Tom McDermott steals the show at the Australian Show Jumping Championships

Tom McDermott leaves this year's National Championships with Australian Show Jumping's highest prize.

As well as being crowned Australian Senior Show Jumping Champion, the teenager from the NSW Riverina region also won the Young Rider's title.

The four day event which was staged at the National Equestrian Centre in Werribee, came to a thrilling conclusion on Sunday with the crowing of the Junior, Young Rider, and Senior Champion, and the Australian Speed Champion.

In the senior division a single penallty separated Tom and his 15 yo mare, the Tripp family owned CP Romantic Dream from the experienced Sharon Slater and her 11 yo stallion CP Ulixes. Jamie Kermond and Yandoo Laughton’s Legacy finished in third making it a clean sweep on the podium for NSW.

In the Young Rider division Tom was a runaway winner with Statford Delight and also finished in third position riding LH Annie-Elka. Olivia Hamood and GH Eternal Flame were the runners-up.

“I’m very excited. Never did I think that would win both titles. I thought I might be a little chance at winning the young rider title but not the senior title also, it’s a great feeling,” Tom said.  

“Pinky (Romantic Dream) is jumping the best she’s ever jumped. She’s super confident and I’m very happy with her,” he added.   

Having spent three months abroad as part of an EA training scholarship, Tom admits that he was a little nervous to start with.

“I was a little rusty at the start of the show. I had jelly legs after my first round, it took us a couple of rounds to warm-up but once we’d had that time in the arena I didn’t feel nervous at all.”

Tom attributes his time abroad to making him a better rider.

“The time I spent overseas has really improved my riding as I have been able to learn and practice many different riding techniques.”   

The final day of competition capped off a hugely successful four day event with many spectators and competitors saying this year's Championships were one of the best yet.  

“This was definitely the best Australian Championships that I’ve been to. All the facilities were great, the grounds were better we could have hoped for. The committee has gone to a lot of effort to make this event as international as possible,” Tom said.  

In other results Jake Hunter (Midnight Rock) of New South Wales was crowed the Australian Junior Champion after a convincing performance saw him finish nine penalties clear of second placed Brooke Langbecker (Alice’s Wonderland).

David Goodwin (Warrego Jetsen) of Queensland was crowned Australian Speed Champion.

23 September 2012

Tom McDermott is the 2012 Senior and Young Rider Australian Show Jumping Champion.

In the senior division Tom and his 15 yo mare CP Romantic Dream narrowly defeated Sharon Slater and CP Ulixes who finished second. Jamie Kermond and Yandoo Laughtons Legacy were third.  

Tom’s win with Statford Delight in the junior category was backed up with a third position riding LH Annie-Elka. Olivia Hamood and GH Eternal Flame were runner-up.

Jake Hunter (Midnight Rock) is the Australian Junior Champion while David Goodwin (Warrego Jetsen) was crowned Australian Speed Champion.

Congratulations to all riders who took part in the weekend's 52nd annual Australian Show Jumping Championships.  

Full results are available here

More to come…

22 September 2012

WA Young Riders Follow Senior Riders Lead

Western Australia's Young Rider team have followed in the footsteps of their senior counterparts taking out the Young Rider Team's event at this year's Australian Show Jumping Championships.

In the battle for second the competition was tight with New South Wales just edging out Victoria after their riders were slightly quicker around the course.

1ST WA 8

2ND NSW 12 136.73

3RD VIC 12 160.38

4TH QLD 24

5TH SA 73

It was another busy day at Werribee with a number of classes being staged and pleasing results achieved.

Sunday’s finals are sure to bring this year’s event to a thrilling close with all individual classes set to crown their 2012 grand champion.

You can receive results as they happen by following the Australian Showjumping Championships on Facebook. Full results from the weekend can be viewed here at the Jumping Victoria Website: http://www.jumpingvictoria.com.au  

Download Sunday's Finals Draw Here

21 September 20212

WA wins team's event at Australian Show Jumping Championships

Western Australia has won the senior team's event at this year's Australian Show Jumping ChampionshipsThe team of Alison Rowland (Bickley Brook Bella), Rory Hovell (Yalambi’s Val D’lsere), David Dobson (AS Akon) and Evie Buller (Yalambi’s Landor) were too good for the strong NSW outfit which placed second and Victoria who were third.

In other news, Alison Rowland and Bickley Brook Bella have won the second senior qualifying round. The senior Australian champion will be decided on Sunday.  

More exciting action continues this weekend. Entry to the event - which is being staged at the Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre - is free on Saturday and a minimal $10 per car on Sunday.  

Full results from the competition thus far is available here  

21 September 2012

Australian Show Jumping Championships - thoughts from the International Course Designer

The Course Designer for this weekend's Australian Show Jumping Championships is Franz Madl of Austria.

Franz recently designed the 4* course in Linz (AUT) which was one of the nomination events for Australian combination vying for selection on Australia’s Olympic team.  

Franz wanted his perspective to come after some Jumping had taken place.

In my mind I have to think about what I have to design for. Is it the table C, against the clock with a jump off or a Grand Prix?  In my design I think about combinations;  double, triple, special lines, combined straight line with curved line.  I like to give the rider options to choose to ride inside or outside the line.  I love to design long courses and give consideration to where, in the course, combinations will come.  Do I build them at the beginning or towards the end of the course?

Once I have all my thoughts together I like to connect all these elements with nice even turns of hand right and left.

The course we want to always have more difficult from the first day to the last day of the show so the biggest course is always the final or the Grand Prix.

Thursday 20 September 2012

Results from Day one of the Australian Show Jumping Championships

Day one of the Australian Show Jumping Championships was full of excitement and action.

Please visit this link to view all the results from the day. http://www.bspscoring.com/currentCompetition.htm  

One of the favourites to take out the senior title is Evie Buller of Western Australia who gave us her perspective on day one of the Championships.

I have 2 horses here at the Australian Championships a young 6 yr old in the Bronze Series and Yalambi’s Landor my 9yr old that I won the YR Champion on last yr at Dubbo.

I was riding last today in the senior championship round 1 qualifier which added a little bit of pressure.  The course rode well and gave the riders plenty of options; it asked a lot of questions and was a juggle between riding for time or rails.

Landor found the atmosphere today a little overwhelming with 2 rails but tomorrow having had a look around today will suit us and his performance should reflect that.

Evies thought’s thought on the event so far…

The ground is fantastic the equipment is good, lovely jumps and it’s very well organized. Lots of trade stands to spend money at. The weather held up fine today and I’m looking forward to a few more days of competition.

The senior team for WA is looking forward to giving the other states a run for their money and we are hoping to reflect the depth of talent in the team

Alison Rowland on Bickley Brook Bella

Rory Hovell on Yalambi’s Val D’lsere

David Dobson on AS Akon

And Myself on Yalambi’s Landor

Melbourne Royal is up next for me on Yalambi’s Landor and he will do a Part 2 Class there the World cup class and the Grand Prix,  the Aus Champs is a great lead in event.

Wednesday 19 September 2012

Australian Show Jumping Championships underway in Victoria

The Australian Show Jumping Championships are in full swing with arrivals coming thick and fast as 260 riders and 523 horses converge on The National Equestrian Centre at Werribee Park for the 52nd annual event which commences Thursday.

The Championships offer four days of elite competition, with over $60,000 in prize money on offer. Following three days of intense competition, Sunday 23 September will close the event in spectacular fashion, with the crowing of the Junior, Young Rider, and Senior Championships, and the Australian Speed Champion.

Olympian, Gavin Chester, who is on the organising committee for the Championships, is delighted to see the event return to the Melbourne region for the first time in 17 years. “We have a great contingent of riders across our state, and it’s exciting to be able to offer them one of the few National events right here in their backyard,” he said.

Chester is joined by a strong committee of equestrian competitors and administrators, ensuring that the event will run to the highest calibre of competition.

The weekend promises to have something for everyone; a relaxed atmosphere, food village and over 40 trade stands surrounding the main event ring should provide a spectator and riders paradise.

The Australian Championships has attracted the support of many Victorian and national businesses including the Victorian Department of Sport and Recreation, and promises to provide a spectacle that is high on excitement and low on cost. The event is free on all three qualifying days, with a minimal ten dollar per vehicle entry fee on the Sunday alone.

International course designer Franz Madl of Austria has been enlisted to design a range of courses that will challenge even the most experienced of riders. Madl recently built the 4*course in Linz Austria that was a qualifier for many of the Australians vying for positions on the Australian Olympic team.

Tom McDermott fresh back from his trip overseas took some time out to share his experience of travel and the assistance he received from EA in receiving the EA Patrons Scholarship.

I was a reluctant traveller, I'm a real homebody but Mum and Dad thought that a trip overseas would really help me grow and develop individually and as a rider. While I was away the opportunity came to apply for the Equestrian Australia Patrons Scholarship. When I was successful with the application it enabled me to attend the event in Linz Austria and also Bourg en Bresse France. It was really beneficial to experience the qualifying event for team selection for the Olympic Games and also see the way the Nations Cup events are run.

While I was a working pupil at Bockmanns I was riding in Style and young horse classes. The main difference I found between overseas and riding at home is the volume of shows everyday of the week and within very close proximity to your base and obviously the more you ride the more experience you gain.

While I had a great time it is so good to be home and I'm very excited about the two new horses one from Germany and the other from Belgium that are arriving in Wagga this week. One of the horses I'm proud to say I have fully financed myself and the other is a Stallion purchased by the Tripp family Quitago (Quidam de Revel x N - Cassina) which I will start campaigning in a few months.

The Australian Showjumping Champs is my first big event since arriving home and it's looking fantastic. After the champs I'll be focusing on the world cups with Melbourne the next of this series. I am really grateful to be able to do what I do with the help of some wonderful sponsors like Ranvet, James and Son, Castlegate James, Equiline Italia, Wentworth Saddles and Zilco rugs.

For more information on the event please visit http://www.jumpingvictoria.com.au/

20 September 2012; 4:30pm

Junior State Teams were announced late today and with each state assembling a competitive group of young riders the event is sure to be hotly contested.  Victoria will be looking to capitalise on its home ground advantage but will have a fight on their hands with NSW, QLD and SA all fielding strong teams. A challenging course design by Franz Madl will ensure the trophy is one for the taking.

Good luck to all riders!