Stuart Tinney has won the Australian International 3-Day Event in a tight finish while the Australian team has emerged victorious against New Zealand in the Trans Tasman competition. Riding Vettori in the CCI**** Olympic standard show jumping event, Tinney from New South Wales narrowly beat Megan Jones who took out second and third positions on Kirby Park Allofasudden and Kirby Park Irish Jester.

Tinney’s win follows a hotly contested competition with less than one time penalty separating the top two riders, Tinney and Jones, at the close of yesterday’s cross country event.

The Australian team, including Olympic gold medallists Wendy Schaeffer and Stuart Tinney and Olympic silver medallists Megan Jones and Sonja Johnson, also beat their Trans Tasman rivals, winning the title back after losing to the Kiwis in 2007 in New Zealand.

In the CCI** competition, Emma Scott from New South Wales took out first place by less than one penalty point on her horse Jenbern Monyana while Olympic silver medallist Shane Rose won the CIC** competition for the second time, on his horse Statford Novalis.

Olympic champion and Event Director Gillian Rolton says this year’s event – marking 50 years of eventing in South Australia – has been a outstanding success.

“Once again we’ve showcased Adelaide’s capacity for staging world-class events putting on three action-packed days of fiercely contested dressage, cross country and show jumping featuring Olympians and some of the equestrian world’s biggest stars,” she says.

Photography by: Kangra photographic action

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