18 year old Tom McDermott from Wagga Wagga in the Riverina of NSW just keeps re-writing the Australian Showjumping records. He is currently the Australian National Junior and Young Rider Champion, a feat never achieved before, he won Australia’s first Young Olympic Medal in 2010,and he is the NSW state champion, the National Young Rider of the Year plus he was the leading senior rider at the 2011 Sydney Royal Show in his first year competing against his peers. On Sunday at Gawler in South Australia he won his first Jumping World Cup qualifier competing in just his third career International CSI-W. Riding the lovely brown gelding Statford Delight Tom incurred just one time penalty in the first round and added 4 penalties in the second round for a rail down at the 1.50m vertical fence three to finish on 5 penalties in a very slick time of 54.81 almost 6 seconds ahead of second placed Tim Clarke from Mortlake.
Tim the runner up riding the grey Caltango also finishing with 5 penalties in the slower time of 60.61 seconds, third went to the runaway leader on the Australian World Cup standings Jamie Kermond from Ebenezer riding Colthaga also on 5 penalties in a time of 62.09 seconds. Jono Berry from Ebenezer placed fourth riding the stallion Quinzy Z on 6 penalties, the only other combination to finish with less than 16 penalties.
The tough track designed by Richard Bruggerman from Gawler saw only 13 staters eligible for World Cup points, a number of riders electing not to start with their less experienced horses. Bruggerman’s 12 fence course, a total of 15 jumping efforts was big and strong, the treble a 1.50m vertical one stride to a 1.50m wide oxer then one stride to a 1.50m square oxer saw 16 rails fall in round one, the combination was set on a tight turn-back following the 1.50 vertical at seven. Most horses not able to produce the power needed for such a strong treble out of the turn back. The 1.55m vertical set on a tough five short strides after the treble fell six times, the course then turned to the last line a 1.50m vertical number ten, four strides to 11a a 2m x 1.50m triple bar then one stride to 11b a vertical 1.52m followed by seven strides to number 12 a strong 1.50m x 1.60m oxer. This last line seeing 17 rails on the floor, a total of 56 rails hit the floor in round one, scores of placegetters from 5th to 10th looked more like that in a cricket match rather than elite showjumping.
Round one produced just one clear round free of time penalties from Jamie Kermond, Tom McDermott jumped the only other clear jumping round he finished with just one time penalty. The tight time was tough to achieve over a such a strong course designed in a small area – riders commenting that there was more room in the warm up arena then the competition arena. Round two a little softer produced three clear rounds, plus five horses with just one rail down.
Most riders were using the Gawler CSI-W as a lead into this week’s Adelaide Royal world cup qualifier which will also be an Olympic qualifier, riders able to earn their MES (Minimum Eligibility Standard) required prior to Olympic selection.
Jamie Kermond is well ahead on the Australian rankings with 78 points, Queenslander Billy Raymont is the runner up on 49 points as riders head into the seventh round of the season in Adelaide.
18 year old Tom McDermott from Wagga Wagga in the Riverina of NSW just keeps re-writing the Australian Showjumping records. He is currently the Australian National Junior and Young Rider Champion, a feat never achieved before, he won Australia’s first Young Olympic Medal in 2010, and he is the NSW state champion, the National Young Rider of the Year plus he was the leading senior rider at the 2011 Sydney Royal Show in his first year competing against his peers. On Sunday at Gawler in South Australia he won his first Jumping World Cup qualifier competing in just his third career International CSI-W. Riding the lovely brown gelding Statford Delight Tom incurred just one time penalty in the first round and added 4 penalties in the second round for a rail down at the 1.50m vertical fence three to finish on 5 penalties in a very slick time of 54.81 almost 6 seconds ahead of second placed Tim Clarke from Mortlake.