Johnstone Sets the Target with Double Down Under

 

Clarke Johnstone on Orient Express wins again in Sydney at the second leg of the FEI World Cup™ Eventing 2011. Photo: Rachel Smith/FEI

As anticipated, Antipodean riders seized the chance to steal a march on their northern hemisphere colleagues in the 2011 FEI World Cup™ Eventing series by targeting the second leg, at Sydney’s Weekend of Equestrian World Cups (AUS).

New Zealander Clarke Johnstone followed up his victory at Kihikihi (NZL) last month by travelling across the Tasman Sea to pick up another win aboard Orient Express, his team bronze medal-winning mount at last year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Kentucky (USA).

Only three riders have won two FEI World Cup events in a season: Michael Jung (GER) last year, Megan Jones (AUS) in 2009, and Nicolas Touzaint (FRA) in 2007. Johnstone’s two wins, plus a third at Kihikihi, gives him an impressive tally of 119 points.

With riders’ three best results counting towards the final rankings, which carry a first prize of €28,000 the New Zealander could prove hard to beat. He has further chances to improve his tally as he sets off for Britain this month to further his ambition of selection for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Cross-Country at Sydney produced a thrillingly tight finish, with just 1.6 penalties covering the top three riders. Olympic silver medallist Shane Rose (AUS) was in pole position on Taurus, the horse on which he was also placed fourth at Kihikihi, but two fences down dropped them to eventual third.

In a repeat of Kihikihi, Chris Burton (AUS) finished second to Johnstone, moving up a place with a clear Jumping round on Holstein Park Leilani, the horse on which he made his Australian squad debut last year. However, Burton, fastest of the day across country on Newsflash, picks up valuable extra points for fifth place on that horse and is now second in the FEI World Cup™ Eventing rankings, 11 points in arrears.

Sixteen combinations went clear across country, but the overnight Dressage leader, Tim Boland (AUS), fell foul of fence 14, correctly predicted by former Australian team coach Wayne Roycroft to be the most difficult fence, a sequence of angled apexes. There were nine stops in total here, including for Shane Rose on his other horse, APH Moritz. Chris Burton also had a mishap with his second string, Haruzac, recording a fall on the flat at a corner. Twenty of the original 30 starters completed the competition.

The FEI World Cup™ Eventing action now moves across the world to Great Britain, where northern hemisphere-based riders will have their first chance to climb the rankings at Chatsworth (May 14-15).

Results

1 Clarke Johnstone/Orient Express (NZL) 45.4 + 0 + 0 = 45.4

2 Chris Burton/Holstein Park Leilani (AUS) 45.9 + 0 + 0 = 45.9

3 Shane Rose/Taurus (AUS) 44.4 + 0 + 8 = 52.3

4 Stuart Tinney/Vettori AUS) 46.3 + 6.4 + 0 = 52.7

5 Chris Burton/Newsflash (AUS) 53.5 + 0 + 0 = 53.5

6 Megan Jones/Kirby Park Allofasudden (AUS) 50.0 + 2.8 + 4 = 56.8

7 Craig Barrett/Sandhills Brillaire (AUS) 56.7 + 4.4 + 0 = 61.1

8 Soigne Jackson/Gold (AUS) 63.2 + 0 + 4 = 67.2

 

FEI World Cup™ Eventing Standings (after 2 of 7 events)

1 Clarke Johnstone (NZL) 118

2 Chris Burton (AUS) 108

3 Shane Rose (AUS) 70

4 Stuart Tinney (AUS) 34

5 Brent Jury (NZL) 32

6 Megan Jones (AUS) 30

7 Craig Barrett (AUS) 28

8 Soigne Jackson (AUS) 26

9 Heath RYAN(AUS) 2

10 Tallara Barwick (AUS) 2

11 Crystal Conning (AUS) 2

12 Wilhelm Enzinger (AUS) 2

13 Cassie Lowe (AUS) 2

14 Simon Gordon (NZL) 2

 

FEI World Cup™ Eventing Calendar 2011

Kihikihi (NZL) 7-10 April

Sydney (AUS) 6-8 May

Chatsworth (GBR) 14-15 May

Strzegom (POL) 23-26 June

Minsk (BLR) 13-17 July

Malmö (SWE) 5-7 August

Le Pin au Haras (FRA), 18-21 August 2011

 

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