Sunday, April 18th, 2004 saw the final round of the first International Young Rider Challenge, held at Treehaven Equestrian Club, on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia and it was an exciting event which saw the final result come down to a jump off.
The pressure on these young showjumpers was great as they came into the final round - and it is exactly this pressure which our Australian showjumpers need to experience and become comfortable with as they work their way to senior level international competition rings throughout the world and the organisers of the event could not have been happier with the way everything ran.
Our thanks go to all those who took part in the four rounds on this inaugural challenge series and we have no doubt that this event will grow each year - with our eventual hope being that we can field a team of four riders to travel to Ireland and perhaps Europe to compete, so if anyone has any ideas for sponsors who would help our young riders with the cost of airfares please feel free to email either Annie Lever or Jan Heine with any contacts or offers.
As a little bit of background to this event - this was the brainchild of Annie Lever, Maggie Jacob and Jan Heine who are three women passionate about showjumping. Annie Lever is the "woman" behind the Lever men and they own and operate Treehaven Equestrian Club. Annie is also the mother of two showjumping sons, one of whom (Phil) is a young rider and one (Dave) who has just "outgrown" young riders when he turned 21 late in 2003. I have been passionate about showjumping for many years and along with jumpingaround.com's photographer, Maggie Jacob we are keen to support Australian Young Riders make it through the ranks and be the senior riders of tomorrow who will perhaps be the ones to put Australia firmly on the International scene for many successful years to come. So through this combined effort the Challenge series was born - because we all believe that much of the selection process used is not perhaps as "transparent" as it could be and this Challenge series is based on performance - there is no choice involved as to who wins the trip - it is based on a points system which cannot be fiddled in any way and so there can be no discussion as to whether or not it is "fair or not" when the final scores are in!
The rules are well laid out for each state and we are pleased with the way things are running at this stage. With this, our first Challenge, perhaps the only thing we did not have fully clear in everyone's mind was what would happen in the eventuality of a drawn result after the four rounds - and would you believe it - this is exactly what did happen at this Final, which was full of excitement for spectators, riders and supporters alike!
So coming into this final round we saw 5 riders challenging for the trip and anyone of them was able to take the big prize of the trip to Ireland in October this year - Phil Lever was leading the event with 19 points, new comer to showjumping Tracey Sheddon was sitting just 4 points behind on 15. Emily Harman was breathing down Tracey's neck with 14 points and Jess Mills was sitting on 12 points and also still in contention. Cassie White and Angus McKinnon were sitting equally on 10 points and so they were also not "out of the race".
For the final round, Course Designer, Laurie Lever built the track to maximum height and added in a bigger degree of technicality, as the winner of this series was going to be facing tough tracks in the coming October and they had to be ready for it! Laurie included a liverpool under the triple bar, two double combinations and the "bogey" fence was the final fence which was a style oxer which came after a long ride to it meaning that the horse and rider had to be "under control" with the horse being able to come back as asked after the long stretch out - this was going to be the fence to cause issues, but as Laurie well knows, these are the type of fences which the riders will need to be able ride.
In an aside, I note that Franke Rothenburger built the World Cup track at the Sydney Easter Royal Show this year and he commented, after getting no clear rounds in the first round, that the Australian showjumpers are obviously not used to jumping height combined with technicality and this is something they must be able to achieve to be competitive in the International rings - this is something which, in my opinion needs to begin at the lower levels with courses obviously being built appropriate to the levels but with ever increasing tracks so that the horses and riders get used to seeing water, trebles and etc. from very early on in their jumping careers with lines which require "correct" riding. Too often the tracks in Australia appear to be built for those who have the "guts to take a gallop and never take a pull" which is all very fine perhaps on a local level but if, as a country, Australians want to take part competitively in World Championships, World Cup Finals and Olympics they are going to have to change this way of going as it simply doesn't work over the big tracks with enormously difficult lines and distances.
So back to the class - we were all delighted that even though only 5 were in contention for the winners prize, 17 combinations lined up for the starters orders, under the watchful eye of Peggy Mills as Judge, who did "hand over" the timekeepers responsibility when her daughter, Jess, was jumping in the interest of transparency.
Jess Mills, riding Riverside, was first to go and she showed experience and maturity through this tough track and jumped super clear until the dreaded last fence fell, leaving her with 4 faults in round one. Simon Watt, who joined this class for the first time rode a super round but also finished with 4 faults after bringing down the vertical at fence 5.
Sam Williams, stepping up to take over the rides on big brother Matt's horses, clocked up plenty of riding mileage on his mounts for the day and finished with a very creditable 12 faults over a course which would possibly have been the toughest track he has jumped to date. Lee Shera-Jones and Ridgedidge were another 12 fault combination which included the dreaded last fence.
Next out was Emily Harman and the talented and lovely grey gelding Thorough Going, who was formerly campaigned by her dad, World Cup showjumper, Richard. Emily has certainly matured throughout the last 12 months in riding terms and is definitely about to come into her own, as a force to be reckoned with in Australian Showjumping, and I would hope that this talented young rider will be given opportunities on Teams in 2004 and 2005. They had a great round and finished with just 4 faults taking the first part of the double at fence 10, a vertical. This was a big ask and required 5 strides from a vertical at fence 9 to the double which was a vertical, one stride to an oxer with the oxer standing square at 1.30m.
Kate Brideoak was next to go on board Zaphod, formerly campaigned by her father, World Cup Showjumper, David and they finished with 8 faults. Ben Conway was another who although not in contention for this Challenge Series, will no doubt be "in it from the start" next time around - and he had two horses in the class - Ziggy McCauley had an unlucky fence down at the second part of the double at fence 4, which was planks, one stride to an vertical. They had to come at this double from fence three which was the triple bar over the liverpool and then 6 good strides to the double - there were some interesting lines ridden to this combination. Ben's second ride, Quickdraw formerly owned by Tim Wilson, decided he didn't like the liverpool under the triple bar and sadly were eliminated.
Phil Lever, who came into the final round ahead, but by a whisker, was under pressure as he rode in on Offshore and perhaps the pressure did get to this young man as the big jumping imported grey Irish gelding collected a rail at 4B and just breathed on the final fence to bring it down as well leaving them with 8 faults - Phil went through the finish flags realising that if he hadn't actually handed the win over to someone else he had certainly opened the door wide and invited plenty of runners in to challenge his lead.
Cassie White, who is a very consistent Young Rider on the circuit was not to be the winner today when she and Conductor pulled two rails to finish with eight faults. Unfortunately for Tracey Sheddon and her Irish Sport Horse, ESB Irish Blarney things came unstuck at fence three when the liverpool under the triple bar resulted in two stops and elimination. No doubt Tracey will get to work on this "issue" and we will see this combination back again next year!
Now Michael Webster was next and second last to go in this class with Hum de La, which I understand means "good luck" and they were another combination who finished with 4 faults after bringing down 4B. I hear rumour that Michael's dad, Trevor, couldn't get the smile off his face after watching his son's super round. This is a relatively new combination and the more they do together the better they are getting and no doubt they will be well up in the Young Rider places in the coming season.
Hayden Kneebone was last to go riding Zena and they were riding a great round which looked like it might be the only clear round until Zena took a dislike to the final fence, the style oxer and after two stops they were eliminated, which was a shame after such a well ridden round from this talented rider, who has recently returned form a riding stint in Germany.
As there were no clear rounds in the first round, the five four faulters went through to the jump off and they were Jess Mills, who at this stage sat on 12 points in total; Simon Watt who was not in contention for the final prize of the series and neither was Ben Conway and Michael Webster but Emily Harman was certainly in there looking for a high placing to challenge for the overall winners spot.
Jess Mills was again first to go in the jump off and she rode a tight and accurate round just taking the back rail of the triple bar in the time of 42.22secs. Peggy Mills had again handed over the timing to another to ensure there was no conflict of interest.
Simon Watt on Fantastique looked the part and started well, but a slip of the memory saw him miss a fence and this meant he was "shown the gate" but he was still to be in the money taking 5th place money and also the 6 points.
Emily Harman was looking for a top placing to take out the win and she and Thorough Going came through the start flags full of determination and they finished with 4 faults, taken at the tunnel vertical in a time of 45.22secs putting them into 2nd place at this stage.
Ben Conway and Ziggy McCauley had a shakey start with the first two fences tumbling but they recovered well and left the rest of the course standing finishing with the eight faults in 45.22secs which at this stage gave them 4th placing and 7 points.
Michael Webster and Hum de La were under a very different type of pressure at this stage - his result could determine the final series winner with Phil Lever sitting on 23 points at this stage, as minor placings had already been added up and Emily Harman sitting at this stage in 2nd place which would give her a total of 23 points and equal with Phil. If Michael could win this class that would push Emily down to third spot and see her finish with 22 points - so a great deal rested on Michael's round!
Michael and his big jumping, scopey mare were unlucky to have 4 faults at 4A and the mare then spent a great deal of time in the air which saw their final time sitting at 49.59secs and giving them 3rd placing.
So here was the situation nobody could have predicted - Phil Lever and Emily Harman on equal points of 23 after the final round of this four round Young Rider Challenge - as this situation had not been on anyone's mind a decision needed to be made and so a ringside meeting took place between Laurie and Annie Lever and Richard and Sally Harman as to how this would be handled! Sally suggested, lightly tongue in cheek, that perhaps a coin could be flipped but the decision was made that "this was what showjumping was all about" and so a jump off needed to be run - and it was decided, with Emily and Phil's agreement, that the jump off between them would be the following 1.25m class - the highest placed of the two in this class would be crowned the first winner of the Treehaven/jumpingaround.com Young Rider Challenge.
The two riders need to be highly commended on their mature and sportsmanlike behaviour throughout this decision making process - and regardless of who won they were both winners in my book and either would be excellent ambassadors for Australian showjumping - and it needs to be remembered that this is what showjumping is all about - wins and losses all rest on the fall of a fence - it is a tough sport and the riders need to have a strong sense of themselves to go with the flow and ebb of this sport which relies on the partnership between horse and rider!
Phil and Emily rode as second last and last in the 1.25m class which saw the excitement rising throughout the class as the senior riders were jostling for the money and these two determined young riders jostled for a trip to Ireland to compete at a very prestigious Irish National Show in the Young Rider class.
Phil was first to go on Offshore, the Irish bred King of Diamonds horse and they jumped a super clear round which perhaps included some fairly tough pressure that this young man applied to himself and it obviously worked! Emily followed on Thorough Going and unfortunately for this combination they did have two rails down which gave the 1.25m class to Phil with the only clear round and it also meant that Phil was "on his way to Ireland" where Maggie, Scottie Barclay and myself eagerly await his arrival in late September.
During presentation Emily impressed everyone with her humble and mature speech regarding the series and we all wish her the best of luck for the 2005 series, where we have no doubt Emily will once again be up there at the top - and no doubt she will be working hard to ensure that she is at the Final - which will be run on a different format from this year as it will include riders from South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales as well as of course the Victorians.
So thanks to Annie and Laurie Lever for agreeing to run with this series and for doing all the physical hard work of running the shows and classes - thanks to all the riders who participated in the Challenge Series, and we hope that you will all be fronting up again for the next series.
We will shortly be posting the dates for all States and their various Leader Boards will also be posted - and the full set of rules will also be available - so this way there can be no misunderstandings - if anyone does have any suggestions we would be pleased to receive them via email to either Annie or Jan and this also goes for anyone who would interested in helping financially with sponsorship of this Series.
