on his dressage score of 55 penalties. Rose had four rides in the class but withdrew his highest placed horse, APH Moritz before cross country because he didn’t feel the horse was quite right for the big track and wasn’t prepared to risk him. One of his other rides, Koko Black was also clear cross country. Though there were few problems negotiating the fences, just four riders managed to record a clear round within the time.
Megan Jones and Kirby Park Irish Jester won both the New Zealand and Sydney 2009 HSBC Qualifiers but were unable to attend the final in Poland due to quarantine restrictions. With the new ranking system in place for 2010 Jones could claim a share of the US$180 000 prize money on offer. This combination won the 2010 New Zealand qualifier held over Easter and Jones was determined to repeat her victory in Sydney. Jester ate up the cross country course finishing clear with 4 time penalties putting pressure on Ryan to come out with the accelerator on.
Sydney 2000 Gold medallist Stuart Tinney, sitting in 9th place after dressage executed an almost perfect round on the big grey Vettori adding just 0.8 to his dressage score of 49.40.
Ryan and Mystery Whisper looked fantastic out on course but time again proved to be an issue. In a post ride interview with Eventing legend Fiona Hughes Ryan blamed age as the reason for his 14 time penalties. Despite being slow Ryan was thrilled with Mystery Whisper calling him the best cross country horse in Australia
Three riders including Chris Burton and Holstein Park Leilani were held on course whilst the ground crew made repairs to a later fence. This combination was stopped in zone 2 just before the HSBC brushes where they had a problem in 2009. A focused Burton was restarted after a ten minute hold up and Leilani made no mistakes through the difficult line of brushes, finishing clear within the time adding nothing to their dressage score of 46.50.
Out of the twenty eight riders who started the HSBC FEI World Cup EventingTM cross country course, twenty one combinations completed their round. Only one rider, Kevin McNab from Queensland fell. The final standings going into the show jumping had Megan Jones and Kirby Park Irish Jester in first place with no room for error. Chris Burton and Holstein Park Leilani were just 2.5 penalties off the leader with a buffer of one rail to Stuart Tinney and Vettori.
Day three of competition began at 8am with show jumping in three arenas at the Sydney Olympic venue. Cassie Lowe and Bentleigh Gambler were the first World Cup Eventing combination into the arena. The combination completed a perfect round in front of an impressive crowd. The next competitors knocked a number of rails until Emily Anker and Keniski recorded the second clear round moving them up the placings to finish in 15th out of 31 starters.
The original leader after dressage, Heath Ryan, had moved into 7th place with a slow cross country round on Mystery Whisper. A stop at the big combination added four jumping penalties and 6 time penalties to their score moving them into 9th place overall. Clarke Johnstone from New Zealand was the third clear round on the course moving them up from 6th place.
Chris Burton remained cool and focused as he entered the indoor arena on Holstein Park Leilani at the Sydney International Equestian Centre this afternoon lfor the final phase of the HSBC Eventing World Cup. Less than a rail separated Chris from the leader Megan Jones. Despite knowing Megan’s faultless ability to jump clear under pressure, Chris was able to pilot Jean Findlay’s chestnut mare around the John Vallance track without penalty giving Megan no room for error. An unusual late rail for Jester brought a loud cheer from the crowd as they realised the local favourite had moved into first place. Clarke Johnstone from New Zealand was third on Orient Express and Sonja Johnson was fourth and fifth on Ringwould Jaguar and Parkiarrup Illicit Liasion. Full results on The Sydney Eventing Website.
Clarke Johnstone on Kolaora Stud Secrets convincingly won the Brighton Saddlewordl CIC 2* at Sydney’s Weekend of World Cups with a score of 50.80. Followed by Tim Boland on Untouchable and Shane Rose on Sharmayne Spencer’s Star Am I. All three riders show jumped clear to finish in their cross country positions where time was an influencing factor with Clarke Johnstone the fastest over the course.
The Equestrian NSW CIC 1* was won by Judith Clarke and Diablito with a double clear round of show jumping and cross country ahead of Emma Dougall and Belcam Bear. Katie Abbot at Three Cheers was crowned the Oaks Gates Rising Star as the highest placed rider who had not competed at 1* level prior to 2010.
The three Preliminary Classes were won by Emma Armstrong on Hass, Emma Mason on Poker Face and Sam Lyle on Grandious. The winner of the 6 year old Young Event Horse class Oaks Cordelia completed her first ever event in 15th place, a credible effort for a purpose bred horse..
The show jumping classes were equally as exciting. Jamie Kermond repeated his performance from the Copabella Classic Grand Prix where he won the Grand Prix on Valhlla III. Kermond was the only rider to go double clear, this time on his second horse Clothago.
The organising committee is grateful for the support sponsors and volunteers provide towards the event. Over 200 volunteers worked to provide the draws, keep the rings moving through, the parking organised and the results updating live.
For full results go to www.sydneyeventing.org.
Rachel Smith
Change Sport
