SOUTH Australian riders competed to the highest standard but, with a few notable exceptions, were out-performed by a huge contingent of top-class competitors from the eastern states at this year's Royal Adelaide Show.
Flying the flag bravely for SA in the showjumping ring was Brianna Devine, Allendale East, who partnered her chestnut Dejavu to win all but one of the Group B events, and the combination took out the award for most successful horse and rider in that division.
In senior classes the standout performer was Qld's Clem Smith with four wins and numerous placings. She was named most successful showjumping rider, with the most successful senior SA rider sash going to Nicole Bruggeman.
The jumping events culminated in the World Cup Qualifier on Thursday, with a field of 24 attempting the big, twisty course set by visiting coursebuilder Peter Gillespie, from the UK. The standard at this level was so high that the eventual eight placings were all filled by horses that jumped clear in both rounds, with only time deciding the ultimate winning order.
Most of the crowd were delighted to see the event won by Tim Clarke on the superbly athletic Caltango. 'The daring young man on the flying machine' is not a South Australian, but has been a crowd favourite for years, always providing an exciting and entertaining display of jumping brilliance.
Solid performances from SA riders Kristy Bruhn, Anthony Thomas and Jeff Evans saw them all finish in the top eight.
* Full report in Stock Journal, September 18, 2014 issue.
