Russell Johnstone will be heading to the Chatham Park Summer Showjumping Classic CSI 2*-W at SIEC this weekend
© Jo Jennings / AJTL
The biggest show of the year on the Sydney showjumping calendar will take place this December at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre (SIEC). In what will be the most significant showjumping event to be held at SIEC since the Sydney Olympics in 2000, the Chatham Park Summer Showjumping Classic CSI 2*-W will take place between Thursday 5 December and Sunday 8 December in what promises to be an extravaganza of showjumping. The cream of Australia’s showjumping talent will be on display, striving for victory in two headline competitions that will provide top-class entertainment and indelible memories for competitors and spectators alike.
The weekend will host the fourth and final round of the inaugural season of the Australian Jumping Teams League (AJTL). Based on the internationally renowned Global Champions League, the AJTL is like nothing ever seen before in Australia. The competition comprises of 10 corporate sponsored teams, each containing four elite riders. Each round requires three members from each team to compete and offers $100,000 in prize money. With an additional $80,000 to be split among the three best performed team over the series, the stakes will be high. Through a partnership with Showmakers Equestrian, this competition will be broadcast early next year on the Seven Network in an eight-part television series ‘All Clear’.
Amelia Douglass (CHA) and Sirius Du Granit
© Jo Jennings / AJTL
Some of the elite riders involved in AJTL Teams include:
- Tom McDermott – recently crowned Australian Senior Champion for the second time
- Chris Chugg – five-time Australian Champion and former World Cup finalist
- Russell Johnstone – Atlanta 1966 Australian representative
- David Cameron – twice Australian Senior Champion
- Billy Raymont – World Equestrian Games (WEG) representative at Tyron USA, 2018
- Jamie Kermond – Three-time Australian Champion and Three-time WEG representative
The AJTL final, to be held on Sunday afternoon, will provide the feature entertainment for the Goldray Hospitality Marquee (named after Goldray who, ridden by Marianne Gilchrist, won the first Summer Classic in 1979). The VIP experience will include a gourmet lunch with drinks included and will be THE way to enjoy a European-style afternoon at the jumping. Tickets are now available for the VIP Marquee here.
The feature action is not restricted to Sunday. Saturday afternoon will feature the ninth leg of the 2019/20 Australian World Cup Qualifying Series. The Series, held over 11 events, sees combinations of horse and rider compete for points, with the Series winner being offered the opportunity to join the best performed combinations from other World Cup leagues around the world in the FEI World Cup Jumping Final to be help in Las Vegas in April 2020. With just two rounds to go after Sydney, the pressure is rising as the best combinations in the country scramble for points to reach the top of the leaderboard.
The Chatham Park World Cup Qualifier will be the only CSI2*-W event in Australia this year, with total prize money of $75,000 and $25,000 for the winner.
This class will also act as an opportunity for horse and rider combinations to advance towards meeting the Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MER) for selection on the Australian Jumping Team for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. With not many opportunities left to qualify, those riders with Olympic aspirations will be desperate to do well.
Team Chatham Park celebrates in Sale
© Jo Jennings / AJTL
The four day Summer Classic program also has a large number of supporting championships to be decided, including:
- The Winning Group Futurity Series Final
- The Emcee Apparel Super Junior Series Final
- The Riders’ Series & JV Course and Jump Design Rising Stars Series
- The Kelvin Grove Mini Prix Series
- The final of the 2019 NSW Amateur Championship, sponsored by Kohnke’s Own and;
- The fourth and final round of the Stal Tops Young Rider Series to be held prior to the Chatham Park World Cup Qualifier on Saturday.
The show will provide a full range of catering for spectators, with the opportunity to purchase food and drinks from various stalls. Parking is plentiful and entry is free.
Source: Media release
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