Shane Rose and Shanghai Joe

©Albury International Horse Trials

Olympic silver medallist Shane Rose is setting the pace in the Sydney International Horse Trials, an important event for Australian based Rio Eventing hopefuls vying for team selection.

After Friday’s Dressage, Rose is leading the CCI3* with Shanghai Joe, a horse with which he won the 2014 Melbourne CCI3*. There will be no margin for error when this combination takes to the cross country on Saturday, as Olympian Sonja Johnson and her horse Parkiarrup Illicit Liaison are sitting in second position with 49.80 penalties. Rose is also ranked 12th with the horse Glenorchy South Park.

Rose’s more experienced horse CP Qualified is positioned second in the CIC3* - receiving 42.90 for his Dressage test. Virgil the horse which finished runner-up to Qualified in the 2015 Adelaide CCI4* is placed seventh.

“The two horses competing in the CCI (Glenorchy South Park and Shanghai Joe) are still aiming to qualify for the Olympic Games,” said Rose. “The horses who have already qualified (Virgil and CP Qualified) are competing in the CIC because they did Adelaide at the end of last year and that was the event I was using to get them selected.

“All three of my good horses are stepping up at the right time and they’re all feeling really well so hopefully the rest of the weekend goes well.

“Glenorchy South Park struggles still as he is very new at this level and he just found the consistency a bit difficult. We have been working pretty hard this week and he tried really hard but made a few mistakes.

“This is the first time this year that CP Qualified and Virgil are doing a complete event and I am very pleased with their preparation leading towards Rio.”

Sonja Johnson is also at Sydney with a view to secure a position on the team for Rio.

“I won’t be taking any of the cross country for granted,” she said.” It’s there to be jumped so I better go jump it and still be on my dressage scores at the end of the day.”

Judith Clarke leads the CIC3* riding Diablito while 23 year old Hazel Shannon and her horse Clifford are in touch with the leaders in the CCI3* sitting on 50.10 penalties.

In the CCI2* Emma Bishop riding CP Issey Miyake finished the Dressage phase in the lead with 41.90 penalies, followed by Robert Palm riding Koko Story who is sitting on 44.80. Palm also finished the dressage phase of the CIC1* in first position with Halcyons Dark Secret.

Murray Lamperd is third in the CCI2* sitting on 47.80 penalties. Katja Weimann and BP Escapade finished in 4th position, followed by Shenae Lowings riding Kinnordy Gymeon & Venture Sky High who finished in fifth and sixth respectively. Shenae is the only Young rider competing in both CIC3* and CCI2*.

Olympic gold medallist Stuart Tinney has three horses in the CIC3*, one in the CCI3* and is juggling course designing duties of the CCI2*, CIC2*, CCI1* and EvA 105.

“The ground is getting better all the time with a little bit of rain if we are lucky… Sydney hasn’t had a lot of rain recently but the track looks good,” he said. 

Speaking after his CIC3* dressage test with horse Carlchen, Tinney said, “he was good. He is only a young horse, he is quite green and he did a great job in that atmosphere and didn’t do any mistakes. We got through it, I was very happy.”
CCI3*

    SHANE ROSE & SHANGHAI JOE - 48.00
    SONJA JOHNSON & PARKIARRUP ILLICIT LIAISON - 49.80
    HAZEL SHANNON & CLIFFORD - 50.10
    STUART TINNEY & WAR HAWK - 53.40
    SONJA JOHNSON & MISTY ISLE VALENTINO - 55.40
    MADELINE WILSON & MUMBO JUMBO IV - 56.60

CIC3*

    JUDITH CLARKE & DIABLITO - 42.00
    SHANE ROSE & CP QUALIFIED - 42.90
    STUART TINNEY & CARLCHEN - 44.10
    STUART TINNEY & PLUTO MIO - 46.20
    DEON STOKES & CRIME TIME - 49.10
    SHENAE LOWINGS & BALLYHOO - 49.30

CCI2*

    EMMA BISHOP & CP ISSEY MIYAKE - 41.90
    ROBERT PALM & KOKO STORY - 44.80
    MURRAY LAMPERD & SHEMOZZLE - 47.80
    KATJA WEIMANN & BP ESCAPADE - 49.10
    SHENAE LOWINGS & KINNORDY GYMEON - 50.30
    SHENAE LOWINGS & VENTURE SKY HIGH - 50.60

CIC2*

    TANIA HARDING & JIRRIMA YABBA DABBA DOO - 47.50
    DEON STOKES & KOYUNA LEVI - 49.50
    LAUREN SEELEY & BRAVE HEART - 50.30
    JUSTINE STREATER & WARREGO MARCO POLO - 51.70
    BLAIR RICHARDSON & RUDOLF - 52.00
    ANDREW BARNETT & BRADGATE PARK DANTE - 52.00

CCI1*

    SONJA JOHNSON & MISTY ISLE RACONTEUR - 45.00
    JESSICA GROSMANN & EQUUS SPENCER - 47.40
    HEATH RYAN & WIMBORNE CONSTABLE - 47.90
    HAZEL SHANNON & SIGNAL FIRE - 49.30
    EMILY RINK & ROSTHWAITE VENICE BEACH - 50.10
    EMMA MASON & CASINO ROYALE DIAMOND EDITION - 53.00

CIC1*

    ROBERT PALM & HALCYONS DARK SECRET - 42.80
    JADE FINDLAY & F1 RIEMS - 45.70
    RACHAEL LEE & URODEL DU TEXIER - 48.10
    ASHLEIGH WISEMAN & BARREL OF FUN - 48.10
    ANNABEL ARMSTRONG & QUAPRICE - 50.80
    MURRAY LAMPERD & CHOCOHOLIC - 52.00
 

Source: EA media release