 Rose claims his sweetest victory
By DAVID VALENTE
15nov04
SHANE Rose and Beauford Miss Dior claimed a fairytale victory after a dramatic final day of the Mitsubishi Adelaide International Horse Trials yesterday.
Rose, from NSW, rode one of only two clear rounds in the four-star showjumping round to assume the ascendancy then watched as the pressure proved too much for the two other title threats.
The hard-fought win was all the more satisfying for Rose because two years ago, when in the lead, it was he and Miss Dior who fell to that pressure, losing the overall crown to SA's Wendy Schaeffer by knocking down a rail at the final fence.
Rose, who climbed from seventh to third in Saturday's cross-country discipline, finished yesterday with 60.40 penalty points, while leader since day one Sammi McLeod and Black Odyssey incurred 29 points and Jessica Irvine-Brown (Belcam Aaberdeen) 27 points in the showjumping to fall to second and third with 80.80 and 81.40 points.
McLeod could afford only to drop one rail and still win but she and Irvine-Brown had horror runs.
Rose was also fourth on King George.
 But, more than for its steely-nerved manner, Rose's win was special for what it meant to Beauford Miss Dior's owners Pam and Ron Slade. Rose has ridden the mare for several years at their request after their son Robert was killed in a competition fall in England in 1999.
"I took on the ride of Beauford Miss Dior because the Slades asked me to to keep the memory of Robert alive," Rose said, dedicating the win to his memory.
"This is Robert's horse and for her to finally win a four-star, it's possibly a good note to finish on. This might be Miss Dior's retirement. She's getting towards the end of her career and I don't think she's got much more to prove.
"She is an amazing mare - probably the most competitive horse I've ever ridden."
A stunning finish was also the order of the day in the CCI two-star event as 17-year-old Brisbane girl Lauren Schodel claimed her first major win, climbing from seventh to first after all those ahead of her crumbled.
By DAVID VALENTE / 15nov04
NEWS RELEASE
MItsubishi Adelaide International Horse Trials Media Centre
New South Wales rider Shane Rose has stormed home to win the 2004 Mitsubishi Adelaide International Horse Trials.
A perfect ride in the CCI**** (Olympic division) showjumping this afternoon elevated Shane and his 16-year-old mare Beauford Miss Dior from third position after the dressage and cross country, up into a winning position.
In accepting the Mitsubishi Trophy and the $8,000 first place prize money, Shane thanked the owners of Beauford Miss Dior, Pam and Ron Slade, whose son Robert formerly rode the horse before being tragically killed in a riding accident (not on Beauford Miss Dior).
“This will be a teary moment for Ron and Pam and we’ve had lots of ups and downs together over the past four years, but I want to thank them for their constant support,” Shane said.
He also praised the Adelaide event, describing CBC Oval as a ‘great venue’ with an ‘incredible atmosphere’.
“Staging a big event like this in the middle of a capital city is challenging. But it is so important to have an Olympic standard event in the southern hemisphere and we really need this to be able to compete with the rest of the world. Hopefully this event will be supported well into the future. We all love competing here”
Shane, who also finished fourth on King George, said the victory belonged to Beauford Miss Dior who had never failed to gain a place in competition.
“We are currently deciding whether Beauford will retire, but if that is the case, it is a great way to finish.”
Sammi McLeod on Black Odyssey was favoured to win the event after leading after the first two days, but finished in second position. Third place was taken by the youngest competitor in the CCI**** division Jessica Irvine-Brown on Belcam Aaberdeen and fifth place went to Nikki Richardson on Makinground. The final prize money position went to Kadi Eykamp on Izbella Roselini who made up three places after a clear run in the showjumping. South Australian Wendy Schaeffer just missed out on the prize money, finishing seventh.
In the CCI** division, young Queensland rider Lauren Schodel stormed from seventh place to win the event. Her faultless ride on Smooth Criminal could not be matched by some of the more experienced riders, leaving Lauren with her best result to date. Tim Boland on Phantom Pursuit took second position and Heath Ryan on Loot ta Boot placed third. SA rider Megan Jones on Winergy Fedwell took fourth place, Janelle Pitts and Mr. Showoff finished fifth and Stuart Tinney on Oroton placed sixth. The final was a close encounter with no room for errors. In spite of only two showjumping faults each, Boyd Martin and Chris Burton, were pushed back to 7 th and 8 th respectively, after leading the field after the first two days of competition.
In the CIC** division, overnight leader Craig Barret had a consistent showjumping performance on Mystic Magic to win the event, followed by Sam Lyle on Royal Marine and Amanda Coulson on L.A. Oasis. Mitsubishi Young Rider Squad member Clementine Mann impressed with a solid showjumping round on Irish Warrior to take fourth position.
According to Event Chairman, David Lindh, the event has been highly successful, with great attendance and three days of close competition.
“It is the first year the event has been managed by an equestrian group and it has run seamlessly, which is a testament to the passion and commitment of the management and the hundreds of volunteers that have made the event happen,” David said.
David says the dates for next year’s event have been set and the team are looking forward to a bigger and better event.
“Next year’s Horse Trials will again be in the Adelaide Park Lands, which is fantastic for the sport and for Adelaide’s reputation as a city where sensational events can be held.”
As the only Australian CCI**** event, David said the Adelaide Horse Trials is vital for our top-class riders, and will be an important event in the lead up to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
“Our equestrian teams have had wonderful success in Olympic campaigns, and part of this success is due to our ability to give our riders a chance to compete at the very top level in their own country.”
Next year’s Mitsubishi Adelaide International Horse Trials will also feature the Trans-Tasman Cup, an annual showdown between Australia and New Zealand’s best riders.
David said the event management would be focusing on increasing the number of international competitors, not only visiting Australia for the event, but choosing Australia as a base for long-term training.
“We have some of the best equestrian competitors and trainers in the world and we will be working hard to encourage more international competitors, especially from neighbouring Asian countries, to use Australia as a base and take advantage of what we can offer.”
“Next year’s Trans-Tasman Cup will also see a big influx of New Zealand riders competing in Adelaide which will be great for spectators and our ongoing sporting rivalry.”
“The future of this event is very bright.”
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