Christine Bates and Adelaide Hill in winning form at the Sydney CNC 3 Star Division, photo with permission of Furdography
No I am not trying to be funny, this is Christine Bates on her 9 year old ride Adelaide Hill, winning at Sydney. Thankfully Christine didn’t hit the ground until after the finish flags. Christine landed with a face full of dirt, was a bit stunned and bruised but managed to remount, after Adelaide Hill was caught.
Christine said he was a particularly sensitive horse and after she had made the mistake of offending him early in the course he really took objection after the final fence and buggered off as Christine ended up unbalanced on his near side.
Most importantly both horse and rider walked away without serious injury, a slightly bruised ego, a nice cheque and a blue rosette. Christine is the Vice-President of the Sydney Eventing at SIEC committee who ran this week’s events (a mid-week and weekend event).
Second placed and standing on the sidelines when the drama unfolded was Club President Tim Boland who misses out on the win by a mere 3.1 penalties (PDF) and I guess about a meter (between Christine falling after or before the finish flags).
This event is perfectly timed for the Sydney Three Day Event which will run on the second weekend in September just 5 weeks away. I asked Christine what her plans were for her three star pair, Adelaide Hill and the fifth placed Delago in the next twelve months.
With such a young pair, Christine is in an interesting spot. Does she play it cautious and aim for Normandy 2014 or risk pushing young horses too early and go for gold at London? I’m glad it isn’t my decision. Christine has a plan, one step at a time, firstly the Sydney Three Day Event in September.
After Sydney, perhaps Adelaide or even a quick trip across the Tasman for a Kiwi event? What I found was that Christine has realistic, well grounded and flexible plans, she will go with the flow and either go full tilt at London or hang off for a steadier run at Normandy 2014.
While on the subject of the Sydney Three Day Event, I will be in the UK covering the Blenheim CCI3* on the same weekend. I have arranged a special guest blogger to cover me, at the moment their identity is a secret, what I can you is their photos will leave mine for dead. More to be revealed in coming weeks.
On a final piece of Sydney news I caught up briefly with John Twomey the other day, for those that don’t know John, he ended up on the wrong side of gravity between his horse and the ground at the Sydney World Cup event back in May. John has had a long and frustrating recovery, but I can happily say he is back in the saddle in the last couple of weeks.
John still has a lot of work to do before he is back to competitive fitness, but he is very happy to be riding again. I am hoping to catch up with John properly in the next few weeks.
Yours in Eventing
ESJ
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