Picture by Atalya Boytner.
EN roving reporter and photographer Atalya Boytner made a particular journey to the southern hemisphere to expertise eventing in Australia. The Adelaide Equestrian Pageant hosts an annual CCI5* alongside different worldwide competitions, and it’s a spectacle we’ve all the time needed to see for ourselves. By means of Atalya’s eyes, let’s dive in to an unimaginable weekend of horse sport “down underneath.”
The Setting
David Middleton and WEC Within the Cash. Picture by Atalya Boytner.
First impressions of Adelaide:
Walkable. Accessible. Lovely.
I don’t know what I anticipated from a contest that makes its calling card about their location in the midst of a metropolis however in my expertise with equestrian occasions, “center of a metropolis” is a beneficiant time period.
Not so right here.
The Adelaide Park Lands, a Nationwide Heritage web site, cowl about 932 hectacres (that’s a whooping 2303 acres) and supplies canine parks, train buildings, barbeque areas, working trails, biking trails, horse racing, and what I suppose appears like a automobile race monitor to the populace of the Metropolis of Adelaide. Whereas the cross nation course winds its approach by way of a lot of the Park Lands, the primary area and all of the related infrastructure takes place in Victoria Park, also referred to as Pakapakanthi in language of the Kuarna individuals.
It’s a few 30-minute stroll from downtown Adelaide, also referred to as the CBD – Central Enterprise District however it’s extra enjoyable in the event you don’t know that. Or 10 minutes from the east finish of Adelaide. Myself and my curler bag of chock-full digicam gear together with a backpack of vital snacks, further batteries, and water conquered the stroll twice a day passing Bauhus-like hearth stations, glass field workplace buildings, artwork deco outlets and galleries, and lots of, many stone church buildings. A metropolis of festivals and meals, there’s a Tasting Australia occasion that I stroll by way of each day to get to the Adelaide Equestrian Pageant. I move Greek eating places, each form of Asian restaurant you can dream up, Italian, French, and scrumptious espresso on virtually each nook. A footy sport (primarily based on excited Australian explanations to the ignorant American, it seems like a combination between soccer, soccer, and rugby with a splash of cricket) got here to city Saturday night time which began loads of time after the eventing completed for a leisurely stroll over to the stadium, 20 min from Victoria Park.
Metropolis scenes are seen all through the Adelaide venue. Picture by Atalya Boytner.
All this to say, coronary heart of town is not only a saying. It’s reality.
You’d be forgiven for considering this implies being bodily match and ready. You’d be incorrect.
In a single week of being in Adelaide, I’ve seen extra wheelchair sure people then I’ve seen in a complete month within the US. They’re usually solo, residing life as unbiased and ready members of society, going grocery purchasing out there I’ve been frequenting for my morning caffeine repair or just having fun with a pleasant time with buddies. Companies have clear accessible routes marked, the general public streets are designed with out steps all over the place, and nobody bats an eye fixed, simply merely make room on the sidewalk. Even on cross nation day on the equestrian pageant, I needed to weave and work round many alternative individuals with wheelchairs. It’s an occasion actually open to all who want to come.
One in every of two highway crossings that make Adelaide actually distinctive in its placement throughout the coronary heart of town. Picture by Atalya Boytner.
For a Californian, the panorama of Adelaide appears like dwelling. Rolling sandy hills, eucalyptus timber all over the place, and a stunning mushy solar to gentle the whole lot. However there may be historical past right here too.
The Heritage Grand Stand is equal in grandeur and presence to the long-lasting palaces and nation houses we see within the UK and is as integral to a imaginative and prescient of Adelaide because the Rolex Stadium in Kentucky. Constructed within the Eighteen Eighties, its forged iron lacework filigree and blue stone base makes for a fantastic backdrop to the jogs, dressage, and present leaping phases. The English and German affect within the Adelaide metropolis structure makes its mark within the equestrian occasions too with its enjoyable and playful type of marrying the outdated historical past with new design.
That playful type made its approach onto the cross nation at Adelaide, whose design from the skin could not appear as intimidating as the opposite 5* occasions throughout the globe. The fences themselves are all transportable although they don’t look it. Large tables, large open corners that induced grief all around the course, plenty of brush, and one fence that stands out from all the remainder.
Muralist, activist, and artist-in-residence Matt Wiley places the ending touches on one of many clever masterpieces on the cross nation course. Picture by Atalya Boytner.
Picture by Atalya Boytner.
Fence 24, the Beehives, was a simple galloping desk for the horses and riders to navigate however its ornament sparked curiosity. Embellished with 4 pillars, two on both sides that may later develop into present leaping requirements, they had been impressed by Adelaide structure with mock stone edging and trim alongside their roof line. All sides of the pillar was hand painted by muralist, activist, and artist-in-residence Matt Wiley as a part of his “The Good of the Hive” undertaking.
“I actually search for tasks that deliver two issues that you simply wouldn’t consider collectively as a result of my work is about creating curiosity across the bees,” he defined. “When any person says, why bees at as a bounce? Instantly they’re within the way of thinking that I would like. As a result of when individuals are questioning, that’s after they’re open to studying one thing. I’ve been listening to [here at Adelaide Equestrian Festival] about the best way that folks work with their horses. You’re listening to your horse. The way you nurture that relationship with the horse actually received me eager about, how will we nurture {our relationships} with pollinators? How are we eager about caring for them and listening to what they want?”
The construction of the bounce was all Mike Etherington-Smith, the course designer at Adelaide, and his workforce of builders however Matt made positive to talk with them in regards to the design he would paint on the face.
“I’d by no means executed a bounce, I had lots of questions on it! Are the bees that I paint going to freak out the horses? I needed to make use of black, due to the distinction with the grass and the colours. However I [didn’t] know what that does for depth when a horse goes up. So I had quite a bit to study and the design of it, however I actually leaned on [the course designer and builders] to advise me.”
However you didn’t come right here to listen to me wax poetic. What in regards to the eventing?
The Tales
It takes a village, as demonstrated by Jess Somerfield. Picture by Atalya Boytner.
The make-up of the 2025 Adelaide CCI5* discipline is one which makes us keep in mind why eventing is so particular.
Each rider (primarily based on FEI data) has introduced their very own horse up the degrees themselves. All of them have been partnered with their rides for 3 or extra years with most of them collectively as combos since 2017. The horses are Thoroughbreds and homebreds, with a splash of warmblood right here and there. There are amateurs competing alongside professionals and Olympians. Younger blood and veterans are having a go of the very best stage of sport.
It’s human.
Whereas the Kentucky’s, Badminton’s, Luhmühlen’s, and all of the elite ranges of sport with their pomp and splendor are undeniably thrilling, right here I discover myself reconnecting to that outdated pleasure: this sport is for everybody and whereas it’s by no means simple and infrequently requires each a part of your self, the doorways to glory are open if solely you may have the grit and gumption to get to them.
It was a contest for the homebreds, the Thoroughbreds, and the rookies.
David Middleton and WEC Within the Cash. Picture by Atalya Boytner.
David Middleton introduced not one however two homebreds in WEC Within the Cash and WEC Within the Breeze to contest the competitors. Sophia Hill and her off-track Thoroughbred Humble Glory have traveled abroad and invested of their training to come back again dwelling higher than ever. Newbie Joel Funnell got here solo together with his mount Airbrushed and did the whole lot himself. Shane Rose, stalwart Australian workforce member and three-time Olympian, introduced two off-track Thoroughbreds he acquired from a truckload to contest their first 5* after breaking his pelvis and femur in a fall early in 2024.
Ninth place finisher Yona Lloyd fulfilled a dream at his third try on the stage and his horse’s first. A transparent cross nation around the day earlier than with time added and two rails down on a day after they had been flying meant he secured a prime 10 on an unassuming little bay with a coronary heart of gold. Bred by a buddy and owned by Lloyd and shut buddies, Ballahowe Ayurvedic or ‘Wiz’ has been with Yona virtually his whole life.
“You have a look at him, and he doesn’t seem like a high-level horse. However when he’s out and going, he’s simply received wonderful scope and appears like he may bounce no matter I stick him at,” Yona mentioned. “We got here right here with the purpose of ending and having a extremely optimistic weekend for him, only for him to develop. I felt like that’s what occurred. He’s been right here the final two years within the CCI4*-S and CCI3*-L. Annually, [he’s] simply progressing alongside and getting extra snug. We wrestle to get this atmosphere in Australia. Yeah no, so stoked! He’s such a giving horse. I couldn’t ask for extra.
Jess Somerfield and Finch Farm Carpenteria. Picture by Atalya Boytner.
Fourth place went to five* rookie Jess Somerfield who introduced a Queensland-bred horse in Finch Farm Carpentaria to contest her and the horse’s first 5* in a narrative that appears like a fairy story.
“He’s nothing in need of quirky,” Jess describes ‘Finchy’, who was placed on her radar by a former coach prepared to promote her the horse for $1. “He’s so cautious [and horse shy]. We had so many ditch issues and water jumps beginning up. Then impulsively, this horse has simply been the whole lot and risen by way of the degrees. I had a objective of going five-star this yr, and I had an accident off my different horse and broke my collar bone.” Jess went on to the CCI4*-L at Werribee in June, however aggravated a fracture in her shoulder that had gone unnoticed earlier than, making her arrival right here at Adelaide all of the extra particular. “You dream your complete life to do that. There’s no different horse that I’d need to be on that final two minutes of cross nation. I do know that I’ve received his coronary heart, and he’s received mine, and he’ll take care of me. I simply have each inch of belief in him by way of this journey.”
Because the unimaginable speaker and management thinker Simon Sinek says: “We now have to dream. How else will we make a future that doesn’t but exist?”
For Jess and the workforce behind Finchy, that rings true. All their blood, sweat, and tears culminated in her greatest birthday current ever: a transparent 5* cross nation course with solely time added to maneuver her into the highest 5.
The Competitors
Shane Rose and The Bandit. Picture by Atalya Boytner.
That last day of competitors felt a bit surreal for me too.
Strolling into the park, listening to the hen calls within the wind within the timber – truly a really completely different sound than the wind within the timber in U.S., the outdated tune got here to thoughts: kookaburra sits within the outdated gumtree, merry merry king of the bush is he. The corellas loudly proclaim their territory, little noisy miners flit right here and there, and certainly a pair kookaburras stare me down as I’m going by. It feels weirdly full circle although I’ve by no means had something to do with Australia earlier than in my life.
The entire media centre says good day to me as I stroll in. Every particular person has been enormously useful. My expertise with 5* occasions in North America, whether or not eventing or present leaping, has all the time been about guidelines and all of the issues we as media representatives can’t do. Adelaide is way gentler and the liberty left me turning to these extra educated about applicable choices (having permission to cross galloping lanes throughout cross nation gave me a secret thrill each time. When you’ve ever labored the Kentucky or Maryland occasions and confused about crossing factors, you’ll know the way a lot of a assist this was). Irrespective of how foolish my questions should’ve appeared, the grace and kindness prolonged in direction of me was actually humbling. From distant digicam placements to getting quotes from riders to jokingly bemoaning the truth that course designers by no means consider photographers, no stage of help proved too large or too small.
Similar to the dressage and cross nation, present leaping had its due affect on the competitors. Nobody went double clear although heartbreakingly shut was Sophia Hill who sadly went off track three fences from the end and thus had been eradicated.
Hazel Shannon’s help workforce celebrates an enormous win. Picture by Atalya Boytner.
When the chief after cross nation, Shane Rose and The Bandit, had three rails down, it was Hazel Shannon and the off-track Thoroughbred WillingaPark Clifford for the win. They set a brand new document as the one mixture to win the Adelaide CCI5* 4 occasions. This places their names alongside the likes of Oliver Townend (GBR) and Ballaghmor Class and Michael Jung (GER) and La Biosthetique Sam within the historical past books as one of many few combos to win a 5* 3 times or extra collectively.
At 19 years outdated (20 in Thoroughbred years), there’s little doubt there have been questions on ‘Clifford’ working a contest of this depth. The space, effort, and stamina want no rationalization on how difficult and troublesome they show to be for horses of all ages and expertise. It wasn’t initially in Hazel’s plans to purpose for a 5*, however after a great winter season and a robust, match horse, she put in her entry and made the trek from Hunter Valley close to Sydney to Adelaide.
Clifford confirmed everybody, together with Hazel, that he’s not fascinated about slowing down and you may maintain your doubts to your self, thanks very a lot. He scored a 30.2 within the dressage, added 11.6 time penalties on cross nation, and one rail down within the present leaping to show himself the perfect of the lot and take dwelling to the win.
“I imply, 19 certainly. How for much longer can they go for?” Hazel laughed. “However I’ve been saying that for years. Clifford is only a mountain; he’s a little bit of a freak and an outright, five-star horse. I do the whole lot I can [for him]. I’m actually watchful about how a lot work I do and what surfaces I experience on. However he’s simply an unimaginable horse. A few of them are born actually powerful, and he’s undoubtedly one of many hardest on the market. I had in all probability a 1/10th of a say out on cross nation however I’m actually proud of how he’s gone.”
Hazel Shannon and WillingaPark Clifford. Picture by Atalya Boytner.
When requested if he was coming again subsequent yr, Hazel jokingly mentioned, “I’ve been saying no for the final three years so certainly not however it’s as much as Clifford.”
Actually he was not one bit out of step. Ears pricked, coat shiny, and never a hair misplaced after the present leaping, he appeared able to deal with one other cross nation course.
Adelaide stole my coronary heart and in the event you’re not cautious, it’s going to steal yours too. The glory of this occasion isn’t within the fancy horses or the pageantry and even the venue itself however within the lengthy, sluggish, gritty, and decided work of goals being quietly realized.
Now in the event you’ll excuse me, I’ve been promised wild koalas and kangaroos so don’t thoughts if I see myself out!
Adelaide Equestrian Pageant CCI5*: [Website] [Live Stream Replays] [Scores]
