It was a star-studded line up of some of Australia and New Zealand’s best in Saturday night’s Waratah Showjumping Grand Prix CSI1*-W, generously supported by Chatham Park, Emcee Apparel, Orchard Equestrian and Southern Cross Event Hire. International guest course designer Anderson De Moura Lima put twenty-five combinations through their paces over a track that proved to be quite the challenge.
After the first round of competition, only five combinations recorded clear rounds. New Zealand visitor Sophie Scott recorded two of those rounds aboard Benrose Stellar, who won last week’s Grand Prix and Normandy GHP. Joining Scott on zero penalties was current Australian Senior Champions Phillip Lever and Billionaire NZPH, previous Australian World Cup League winners Sam Overton and Oaks Cassanova, and two-time World Cup winners Gemma Creighton and Dada Des Brimbelles Z, setting the stage for an exciting jump off.
Nine combinations returned to contest the second round. James Mooney with KPH Cavatina and Melissa Blair with Selena C both produced clear rounds, proving that it could be done over a testing jump-off. After incurring only the one time penalty in the first round, Jess Rice-Ward produced a sensational clear jumping round aboard Tulara Diarangol to put the pressure firmly on the shoulders of those to follow.
Sophie Scott aboard Normandy GHP produced a cracking clear round in a time of 44.80 to jump to an early lead, before Phillip Lever and Billionaire NZPH chased her down, crossing the finish line in a time of 44.27.
After almost a year’s hiatus from World Cup competitions, Oaks Cassanova returned to centre stage and showed the crowd exactly why he was crowned the 2022 Australian World Cup League Champion. At only 15.3hh, ‘little Ed’ as he is known around the stables made light work of the technical track to stop the clock in a time of 43.47 for a convincing win.
“He was a little feisty tonight and that worked in our favour,” Sam said of Oaks Cassanova during the prize-giving ceremony. After a break from competition, Cassanova is back in top form and fighting fit ahead of the next run of World Cup Qualifiers and the Australian Jumping Championships in November.
