We’ve finally got our Australian squad for Paris and boy, it’s a good one.
The named team is as follows:
Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam, a 16-year-old KWPN gelding owned by Scuderia 1918 and Emma Mcnab
Shane Rose and Virgil, a 19-year-old Warmblood gelding owned by Shane and Niki Rose and Michelle Hasibar
Chris Burton and Shadow Man, a 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood owned by Chris Burton and Guy Bloodstock Ltd.
Traveling Reserve: Shenae Lowings and Bold Venture, a 14-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by the Lowings family
The team is one with deep experience, with 6 Olympics between the three primary members and World Championship experience on the part of Traveling Reserve Shenae Lowings. Australia will look to repeat its team silver medal performance in Tokyo (2021) and finds themselves in good stead to lay down a very competitive result in Paris.
Shane Rose and Virgil. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Also notable on the team is the return of Shane Rose with the ever youthful Virgil. You may recall Shane was seriously injured in a fall in March of this year, breaking a femur, his pelvis, and ribs as well as sustaining a major concussion. The timing of the accident left a big question mark as to Shane’s readiness to compete in Paris, but we already knew Shane was tough as nails and would do all he could to be back in the saddle in time. Indeed he was, and now he will make his fourth Olympic appearance (and third consecutive one) later this month.
Christopher Burton and Shadow Man. Photo by Bit-Media.
Chris Burton is another rider with quite a story this year, opting to move more fully into show jumping in 2022 but then acquiring the ride on Shadow Man, a former ride of British rider Ben Hobday. The goal for Chris was always to earn a spot on the Olympic team, and his experience coupled with his propensity for speed and efficiency in the jumping phases (surely even further bolstered with the additional time in the pure show jumping arena, which he still does, most recently competing on the Longines Global Champions League circuit) and proper form shown this season have stamped his third consecutive Olympic ticket.
Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Kevin McNab was another member of the silver medal-winning team in Tokyo, bringing back his partner Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam for another shot at Olympic glory. Kevin also represented Australia in the 2022 World Championships at Pratoni, along with Traveling Reserve rider Shenae Lowings and her off-track Thoroughbred Bold Venture.
Shenae Lowings and Bold Venture. Photo by Alex Jeffery.
Shenae returned to Australia after spending some time in Europe last season, winning her most recent prep event at Adelaide’s CCI4*-S and putting herself into a good standing to earn this trip to Paris to step in should she be needed.
Notably absent for the first time in two Olympic cycles is 10-time Olympian Andrew Hoy with his veteran partner Vassily de Lassos, who very well could have easily slotted in for a spot on this team but perhaps were lowered on the selectors’ lists due to some trouble on cross country at Avenches in June. The pair since regrouped and were 5th in the 4*-S at Strzegom and also won the 4*-L at Marbach earlier this year.
The Aussies now stand poised for a strong performance in Paris — will we see them on the podium again? Only time will tell. Stay tuned.
To keep up with EN’s running track of teams and individuals named thus far, click here.
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