IN THE SADDLE JENNY SHEPPARD 16/4/2007

SYDNEY ROYAL WORLD CUP

40 year old paul Athanasoff of Dungog and his homebred 10 year old chestnut stallion Wirragulla Nicklaus jumped two sensational clear rounds to take out the 2007 Sydney Royal Show World Cup Qualifier on Sunday. Paul and his agile horse incurred just one time penalty in the first round and a fast clear second round to take out the featured jumping event at the Sydney Royal Show. Course designer Graeme Watts of Toowoomba set a technical 1.50m track for the first round that had to be jumped at 400 meters per minute, seven of the fifteen starters incurring time penalties. Queenslander Peter McMahon jumped clear in the first round riding KS Genoa, two rails down in the second round put them into sixth placing, Rod Brown and the experienced Mr Burns were the only other combination to jump clear in the first round, two rails down in the second round put the class favourites into fifth placing for Brown’s last ride on this big brown thoroughbred who has been sold to Asian interests.

Victoria’s jumping machine, the big grey, Ashleigh Drossel Dan was the runner up ridden by Laurie Lever of Somerville, the pair jumping a super clear round in the second round, a rail down and a time penalty in the first round left them in second place. Third was Queenslander Paula Hamood riding NV Capone with six penalties in the first round and a fast clear second round. Fourth went to Tim Amitrano of Cooroy riding Mr Innocent finishing on eight penalties for two rails down.

Lever won the other section one featured jumping event of the show when he jumped a super double clear round to take out the 2007 EFA Cup riding Ashleigh Drossel Dan. Other winners in section one were Brown riding Mr Burns and McMahon riding KS Genoa. Amitrano and Mr Innocent were the best overall combination in the section when they placed well in every class.

Beaudesert rider Merik Ubank and his big chestnut Dover Street were the best combination in section two when they won three classes and placed second and fifth out of six classes, George Sanna of Glossodia riding the imported Paratus the other winner in this section.

Vicki Roycroft of Mt White rode into the winning circle when she won the Royal Show Mini Prix riding her agile little grey Ricardo D to jump the only double clear round to take the class from Billy Raymont of Cooroy riding Dutch Choice.

The junior jumping event were dominated by Tom Sedger of Poatman’s Ridge, he won two classes riding LL Gift giving them the trophy for the best junior boy riding in the jumping classes. Monique Barrett of Penrith won the Junior Grand Prix and placed in two other classes to be the best girl jumping rider of the show riding Snowy River Ginger Meggs. Jodie Berman of Wellcamp also had a win and two placing’s riding Will-e-go.

Jamie Winning of Ebenezer dominated the young rider classes with a win and three placing’s riding Yandoo Drought. Julia Hargreaves of Arcadia riding Copabella Visage and Hillary Scott of The Oaks riding Indra were also winners in the section.

Grant Hughes of Canberra blitzed the opposition to take out the Top Score Stakes riding Yakaty Yak.

Kevin Collins of Kyabram flew the Victorian flag at the Royal when he won the Grand Champion Harness Delivery Horse of the show with his lovely big bay Clydesdale Hackney cross Cobaw. Kevin and Cobaw also won the two wheel business turnout class and the Champion single horse harness turnout. Cobaw at 12 year old caught the eye of the American judge Brit McLin who complemented the Collins family on such a wonderful turnout. Cobaw has now won three harness championships at Sydney, six at the Melbourne and has been the Barastoc Champion Harness Horse of the Year for the last three years.

2008 OLYMPIC VENUE HERPES OUTBREAK

The Hong Kong Jockey Club reported last week that an outbreak of equine herpes has infected 132 racehorses in Hong Kong, host of equestrian events for the 2008 Olympics.

Equestrian events were switched from host city Beijing because of difficulties in establishing a disease-free zone in mainland China, and Hong Kong's leader tried to quash any concerns the outbreak may have triggered.

"Horses (are) like human beings. They get sick, they get cured. I do not think we should be fussed ... it will not be an issue by the time we hold the Olympics in Hong Kong," chief executive Donald Tsang told reporters after a tour of Olympic facilities in Beijing.

A total of 132 horses fell ill with the disease between Feb. 10 and April 9 but containment measures at the club in Shatin in the New Territories appeared to be working and there was no obvious threat of the outbreak worsening.

"The affected horses have shown a mild fever and occasionally, mild blood abnormalities and mild swelling of the legs," the Hong Kong Jockey Club said in a statement.

"Most horses have returned to training within a week without complications that may affect the horse's health or future racing performances," it added, blaming the outbreak on the climate.

"The recent changeable weather conditions have probably contributed to the recent cases."

Hong Kong will host the Olympic Equestrian Test event in August, the Australian Equestrian Federation will fly Australian eventing horses from Australia for this event.

BROWN TO RIDE AT LAS VEGAS

Australia’s Harley Brown of Montrose who is currently based in the USA to qualify for the Australian jumping team to compete at the 2008 Olympics, placed 11th in last week’s USA West Coast World Cup Qualifier riding his lovely big grey Cassiato. Brown had just one rail down in the $50,000 International CSI-W ridng Cassiato and rode his second horse Cartwright for 8 penalties.

Brown’s placing’s in the last two US World Cup Qualifiers has gained him and is horse Cassiato an invitation to compete in the Grand Prix of Las Vegas to be held on Saturday evening at the 2007 Jumping World Cup Finals this weekend.

Gavin Chester of Sale and Edwina Alexander of Glenhaven will also represent Australia at the final. See The Weekly Times next week for all the deatails.