Adelaide prepares for Australian International Three Day Event.
Equestrian Australia supports The Clubbies – Inside Sport’s grassroots sports awards.
EQUESTRIAN: A SNAPSHOT
Australians’ love affair with the horse extends back more than 200 years to the earliest white settlement of this nation. But it’s there for everyone to see in equestrian competitions around the country every week. While most Aussies think of equestrian as eventing, dressage and showjumping, and can recall our fabulous Olympic record of champions over the years, the sport also encompasses the disciplines of carriage driving, vaulting (gymnastics on horseback!), show horse, endurance and reining, along with the para-equestrian dressage. And while the showjumping circuit, in particular, has a glamorous European image, most participants at the grassroots level are simply horse-loving enthusiasts without any particular social station. In fact, there are more than 490 equestrian clubs in Australia, sporting more than 18,000 participants.
These are particularly exciting times for the Olympic disciplines, with the Rio Games less than a year away. Our most prestigious multidiscipline equestrian event, the Equestrian Grand Final, will be held in Adelaide in November. And it will be run in conjunction with Australia’s most prestigious equestrian competition, Australia’s International Three Day Event, featuring our leading competitors from Olympic disciplines of dressage, jumping and eventing.
The event is expected to bring 2000 visitors from interstate and overseas to South Australia, generating more than $1 million for the state’s economy.
“Having the Equestrian Grand Final move to Adelaide in conjunction with the Southern Hemisphere’s highest profile Eventing competition is a great coup for South Australia,” said Australia’s International Three Day Event Director Gillian Rolton. “With Olympic Champions and World Games medallists competing, we will have a very full program of Equestrian action and fun for all ages over the entire weekend.”
Beijing Olympian Megan Jones says she is thrilled to have two of Australia’s most prestigious equestrian events taking place in her home town. “I have competed in every Equestrian Grand Final since it started in 2011 and I can say first hand it is an exciting, action-packed competition that spectators should not miss.
“Adelaide locals have always supported the Australian International Three Day Event and I would encourage people to make sure they have the dates in their diary because this year’s event will be double the value!”
With more than $35,000 prize money on offer for the Equestrian Grand Final to add to the $120,000 prize pool for the Australian International Three Day Event, the event will attract the biggest names in the sport.
For more information, visit www.equestrian.org.au
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