Riding her own 12
year old chestnut gelding Mr Showoff (by Classy Comet out of Near Show),
Pitts led from the outset for a start-to-finish win, scoring 70% from
judge Bev Shandley to finish the dressage phase on 50.6 penalties after a
test that was both accurate and expressive.
Deavon Meadows based
Joanne Kinross held down second place on 52.3 from Sally Morrison and the
white socked In Your Dreams (52.9) while Megan Jones and her up and coming Winergy Fedwel
(Pictured left) (54.4) and the returning Barney Rubble under John Bird
(55.2) were also highlights on day 1, finishing in fourth and fifth places
respectively.
In the CIC** it was
South Australia’s Kerrie Bowman who grabbed the lead after the dressage,
scoring a 78% from Caroline Coleby with the big moving Fourwinds Funky
Music on 39.0 from Jenalle Duffy and Jen Jan Butch Cassidy on 41.10 and
Amanda Howell and the current top horse from her stable, Zoom on 42.3.
Sally Morrison & In Your Dreams
Sue Tufnell and the
brilliantly coloured mare The Countess Cathleen
(Pictured Left) were CIC* leaders after a
lovely test to head into phase two in pole position on 45.7 while Jane
Griffin’s Boom Crash Opera and David Middleton’s Mr Shirvington shared
second place with 50.7.
With the committee
making the decision early last year to introduce CIC classes for 2005,
course builder and designer Wayne Copping provided a fitting track to
match the events new status, with the apex on the hill, the bounce into
water and the quadruple fenced Stockman’s Hut posing particularly hard
questions for riders.
And with 30˚ degree
plus temperatures beaming over Ian and Pat Mouser’s magnificent property
the majority of onlookers found the shaded Stockman’s Hut the place to be
as the three star cross country got under way…
Ainsley Wilkins & Dollar Dazzler
Megan Jones had the
difficult position of being first rider out and despite missing selection
for the Athens Olympics last year the South Australian showed us she still
has the hunger in her belly, galloping through the finish flags clear with
just 8.0 time aboard the aptly named Jiggalong.
The news wasn’t all
good however, with overnight second place getter Joanne Kinross coming to
grief at the corner in the Stockman’s Hut when a defiant Judah (by Family
Ties) used all his cunning to avoid the obstacle three times and book an
early trip home.
Talented rider Luke
Jones from South Australia had no problems through the Stockman’s Hut with
his Aachen sired Soul, hitting each take off spot perfectly. They
finished with just 8.4 time to move up 9 places into 5th after
Megan’s other ride Winergy Fedwel ran out at the water to make the task of
defending the title she won here with Kirby Park Irish Hallmark in 2004
virtually impossible.
Pictured Left: Emily Anker & ESB
Irish Endeavour
Eager to show
selectors his horse is back with a resounding bang, John Bird showed the
crowed his experience when he left the mapped route to come into the
Stockman’s Hut on a much sharper line, saving valuable seconds and moving
Barney Rubble up into 3rd place after overnight leaders Janelle
Pitts and Mr Showoff ate up the track to retain their lead heading into
the show jumping.
In the CIC**, Jenalle
Duffy went into the lead after adding just 2.0 time cross country – the
fastest in the class while Sue Tufnell had too much time in the CIC* to
surrender her lead to 4th placed Emma Scott and Interrupt who
had one of the fastest rounds of the day with just 4.0 time.
Well known show
jumping designer David Sheppard’s three star track had plenty of hidden
surprises, least of which included negotiating the turns as Megan Jones
found out when 6th placed Jiggalong slipped on the corner to
fall and incur immediate elimination, the same fate dealt to Bianca
Craddock and Saddle Up Viking the year before.
Bianca Craddock & Saddle Up Viking
Luke Jones retained 5th
place after just the one rail while local favourite Catherine Martindale
completed her first three star with Town Fox
(Pictered Left), finishing in 4th
place despite four rails. Denmark’s Morten Haugaard, who had earlier
jumped into contention with the only double clear cross country, also
dropped a rail to finish in 3rd place on 64.2 with the scopey
chestnut My Hamlet.
And in one of the
closest finishes the elite level of eventing has seen for some time,
spectators were treated to a tension filled final round after John Bird,
trailing the leader by just 1.4 points, jumped a brilliant double clear
with Barney Rubble (by Flotilla) to give Janelle Pitts once choice – jump
clear or surrender the lead.
Denmark's Morten Haugaard & My Hamlet
Having later
confessed to the writer that she wasn’t aware of the scores as she
cantered into the arena (probably a good thing!), Pitts had the crowd on
the edge of their seats and did nothing to ease the tension when Mr
Showoff heavily tapped the first fence. But like the rest of the fences
on course, it stayed in its cups and as the pair passed through the
finished flags – just 0.25 seconds inside the time allowed – Janelle Pitts
and Mr Showoff found themselves the 2005 Healy Homes CIC*** Champions.
Janelle, like many of
Australia’s elite riders, will now focus on the World Cup Qualifiers to be
held in Warwick in May and Werribee in June.
Kathy Minchin & Nobody's Fool
In the CIC**,
Victoria’s Jenalle Duffy and Jen Jan Butch Cassidy (by BBD Wild Flame)
were convincing winners on 47.1 from South Australia’s Kerrie Bowman and
Fourwinds Funky Music on 49.8 and Victoria’s Amanda Howell a very close
third with Zoom on 49.9.
A jam packed CIC*
class saw honors go to Amanda Carroll and Royale Kingston (by the racing
legend Kingston Rule) after they added just one rail show jumping to their
dressage score of 57.5. Second went to newly-relocated Victorian Fiona
Hughes and Colour of Night (63.0) with Kerrie Bowman and Fourwinds 4Tune
third on 63.8. Emma Scott had fallen out of contention when she racked up
15 time penalties showjumping to finish in 9th place.
Dominic Jones & Connor Shea
Pre Novice honors
went to Amanda Howell on Sportzgirl and New Zealand’s Simone McDonald on
Evander respectively while Jacqui Sandland on Elmo, Joanne Kinross on In
The Zone and Megan Jones aboard Kirby Park Joy all secured their
Preliminary classes in comfortable fashion.
Sophie McClean with
Delish and Michael Baker with Short Black were convincing Introductory
winners.
Despite the ever
changing face of the sport, the dedication of a well oiled committee, the
support from sponsors such as Pakenham Produce and Healy Homes, countless
volunteers and an enthusiastic public have ensured Tonimbuk International
Horse Trials continues to grow in stature.
Michael Boucher & Lord Waldo
Stay tuned to
Cyberhorse this week as we bring you results from Geelong, a look ahead to
Wandin and what’s been happening overseas.
Until then.
