It was multi-Olympian Shane Rose and his stalwart partner, Virgil (Vivant – unknown Thoroughbred dam), who took the winner’s spoils in the Southern Hempishere’s CCI5* this weekend, winning the Adelaide International CCI5* at the Adelaide Equestrian Festival. A bonus? The win came a day before Shane’s 50th birthday.
This win sets the pair up to make a run for the Paris Olympics in 2024; the pair was 10th individually in Tokyo in 2021.
“It means everything to come back to compete in Adelaide after Covid,” Shane said. “It’s amazing and I realize that there’s nowhere like this in the world to gallop through a city. And the crowd and the weather are just second to none. I think you can tell by the record crowd from here, around Australia and New Zealand – it’s the best event supported by the best crowd and sponsors in the Southern Hemisphere.”
Shane, in the second time only since the events inception in 1997, is a three-time competition winner at Adelaide, winning here previously in 2004 and 2015.
Shane Rose and Virgil.
RESULTS OF THE ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL CCI5*-L:
Shane Rose on Virgil with a score of 28.5
Sam Lyle on BF Valour with a score of 38.0
Sophia Hill on Humble Glory with a score of 40.9
World Championships pair Shenae Lowings and Bold Venture win the CCI4*-S.
RESULTS OF THE RM WILLIAMS CCI4*-S:
Shenae Lowings on Bold Venture with a score of 34.7
Andrew Cooper on Sha valley Thunder with a score of 42.5
Cathryn Herbert on Easy Turn with a score of 43.2
Oliver Barrett and Sandhills Special take the CCI3*-S on a 28.1.
RESULTS OF THE RACING SA CCI3*-S:
Oliver Barrett and Sandhills Special on 28.1
Erin Callahan and Danson Lincoln on 29.6
Jess Somerfield and Finch Farm Carpentaria on 32.5
Adelaide Equestrian Festival Chairman Greg Rolton said: “Today’s final day of competition, the ATCO Show Jumping Day was a thrilling end to the four-day festival. “Having competitors, record crowds and our team back in our city after a three-year hiatus was just sensational. I thank all involved from our passionate board, event director, stewards and officials, sponsors, contractors and hard-working volunteers for putting on this world class event that been so enjoyable and memorable for all.”
South Australian Minister for Tourism Zoe Bettison said the return of the Adelaide Equestrian Festival has been a “huge success” with the response from event goers a clear indicator of that.
“What a fantastic four days it’s been in our city’s parklands, with record crowds flocking to the festival to enjoy the elite equestrian action – including an all-time high of 20,000 through the gates on Saturday’s Cross Country Day alone. As the only event of this type worldwide held in the heart of a city and the new expanded program offerings, it’s no wonder there’s been such a terrific response from locals and visitors alike for this world-class festival now back on our state’s annual events calendar.”
This popular event attracted a record 37,000 patrons this week in Adelaide and is thought to have contributed well over $5.2 million in new economic expenditure for the state this year.
The Adelaide Equestrian Festival is supported by the South Australian Government through the South Australian Tourism Commission.
Find full results of the Adelaide Equestrian Festival here. Did you miss any action? You can watch the replay on-demand with your H&C+ membership here.
The Adelaide International Horse Trials was born in 1997 to replace the Gawler Horse Trials that had been staged at Gawler, north of Adelaide, since 1954. The new event debuted in Adelaide’s East Parklands with a three-star rating but was subsequently upgraded to a four-star rating in 2002 to become the only event of this calibre in the Southern Hemisphere. The competition was relaunched and renamed the Australian International 3 Day Event (Aus3de) in 2007 to celebrate the event’s tenth anniversary and better reflect the international focus of the competition. In 2019, the Aus3de was upgraded to five-star status, along with the other five international greats, in line with the updated FEI category designations. Due to COVID the event was not able to happen in 2020-22 but is back in 2023 under its new name the Adelaide Equestrian Festival (AEF which showcases the entire experience that this 4-day event encompasses). The AEF is owned, managed, and marketed by the Not-for-Profit Board of Adelaide Horse Trials Management Inc. comprising equestrian greats, professional business directors, and media advisers working with Chairman Greg Rolton. The event attracts over 25,000 annually and contributes $5.2 million in new economic expenditure for the state each time it’s run. For more information about the event, or to purchase tickets visit: https://www.adelaideequestrianfestival.com
