© Michelle Terlato

The 2018 Mitsubishi Motors Australian International 3 Day Event provided a great competition for spectators today as the CCI4* field saw the placings move spectacularly around.

Mike Etherington-Smith’s CCI four-star cross-country course asked many questions for the field of 24 horses and riders that started the cross-country phase of the event today, with many not having the answers and seeing them exiting the competition with elimination.

Amanda Pottinger and Just Kidding are at the front of CCI4* field. Only half of the 24-strong card made it home and even then, there were penalties to be added and taken away after much deliberation by the ground jury – similar to the 2017 event.

Amanda had initially been given a 50 but eventually had it taken away to move her up the head of the field on 47.2 penalty points, 4.3 ahead of the second placed Hazel Shannon aboard Wiillingapark Clifford on 51.5. Hayley Frielick and Class Action LP are the next best of the Kiwis, sitting on 81.3 in fifth spot, with Jess Woods and Just de Manzana in 10thon 102.7 and Renee Faulkner aboard Rubinstar HH on 124.4.

In an extremely rare occurrence, after finishing in bottom place yesterday, Emily Gray on her 14-year old bay gelding ‘Jocular Vision’ moved up to third place on the Leader board as the CCI4* Qantas Cross Country phase ends. Emily says “I knew this wasn’t going to be a dressage competition for us, we were definitely looking ahead to the Cross Country. I had my plan in my head. It was a tough track, I didn’t know what had happened out there, and I wanted to stick to my own plan.”
“Heading in to tomorrow’s last day – I have a positive mindset and I’ve just got to stay confident”, said Emily.

Event Director Belinda Lindh says “it was a testing four-star course and it challenged the competitors skills today, in particular the new riders to the four-star level”.

CHECK OUT THE RESULTS HERE

The Horseland CCI2* Show Jumping is the first event on the main area tomorrow, commencing at 9.30am, followed by the RM Williams 3*. The Mitsubishi Motors CCI4* concludes the day at 3.15 with the Presentation Ceremony at 4.30pm.

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Full list of results are now available to view on the Aus3de website
www.australian3de.com.au

Source: Media release

Equestrian Life are live streaming the CCI4* showjumping action from 3pm-4.30pm (local time) / 3.30pm-5pm AEDT today – what better way to spend your Sunday afternoon!