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Fresh faces in Top 3 after Day 1 of the CCI****
Katie Taliana and Trevalgar II in the CCI4* - © Roger Fitzhardinge
We have 3 fresh faces in the top 3 positions after Day 1 of the CCI 4-star competition – after the Pryde’s EasiFeed Dressage phase. Katie Taliana (NSW) in first place riding to a score of 68,97% with 31 penalties, Emma Bishop (NSW), 68.5% with 31.5 penalties in second place and Lauren Brown (WA) in third place 67.70% with 32.30 penalties – Aussie Girl Power!
Katie is a member of the Generation Next HP squad for Eventing and has previously worked for Zara Phillips in the UK. She purchased her beloved horse Trevalgar II in the UK for 1000 pounds and brought him back to Australia. Katie says ‘he is amazing, he is such a good boy and will do anything I ask of him. He’s been a bit tricky over the last 12 months, but he was back to his normal self today’. When asked how she feels about sitting in first place after day one, she says ‘I’m a bit excited – I’m stoked actually! The first time I came here, I really wanted to do well in the dressage and I came fourth. This year he has just got better and better and I’m really excited’.
Second place Emma is also a member of the Generation Next HP squad for Eventing and first competed at Adelaide in 2002 when it was a 3* and she won the CCI2* at Adelaide in 2017 on Warrego Marco Polo.
This is Emma’s first 4-star competition for several years – she last competed in 4 star 10 years ago. Her horse CP Issey Miyake, named after a brand of perfume, is nicknamed Rose.
Lauren is riding an Off the Track Horse called Skys Da Limit and says ‘he was skinny and useless as a race horse. He came 25 lengths last in his first trial and just got worse from there. But I just had a connection with him – it has never happened with any other horse, but I thought, he is going to be good. Everyone thought I was crazy as he was skinny and out of proportion – but I knew he was going to be good’.
The girls were all excited to be sitting in the top 3 spots after day 1, but agreed tomorrow was going to be a tough one. Katie says ‘the Cross-Country course is tougher than last year, but she’s going to have to be confident and stick to her plan. XC is TrevalgarII’s favourite, so she’s looking forward to it.
Thousands of equestrian fans are expected to flock to Adelaide’s beautiful parklands to enjoy the Qantas Cross Country Day tomorrow, where the competition and stakes will be high and the battle for the lead continues.
Equestrian Life are live streaming the CCI4* cross country action from 12.30pm-2.30pm local time / 1pm-3pm AEDT today - what better way to spend your Saturday afternoon!
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