Cameron outclasses the field to win the Summer Classic World Cup Qualifier - Sunday: Results

David Cameron winner of the Sydney Grand Prix World Cup Qualifier CSI-W riding RR Dyranta. (Photo: Furdography)

David Cameron of Glossodia and RR Dyranta posted the only double clear round to comfortably win the prestigious Sydney Grand Prix World Cup Qualifier CSI-W at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre on Sunday afternoon. 

Cameron was delighted saying “in my opinion this is one of the most difficult and best world cups to win” when praising his horse he said “she started the season as a green mini prix horse but has gotten better and better, she is a great indoor and outdoor horse”

Cameron is having a stellar season with the imported RR Dyranta owned by the Martin family. They won the Australian National Titles, the Wodonga World Cup Qualifier and now the Summer Classic World Cup Qualifier.

Course designer Leopoldo Palacios build a technical first round course with oxers around the 1.45m mark and verticals 1.50m high. Palacios thought the course was “tough enough” he was hoping for 2 clear first rounds. This was the most competitors entered in this event in the history of the Summer Classic with 27 starters.

The track certainly proved challenging with the early riders drawing many rails. The influential lines were the open water to an airy vertical oxer combination and a four stride line to a double of verticals.

The first clear round of the competition belonged to the Central Coast farrier Nic Carraro and Colombo. Carraro rode a fantastic round, making his decisions early and giving the horse every chance to jump clear and Colombo absolutely rose to the occasion. This was all the more an incredible achievement as this was the largest track the pair had faced.

Cameron posted the second clear shortly after with RR Dyranta, the mare showed her quality as Cameron pushed her in the lines but she kept all the rails up.

Victorian rider Stephen Hill with the difficult ride Yalambis Bellinis Star looked to be the third clear and the crowd was riding with him through the last line, but he crossed the finish he was slightly over the time allowed to incur just the one time penalty.

8 riders were invited back for the second round which saw a raised and shortened course. Palacios said “the second round is not so technical but it is much bigger.” The verticals were up to 1.60m in height and the final oxer 1.52m high and 1.75m wide.

Tom McDermott was first to go carrying 8 penalties from the first round with Airtime Z and threw down the gauntlet posting a clear in the time of 70.56 seconds. McDermott held the lead while the rails fell for the following riders. When McDermott returned with his second ride SL Limerick, he was attempting to defend his title from last year and give the riders to come no margin for error.

McDermott was carrying 4 penalties from the first round and another rail fell but he was fast enough to put himself into provisional first and second place.

The pressure was on for the final 3 riders. Stephen Hill and Yalambi’s Bellini Star were clearing the jumps with scope to burn and went into the lead with a single rail and time penalty, however these faults gave the last two riders breathing space.

When Nic Carraro with Colombo entered the Olympic Arena it was quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

This combination was definitely the underdog in the final 8. The excitement was mounting in the crowd as he came into the last line on a clear score and a collective groan rang out across the arena as the A and B elements in the treble fell. Carraro finished on a total of 9 which put him behind Hill and McDermott.

Cameron was the final rider to enter the arena and with a rail and time penalty up his sleeve he had a slight margin for error. There was no mistake as he turned to the last line and galloped to the last fence leaving all the rails up in a time of 73.05 seconds to convincingly claim the win and finish a remarkable year of success with RR Dyranta.

The events in the Olympic Arena in the morning were the finals for the Super Juniors, the Mini Prix and the Young Riders. All of these classes took the top 20 competitors from the two qualifying competitions.

20 riders started in the Wentworth Saddles Mini Prix Final with Leopoldo Palacios designing a long, technical track to test the horses and riders on the final day of the show. The most influential section of the course proved to be airy oxer, vertical, vertical treble combination at the end of the course in front of the grandstand with most horses taking a rail through this line.

The first clear came from the eighth competitor in the ring, Queenslander Billy Raymont and his consistently performed imported mare Cecil, owned by the Ansell family. It proved to be the only clear of the entire competition and enough for Raymont to triumph in the Wentworth Saddles Mini Prix Final.

Testament to Palacios’ skilful course building, Raymont said “it was a tough track but it developed the horses, this has been a big step up for the mare but she has developed over the weekend.”

7 combinations posted 4 fault rounds to just miss out on making the jump off. The fastest of the 4 fault combinations was Jennifer Wood of Cudal and Sweetshot who finished in a time of 74.10 seconds, from Tom McDermott and Laguna Beach who won both qualifying competitions but once again the treble proved influential and caught McDermott out and he finished on 4 in a time of 77.07.

The Young Rider Final saw the 23 qualified combinations face a difficult course with similar lines to the Mini Prix, which tested the adjustability of horses and the rider’s decision making skills. The course opened with the imposing red Uluru themed wall. 7 riders showed their skill posting clears and returning for the jump off.

Two riders, Tom McDermott and Savanna Hopkinson qualified two horses for the second round. The first rider into the ring Emily Mann rode a clear to put the pressure on the following riders. The extremely experienced combination of Tom McDermott and Statford Delight belted around the track but just touched the first part of the combination to draw four penalties in a time of 40.35. Savanna Hopkinson and the wonderful black import Zinzation kept all the poles up in a fantastic time of 41.15 to take the lead.

McDermott took a risk with Danae taking a very tight turn to the second fence and unfortunately did not pay off collecting a rail to add to his score.

The highly successful partnership of Sarah Louse McMillian and Queen of Diamonds looked to challenge for the win but a rail down pushed them down the leader board.

As Savanna Hopkinson returned to the arena with her second ride Barrichello the win was already hers but she pushed hard to try to get another placing in the line-up but a rail fell and in a slower time of 42.26 seconds she finished just outside of the top 5.

The first event in the Olympic arena saw the 20 Super Junior Qualifiers have their first event of the show in the main ring. 5 riders jumped clear in the first round to return for the jump off with Jess Tripp of Mulgoa holding the advantage which two horses in the second round.

Tripp’s first mount Fernhill Orlando drew 2 rails to finish on 8 penalties in the time of 43.88 seconds.

Victorian Jasmine Dennison with Fosbury Flop was unlucky to have a refusal and rail to finish on 8 faults in the slower time of 54.93 seconds. Tripp returned with her second horse Flowervale Diamond and this time nailed the ride to post a clear in a time of 45.93 seconds. Natalie Mohr of Terrey Hills and Buzz Boy set of at a quick pace and took direct lines but unfortunately pulled 3 rails to finish on a total of 12.

The pressure was on the final rider, current NSW Junior Champion, Madeline Sinderberry of Condobolin and Fernhill Zinzan and she was absolutely on fire today, galloping across the finish in a time of 42.63 seconds with all the rails in the cups to add the win to her impressive list of achievements this year with her relatively new ride Fernhill Zinzan.

Results

Olympic Arena

Equestrian NSW World Cup Qualifier

1.David Cameron - RR Dyranta (0/0,73.85)

2.Steven Hill - Yalambis Bellini Star (1/5, 76.18)

3.Tom McDermott - SL Limerick (4/4, 68.56)

4.Tom McDermott - Airtime Z (8/ 0, 70.56)

5.Nic Carraro - Colombo (0/9, 74.41)

6. Jess Stalling - Diamond B Vermont (8/5,74.86)

7.Olivia Hamood - Nero GHP (8/12, 69.07)

8.Alison Rowland- Yalambis Carpino Z (5/28,87.39)

Wentworth Saddles Mini Prix Final

1. Billy Raymont - Cecil

2. Jennifer Wood - Sweetshot

3. Tom McDermott - Laguna Beach

4. James Arkins - DaVincis Pride

5. George Johnson - Wondaree Sprite

Kingsland Young Rider Final

1. Savanna Hopkinson - Zenzation

2. Emily Mann - Yandoo Spotnik NZPH

3. Tom McDermott - Statford Delight

4. Tom McDermott - Danae

5. Sarah Louise McMillan - Queen of Diamonds

Super Junior Final

1.Madeline Sinderberry - Fernhill Zinzan

2. Jessica Tripp - Flowervale Diamond

3. Jessica Tripp - Fernhill Orlando

4. Jasmine Dennison - Fosbury Flop

5. Natalie Mohr - Buzz Boy

Equestrian NSW Arena 2

Edwina Mitchell Catering 1.20m height class.

1. Vicki Roycroft - Noblewood Park Casino Royal

2. Roy Andrew Inglis - Black Marlin

3. Sophia Carlon - It's Jealousy

4. Roy Andrew Inglis - Licaviv

5. Roy Andrew Inglis - Agloria

6. Tom McDermott - Bittern Park Darcey

River Farm Stables 1.30m Open Height Class

1. Jessica Rae- Little Fish

2. Roy Andrew Inglis - Black Marlin

3. Vicki Roycroft - Noblewood Park Casino Royal

4. Roy Andrew Inglis - Agloria

5. Jess Barton - Celso

Tallara and Dave Equestrian Jumping NSW Amateur of the year class

1. Ned Calcraft - Celeborn Ego Z

2. Jade Middleton - Evenescence

3. Nathan Wood - Freewheeler

4. Annabel Hawker - Vision Vuitton 5. Katy Penman - Celerity Park Flash

Jumping NSW Arena 3

Global Entries Online open 1m Height Class A2

1. Rachel Higgins - Dusty Rhodes

2. Eleanor Miller - Kaloona Cherish

3. Milly Fisher - Meltonvale Grace

4. Billie Kinder - Spotlight

5. Elissar Maalouf - Please Doo

Global Entries Online restricted 1m

1. William Wood - Cupcake

2. Elisa Abeck - Black Forest

3. George Johnson - DF Stella

4. Wendy Peel - Double Diamond Critter

5. Penny Dow - Champagne Charli

1.10m for horses under 16 points

1. Ben Blay - Soxdown

2. James Arkins - Kitara Belefon

3. Stephen Dingwall - Cavalier Du Rouet

4. Maddison Harley - Kurrala Gem

5. Roy Andrew Inglis - Twins Easton VDL

Global Entries Online open 1.10m height class.

1. Charlie Kinder - Regents Park Legacy

2. Rachel Higgins - Dusty Rhodes

3. Tatum Latmer - Emmaville Spice

4. Sarah Knight - Pamlet

5. Peter Hoogland - Joules