Shane Rose and Taurus at the 2012 CCI3* Sydney International 3DE Photograph:John Lechner

With only five spots up for grabs on the Australian Eventing Team bound for London, selection is set to be tough, with today’s top five places separated by only two penalty points.

 

But Rose is hoping that his stand out performance this weekend has all but secured his spot on the team with his goal to go one better than Beijing and secure the gold medal.

 

“Getting on the team is not going to be enough - for me the most important thing is trying to do the best I can to get the gold medal individually at London.  If everyone (Eventing team) has that goal then we’re going to have the best team score at the end of the day and hopefully get a gold medal,” said Rose.

 

“There has certainly been a transition of horses in the last four years and there is a new batch of horses coming into form at the right time. I think we’ll have a competitive team come London,” said Rose.

 

Rose has been specifically preparing Taurus for the London Games, purchasing him prior to Beijing and making all the right moves to ensure he’s ready for 2012.

 

“This was my final selection event and my aim was to come in and win - I’m happy with that.”

 

“I will give him (Taurus) a break now for three to four weeks and then he’ll come back in and do a specific program for London,” said Rose. 

 

Rose finished on 48.60 ahead of fellow Australian squad riders Tim Boland and GV Billy Elliott (50.20)and Emma Scott and Mustang (50.40).

 

25 year old Scott, a former pupil of Rose, would like nothing more than to be on the plane to London with her former coach.

 

“I’ve learnt a lot from Shane, he’s such a determined competitor and to be on an Olympic team with him would be really special, I really hope I get the opportunity to make the trip,” said Scott.   

 

Both Boland and Scott are looking to secure their first Olympic birth and pulled out all stops this weekend to finish on strong scores.

 

 “I’ve just got the most wonderful horse, I’ve always known he was a wonderful horse and now everyone realises how wonderful he is and I’ve very proud of him,” said Boland. “The thing that I’m most happy about is that he doesn’t have a weak phase. He’s very good on the flat and he’s an exceptional jumper,” he added.

 

From here Australian team selectors head to the UK to see the Aussie based riders over there compete in the prestigious Badminton Horse Trials CCI4* next weekend. The Melbourne International 3DE CCI3* from 7-11 June will be the final chance for any of the Australians at home to impress selectors, with the Eventing team to be announced mid-June.

 

National Performance Director Prue Barrett said the selectors have a tough job ahead of them, but that’s the position they want to be in.

 

“We now have a good bank of horses to choose from and this weekend our squad riders handled themselves really well.

 

“There are some riders from this weekend who were probably hoping for better results, but now it’s a matter for them to look at their individual preparation.

 

“Next weekend at Badminton we have seven Aussie combinations so we can expect that to be a competition within a competition,” she said.

 

 

 

 

 

Beijing silver medallist and London Olympic Games hopeful Shane Rose has retained his lead after the second day of competition at the Sydney International CCI3*, at Horsley Park NSW.

 

Rose’s performance in today’s cross country puts him a step closer to booking a position on the five person eventing team that will compete at the London Olympic Games.

 

Aboard his nine year old gelding Taurus, Rose was faultless around the challenging cross country course.

 

“I’m really happy that we got around without too many hassles,” said Rose. “I know Taurus is competent around cross country and it was certainly a good test to show we’re on track.”

 

“The course was quite hilly and undulating but there weren’t too many surprises, it was certainly achievable if you rode well,” he added.

 

25 year old Emma Scott is ensuring Australian selectors will have a tough decision to make once the final Australian team is announced. Scott and her gelding Mustang are chasing a position on their first Olympic Games team and recorded a personal best in yesterday’s dressage

component before recording a quick time around the cross country course.

 

Retaining third place is Megan Jones and Kirby Park Allofasudden.

 

“We’ve still got tomorrow to go but I’m really pleased with how we performed today,” said Jones.

 

“We took some risks but as I’ve said I’ve really got to put on a good show, I can’t play it safe. I’ve got to show the selectors that I can perform and I can handle pressure and let them know that I’m here and capable,” she said.

 

Final day Jumping action of the CCI3* is set to get underway tomorrow from 1.30pm, with the CIC1* starting at 9.00am and CIC2* starting at 11.00am.

 

Despite maintaining his lead in the CCI3*, it was a different story for Rose in the CIC2*. A fall on Virgil saw him eliminated at the water jump, with a 1.6 time fault on Wisteria Lane enough to keep his second place on 48.00.Robert Ralm on Koko Black cleared the course with no time faults to move from fourth place to first place on 47.80 and Christine Bates and Corambo also going clear to move from sixth to third spot on 48.60.

 

It was a busy day for Olympic hopefuls Megan Jones and Emma Mason, backing up in the CIC1*. The top three places after the dressage remained unchanged, with Jones and Kirby Park Irish Express on 42.50, Mason on Poker Face is on 48.40 with Tania Harding and Jirrima Yorkshire rounding out the minor placings on 48.40.

 

Find full results at http://www.sydneyeventing.org

 

 

Beijing Olympian Shane Rose has taken an early lead at the Sydney International CCI3* at Horsley Park, NSW, finishing on 40.60 penalties.

 

Rose is not just looking to make the team for London on his horse Taurus, but he looking to improve on his individual records from Beijing.

 

“On a personal note, I felt when I went to Beijing I had a fairly good chance to winning an individual medal so to finish 14^th individually was fairly disappointing.

 

“There were factors that didn’t go my way that I felt prevented me from performing to my ability, things like EI and having to do a lot of three day events in three or four months. I think looking ahead to London this horse is fitter and the preparation is better,” said Rose.

 

Currently sitting on top of the ladder after the Dressage phase, he is in front of Tim Boland and GV Billy Elliott (43.80) and fellow Beijing Olympian Megan Jones and Kirby Park Allofasudden (44.20).

 

The fight for the five spots on offer for the Olympic Eventing Team is certainly heating up, with ten riders this weekend all out to prove their worth.

 

While Rose was happy with the Dressage test, he knows the real challenge is yet to come with the tough cross country course tomorrow and thrilling jumping round on Sunday.

 

“I’m very happy with the (Dressage) test, I think that is probably the best quality test he (Taurus) has done with me. He is just getting stronger and more consistent,” he said.

 

“I bought this horse five years ago with the aim of getting to the London Games on him – I’m really hoping if we do well this weekend we can book a spot on the team.

 

“Tomorrow’s course is going to be long and hilly – it’s one of those great courses that presents challenges that might not appear as tough as they are.

 

“This venue is more typical to what we’re going to get in Greenwich at the Olympics, so it will be a good test,” said Rose.

 

Australian team selectors are onsite as tomorrow’s battle moves to the cross-country phase, and for Olympian Megan Jones it’s now or never.

 

“This weekend’s it for me. We (Kirby Park Allofsudden) need to do really well because we’re currently outside of that top 12 – so we need to do something big to put him in that top five,” said Jones.

 

The CCI3* action is set to get underway tomorrow from 12.20pm, with the CIC1* starting at 10.00am and CIC2* starting at 1.30pm.

 

Find full results at http://www.sydneyeventing.org