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Adelaide Equestrian Festival

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The Adelaide Equestrian Festival (AEF) is an annual three-day event held in the eastern Adelaide Park Lands, which border Adelaide city centre. It was known as the Australian International Three Day Event until 2022. A CCI5* event, the top rating by the Fédération Équestre Internationale, it comprises dressage, cross-country, and show-jumping and is usually staged in late April.

History

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Logo 2007 - 2022

The Adelaide International Horse Trials was created in 1997 to replace the Gawler Horse Trials that had been staged in Gawler, north of Adelaide, since 1954.[1][citation needed] In its period as the Gawler Trials, it was a successful competition and was selected to host the Eventing World Championship in 1986. On this occasion the Australian Post Office issued a special set of commemorative postmarked covers featuring a set of four stamps called Horses of Australia.[citation needed]

The new 1997 event in the East Parklands began with a CCI3* (3-star) rating, but was subsequently upgraded to CCI4* in 2002, becoming the only such event in the Southern Hemisphere.[2]

In 2004, it was known as the Mitsubishi Adelaide International Horse Trials, being sponsored by Mitsubishi.[3]

In 2007, to celebrate its 10th anniversary and better reflect its international focus,[2] the event was renamed the Australian International Three Day Event, and was held at the end of November each year. From 2011 the Australian International became part of the FEI (Fédération Équestre Internationale) Classics series of events, for three years sponsored by HSBC.[4][5]

In 2019, the event was upgraded to CCI5* status.[2]

In 2022 the event was renamed the Adelaide Equestrian Festival and held in April each year.[2]

Governance

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The AEF is owned and run by Adelaide Horse Trials Management Inc., and is supported by the South Australian Government through the South Australian Tourism Commission.[2]

Event

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The event is held throughout the East Parklands in separate stages over three days. It is classified as a CCI5* by the international governing body FEI, meaning that it is highest level of eventing competition under the FEI banner. As of 2024 it is one of seven in the world, with the other taking place in the UK, France, Germany, and the US.[6]

The event is unique in being held in a city-centre, taking place in the Adelaide Park Lands.[3]

The dressage phase is held on Friday on the arena in front of the heritage-listed Victoria Park Grandstand. The cross-country phase is held on Saturday across the park lands and attracts the most spectators. The course starts in the arena in front of the grandstand, crosses Wakefield Road to Ityamai-itpina / King Rodney Park (Park 15) and then crosses Bartels Road into Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka (Park 14) and then returns to the arena again. The cross-country course has been designed by Michael Etherington-Smith, who has designed courses for the Olympics in 2000 and 2008 and other CCI5* events, and more recently, by Australian Wayne Copping. The water jumps in Rymill Park are regarded as some of the most challenging in international competition. The final show-jumping phase is held on Sunday in the main arena in Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi (Park 16).[citation needed]

As of 2024, the event is used to select the Australian team for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.[7]

Winners

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Year Rider Horse Notes
1997 New Zealand Nick Larkin (NZL) Red Run as a CCI***
1998 Australia Peter Haynes (AUS) Alcheringa Run as a CCI***
1999 Australia Natalie Blundell (AUS) Billy Bathgate
2000 Australia David Middleton (AUS) Willowbank Jack
2001 New Zealand Matthew Grayling (NZL) Revo
2002 Australia Wendy Schaeffer (AUS) Koyuna Sun Gio
2003 Australia Boyd Martin (AUS) True Blue Toozac Martin now rides for the United States
2004 Australia Shane Rose (AUS) Beauford Miss Dior
2005 Australia Megan Jones (AUS) Kirby Park Irish Jester
2006 Australia Heath Ryan (AUS) Flame
2007 No Event Held Outbreaks of Equine Influenza interrupted all equestrian activities in Australia in 2007
2008 Australia Chris Burton (AUS) Newsprint
2009 Australia Stuart Tinney (AUS) Vettori
2010 Australia Wendy Schaeffer (AUS) Koyuna Sun Dancer
2011 Australia Stuart Tinney (AUS) Panamera
2012 Australia Craig Barrett (AUS) Sandhills Brillaire
2013 Australia Chris Burton (AUS) TS Jamaimo
2014 Australia Jessica Manson (AUS) Legal Star
2015 Australia Shane Rose (AUS) CP Qualified
2016 Australia Hazel Shannon (AUS) Willingapark Clifford
2017 New Zealand Clarke Johnstone (NZL) Balmoral Sensation
2018 Australia Hazel Shannon (AUS) Willingapark Clifford
2019 Australia Hazel Shannon (AUS) Willingapark Clifford First combination to win three times
2020 No event held COVID-19 Pandemic
2021 No event held COVID-19 Pandemic
2022 No event held Event moved to April 2023
2023 Australia Shane Rose (AUS) Virgil
2024 Australia David Middleton (AUS) WEC In The Money

See also

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Other five-star events include:

References

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  1. ^ "2006 Adelaide International Horse Trials: General Information". Adelaide Horse Trials Management. Retrieved 1 August 2006.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ a b c d e "Adelaide Equestrian Festival to showcase eventing superstars". Equestrian Life. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Mitsubishi Adelaide International Horse Trials". Eques Magazine. Archived from the original on 6 December 2004. Retrieved 1 August 2006.
  4. ^ "Australia's First HSBC FEI Classics Competition". Horse Sport. 16 November 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  5. ^ "HSBC FEI Classics™". FEI. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  6. ^ "FEI CCI5* Eventing". An Eventful Life. 14 April 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  7. ^ Karakulak, Helen (16 April 2024). "Rymill Park Lake reopens today". InDaily. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
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