Words by Fatema Sitabkhan
Adelaide was blessed with some seriously gorgeous weather this past weekend, and rightly so! The Australian International 3 Day Event was held in the East Parklands at Victoria Park and we at Eventalaide were there on all three days to capture the glitz, the glamour, and the galloping of some of our finest horses at the event.
Day 2 was all about celebrating The Qantas-sponsored Cross Country, which was one of the most anticipated programs of this 3-day event. Spanning across a picturesque 7000 metre track, horses and their trusted riders were able to provide spectators with a fantastic show, where there were over 60 stations of obstacles that the horses successfully overcame with grace and panache. Each obstacle was individually crafted and had a certain level of art and beauty to it, where the South Australian logos and other iconic features were incorporated into the design.
The day appeared to be perfect for friends and families to spend it blanketed under the sunshine. There were kiosks and marquees selling delicious bites and thirst-quenching drinks of the alcoholic and non-alcoholic kind. No matter where you were in the area, you’d be treated to a breathtaking view of the horses enjoying themselves as they galloped from one end of the Park to the other. Given the amount of hard work that the riders and horses put into making this event as enjoyable as it was, the final couple of obstacle courses may have been a treat for the stallions, who had the advantage of going through the cooling waters of the lake situated along the track.
The beauty of this event was that the horses had no previous training to be ridden through this course, so it was just as challenging as it was empowering for them to successfully navigate through the track within a certain time frame.
The competition was fierce and tight throughout the day, but in the end, Hazel Shannon and Clifford from New South Wales were able to secure 1st place for the Qantas Cross Country Day, with an impressive score of 52.50 (one second over the time limit). With effortless grace, Hazel and Clifford were able to master the precarious jumps and sharp turns through the corners. Commending the performance of her beloved horse, Hazel gave appreciation to Cliffod’s determination and hard work throughout the day.
Gaining the position of (a very close) 2nd place was Wilhelm Enzinger and Wenlock Aquifer from Victoria, who scored 55.00 at the Qantas Cross Country Day. Andrew Cooper was third in line, with a score of 59.70.
For the first time in history, UK rider Oliver Townend won the RM Williams CIC3* with a score of 58.10, while local rider and 2008 Silver Beijing Medallist, Megan Jones quickly claimed 2nd place with a score of 61.90.
Full list of results are now available to view on the Aus3de website: www.australian3de.com.au.
#aus3de #FEIclassics
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