Sydney International 3 Day Event is set to be bigger and better

The entries are listed, the courses prepared and the stables ready for the horses to move in. Competition at the 2019 Sydney International Three Day Event is set to begin.

Almost 500 horses will compete across the seven levels of competition on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of this week.

The largest of the international classes is the Hills District Farm Machinery CCI2*-S with 44 competitors.

The prestigious Macarthur Automotive CCI4*-L class is the most coveted prize. Whilst the class is smaller due to so many horses being prepared for the Oceania Eventing Championships to be held in New Zealand early next month, the competition promises to be exciting.

The course has been beautifully designed by Mike Etherington-Smith (GBR) and has the flow and balance typical of his courses.

Horse and riders will be faced with 40 jumping efforts including multiple new challenges such as the Macarthur Automotive Main Arena Complex.

“This year we head in and out of the main arena which is an exciting and positive development. The intention with this is to use the main arena on each day of competition and to create a focal point without the need to walk a long way to see some of the action,” explains Mike.

The 5.8km course will require considerable stamina as it traverses the hills of the venue, but the going will be ideal making the track fast. So you can expect to see riders aiming to get inside the time allowed.

This will add to the test come Sunday when the fitness of the horses will be measured by how well they bounce back for the show jumping. Just two of the horses in this long format class are not full thoroughbred.

The Bates Saddles CCI4*-S will be a clash of the titans. This hotly contested class has 33 competitors including the majority of the Australian Squad named for the Oceania Eventing Championships. Olympians Stuart Tinney, Shane Rose and Amanda Ross will each be riding multiple horses in this class.  

Stuart is entered on a trio of enviable imported horses, the fabulous 7yo gelding Celebration (by Chin Champ), in-form wonder mare Wanda (Clearway) and finally 8yo Leporis (Lansino x Heraldik). 

Shane will be aboard the talented 9yo Ultimate Velocity (Worrego Collateral Damage) as well as Pumpkin (Statford Novalis).  Amanda will be riding the stunning Dicavalli Diesel (Donautraum), the superstar thoroughbred mare Koko Popping Candy (Bianconi) and her younger horse Dondialbo (also by Donautraum).

Adding further depth to the field Emma Bishop will be riding CP Issey Miyake, Tim Boland will be on Napoleon and Emma Mason will ride Warrego Marco Polo and they will be pushed by many other classy combinations.

A quick check on the performances of this bunch will have you head-scratching as to who the favourite could be.

The national level classes (60cm, 80cm, 95cm and 1star) will enjoy an entirely new cross country course which follows the direction of the 2000 Olympic track.  Course designer Sandy Lucas has even revamped and altered some of the Olympic jumps to suit the lower levels.

Elite thoroughbred stud Yarraman Park has joined Sydney 3DE as the sponsor of the Young Event Horse classes. Yarraman Park understands the importance of breeding quality horses for success across equestrian disciplines. The Young Event Horse classes will be held on Sunday.

The shopping village with live music, the Horseland Hospitality tent, the big screen, the kids zone, food outlets as well as the tailgate parking will all surround Arena 1 creating a busy centralised area.

For the first time day-stay competitors will be able to park their trucks in “priority parking” around Arena 1, saving them the long hike from the north truck park.

And don’t forget that the event will also host a CPEDI event for Para-Equestrian riders from Friday to Sunday.

So all systems are set to go for a big week at Sydney International Three Day Event.

Entry is free, the weather forecast is perfect so be sure to come and enjoy some of the best Equestrian action Australia has to offer.

See the full list of competitors at www.sydneyeventing.org