Photos: Toni-anne Collins
Four of the six riders featured in the new book An Eventful Life – Life Stories of Eventing Champions took honours at the Melbourne International Three Day Event this weekend. Sonja Johnson, Stuart Tinney, Megan Jones and Shane Rose all finished in the placings in their classes while Wendy Schaeffer and Emma Scott, who were not riding at this event, supported from the sidelines. Sonja won the CCI*** class on her wonderful 19-year-old stockhorse, Ringwould Jaguar jumping a clear showjumping round to finish on her dressage score.
Sonja finished only 1.2 points ahead of Sydney gold medallist Stuart Tinney on the talented mare, Panamera in second place and NSW rider Christopher Burton was third on Holstein Park Leilani. Stuart also jumped another clear round on his second mount, Vettori finishing in fourth place with 57 penalty points. Stuart certainly had an excellent weekend on both of his horses showing great class in all phases of the competition which is an important selection event for the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky later this year.
Clarke Johnstone riding for New Zealand was fifth on Orient Express and Megan Jones rounded out the places in sixth on Kirby Park Allofasudden. Megan, who had left her grey superstar Kirby Park Irish Jester at home on this occasion also jumped a lovely clear round on Allofasudden, who was last year’s winner at this event.
In the CCI** class, Shane Rose led after the dressage and cross country on his horse Star Am I but unfortunately he had four fences down in his final showjumping round, resulting in second place behind Victorian rider Katja Weimann.
Further photographs from the weekend are available on the An Eventful Life Facebook photo album page and the YouTube aneventfullife channel
http://www.facebook.com/pages/An-Eventful-Life/107230505977172?ref=mf
