Tim Clarke takes the title at the Be the Influence Equestrian Grand Final for Jumping

Tim Clarke and Caltango at the 2013 Be the Influence Equestrian Grand Final for Jumping 
Photograph:Nicole Bartleet

18 of Australia’s top jumping riders converged on Sydney for the third annual staging of the Jumping Final which is also a qualifying round for the Australian league of the FEI World Cup series.

The race for the title came down to the wire and Clarke, who was last to go in the second round, knew he needed to go faster than current Australian Show Jumping Champion Jamie Kermond and his mount Caracas after both combinations were on equal standing after the first round and Kermond produced a clear round in the second.

 “I said to Billy Raymont before the final round, I don’t think I can round up Jamie so I just took it one fence at a time and if I was going well I decided I’d go for it at the last and luckily tonight it paid off.

“My wife said to me you’ve come all the way to Sydney so you better ride well. So I pulled my socks up and concentrated,” he said.

Jamie Winning riding the 2011 Australian Show Jumping Champion Wirragulla Nicklaus finished in third place.

The Be the Influence Equestrian Grand Final will conclude on Saturday evening with the staging of the dressage Grand Final and a big crowd is expected. Tickets are available at http://www.equitana.com.au

Full results from tonight’s Be the Influence Equestrian Grand Final for Jumping are available at http://www.equitana.com.au