June 24 is a big date now. June 24 2024 is the end of the qualifying period for the equestrian Olympic disciplines for Australian selection for the 2024 Paris Olympics. So there is only one more column before the close of competition results to be considered for Australian Team selection. Not much time and pretty much ruling out any last-minute Paris challengers.

Not quite actually. In the Eventing we have three sleepers who have qualified, who have stayed below the horizon, who have prior Olympic performances to fall back on and who are actually a very serious threat to the top 10 current leaderboard riders. Things are about to get very nasty. Well, not nasty but very, very competitive on the Eventing leaderboard. The sleepers are about to move in!!

So, at the risk of repeating myself the following leaderboard maps out riders’ best performances. It doesn’t map out bad performances or inconsistencies or horses struggling with soundness or other variables that the Australian selectors will take into account when naming just three riders for a team. All three riders need to have the ability to be capable of a really good performance and of being super reliable. One rider goes by the wayside and the whole team is taken out of the action. This today is the Olympic way. No reserves get to compete. Sudden death.

EVENTING RANKINGS: 

1. Still with the No. 1 ranking is Shane Rose and his wonderful horse, Virgil. These two amazing individuals have a score of 28.5 penalties from last year’s Adelaide CCI5*L on 20 April 2023. Shane is fully qualified; however, his horrendous accident still has him in a wheelchair. He is not allowed to stand or weight-bear at all yet. Shane is madly in rehabilitation, swimming and riding an exercise bike. Holy smoke! This is a tough call, and wouldn’t that be the story of the century if Shane can return to match fitness and then go on to win a medal at the Paris Olympics!

2. Andrew Barnett and Go Tosca. This partnership has a score of 29.3 penalties and have already packed up their kit and have moved their campaign to England for the final selection period.

3. Shenae Lowings and Bold Venture have a score of 31.8 penalties at the Adelaide CCI4*S competition just gone on 19-21 April 2024. Shenae and Bold Venture have really moved up the leaderboard from last month where they were ranked ninth. This is much more in keeping with the sort of form that Shenae and Bold Venture have previously shown.

“In the Eventing
we have three sleepers
who have qualified.”

4. Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 A Best Friend have dropped down one spot on a score of 32.2 penalties from Kilguilkey House International Horse Trails CCI4*S in Ireland on 29 July 2023. Kevin still has one CCI4*S competition to complete before he is fully qualified and available for Australian team selection on this horse.

5. Andrew Cooper and Hey Arnold have dropped one spot this month. This combination has 32.9 penalties from Tamborine CCI4*S in Australia on 19 February 2023. Andrew is fully qualified.

6. Olivia Barton and Henrik APH have a best score of 33.3 penalties from the Sydney International 3DE CCI4*L on 9-12 November 2023. Henrik, like Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 A Best Friend, is short of a CCI4*S qualification from this year to be qualified and available for Australian team selection.

7. Andrew Hoy and Vassily de Lassos. This combination has 33.4 penalties from Strzegom, Poland CCI4*S on 17-21 April 2024, and was the individual bronze medallist and team silver medallist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. This is the first time Andrew has popped his head up above the horizon since the Tokyo Olympics and you have to take this combination very, very seriously. The 33.4 penalties at Strzgom included 2.4 time penalties. Andrew and Vassily de Lassos have in the past been considered one of the best cross country combinations in the world. Also one of the fastest. This combination is one of the sleepers to start stalking Olympic selection at this late stage of proceedings.

8. Sophia Hill and Humble Glory have dropped two places and have 33.5 penalties from Werribee CCI4*S on 2 February 2023. Sophia Hill and Humble Glory are the second of the three Australian-based riders to head over to England to complete the final stages of Olympic selection trials. Sophia and Humble Glory still need another CCI4*S to be fully qualified and available for Australian selection. Sophia just had her first baby last November.

9. Olivia Barton and Hollyander HG have a top score of 33.9 penalties from the CCI4*S at Land Rover Horse of the Year on 9-10 March in New Zealand. They are fully qualified and available for selection for Paris. This is Olivia’s second horse in the top 10. Hollyander HG and Olivia have just come second in their first CCI5*L at Adelaide 19-21 April 2024.

10. Sammi Birch and Finduss PFB have a score of 34.4 penalties from Blenheim CCI4*L in England on 13 September 2023. Sammi still needs two CCI4*S qualifiers before she can become available for Australian Paris selection. I think Sammi is entered in Badminton which is a CCI5*L on 8-12 May 2024.

11. Normally I don’t include an 11th ranking but there is a reason. David Middleton and WEC In The Money have 35.3 penalties from Wandin CCI4*S on 18 March 2023. What they also have is they are the winners of the Adelaide CCI5*L just gone on 19-21 April 2024. This is the only CCI5*L in the southern hemisphere. The end score was not good enough to elevate Dave further up the rankings but the result is awesome. That’s one for the selectors!

“Adelaide is the only CCI5*L in
the southern hemisphere.”

12. Chris Burton and Clever Louis have a score of 35.4 penalties at Strzegom CCI4*L and won the event. Chris and Clever Louis had 7.2 time penalties. Chris is actually qualified on Shadow Man, a horse he only recently began riding and has been purposefully taking very slowly on the cross country to date.

Chris is sometimes referred to as the fastest event rider in the world. If you check out the FEI database and look up Chris Burton eventing you will see that he rarely gets time penalties on any horse at all the top levels in the cross country phase including Badminton. Chris was the team bronze medallist from Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics. Chris also ran fourth at those Olympics individually. So enormous credibility here for Chris Burton, the second sleeper starting to flex muscle and look very dangerous. Another headache for the selectors.

13. Kevin McNab and Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam have a score of 52.3 penalties at Strezegom, Poland, on 5 April 2024. There are a lot of people in front of this combination. Why the heck would I mention him here? Well, this is Kevin’s Olympic team silver medallist from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam is qualified for Paris and ready to go. Kevin is known to be a fast rider. Of the 52.3 penalties, 18.8 of those are cross country time penalties. So, without the time penalties Kevin would have scored 33.5 penalties which would have him tying eighth in the leaderboard with Sophia Hill. Again, Kevin has very convincing credibility. This is the third and final sleeper lurking below the horizon who does need serious watching. Another massive headache for the Australian selectors.

So, just when the Eventing leaderboard seemed to be settling down and the main runners emerging up near the top, along come these three sleepers – Andrew Hoy, Kevin McNab and Chris Burton. Talk about putting the pressure on the top group of Australian riders. He who blinks is lost. What a tough group of athletes bunched together getting ready for the final sprint across the line just for Australian Team selection! Then these combinations are going to have to regroup and go even harder at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The standard is very high, but the risks are almost unimaginable. Spectacular viewing.

DRESSAGE LEADERBOARD

So, of the 11 Dressage ranked combinations, the only one still in Australia is David McKinnon and Forlan. Our top 10 combinations have all scored over 70%. This is the first time ever that Australia has produced this sort of depth in our Dressage performances leading up to an Olympic Games.

1. Simone Pearce and Destano scored 73.217% on 4 November 2023 in Motešice, Slovakia. Part of qualifying for Australian selection does include two Grand Prix Special starts. Destano and Simone have had one Grand Prix Special start but need another. That shouldn’t be a problem but it is a little nerve-wracking.

=2. It’s neck-and-neck for the No.2 spot! (A) Lyndal Oatley and Elvive have a score of 72.413% on 2 March 2024 in Lier CDI4*, Belgium. Lyndal and Elvive are fully qualified and good to go.

(B) Mary Hanna and Ivanhoe have a score of 72.413% from Boneo on 13 October 2023 and are also fully qualified and good to go. If you would like to follow Mary whilst she is competing in the northern hemisphere, her next start is a Nations Cup on 2-5 May at Compiegne, France. It should be great viewing just to watch how the Australians have survived the journey over there and are starting to flex muscle in the northern competition arena.

4. Jessica Dertell and Cennin are now in fourth position with a score of 71.587% at Boneo on 13 October 2023. Jess is currently based in Holland and like Mary Hanna is aimed for the Nations Cup at Compiegne, France. Jess and Cennin are also fully qualified and good to go.

5. Jayden Brown and WillingaPark Quincy B have a score of 71.370% from 2 March 2024 at Lier CDI4*, Belgium. Jayden is fully qualified and also good to go.

6. David McKinnon and Forlan have a score of 70.804% from Boneo on 13 October 2023. Dave is at Sydney CDI on 1-4 May 2024, and needs another score in the Grand Prix approaching or exceeding 69% in keeping with the Australian selection criteria. David and Forlan also need at least two Grand Prix Specials. It does seem to me that these prerequisites to have two GP Specials under your belt before being deemed qualified for team selection may in actual fact be a bit of a problem. I am not sure that there are two appropriately qualified shows between now and 24 June here in Australia. Big problem. We might just leave that one alone and simply spectate. I am sure the Forlan connections will be talking to the Australian selectors if Forlan scores as well as we know he can!

=7. We have a tie for No. 7 dressage ranking: (A) Jemma Heran and Saphira Royal 2 have a score of 70.717% in the CDI3* Grand Prix at the Palm Beach Dressage Derby in Florida, USA, on 2 March 2024. However, they do need another Grand Prix score at a CDI3* or above approaching or exceeding 69% to be fully qualified for Paris selection consideration.

(B) Simone Pearce and Immerdale have a score of 70.717% on 29 September 2023 from Ornago in Italy. This combination is not fully qualified and it does seem that Simone is no longer riding Immerdale. I have left this combination with this ranking because you just never do know. However, I don’t think Immerdale is now a contender.

9. Lyndal Oatley and Dante’s Herzchen have a score of 70.304% from Aachen CDI3* on 30 March 2024. Lyndal needs another Grand Prix score approaching or exceeding 69% and also needs two GP Special starts. This is still very possible.

10. Simone Pearce and All We Need with a score of 70.261% at Šamorín CDI3*, Slovakia on 12 April 2024. Simone is amazing. This is the first time All We Need has competed at a CDI level. Simone will need another score in the Grand Prix approaching 69% or over and she will need two GP Special performances. Anything is possible with Simone. Just keep in mind a rider can only ride one horse at the Olympics. So, in Simone’s case with three horses in the top 10 it does mean realistically that she still can only take one spot in the Australian team. So the other riders in the top 10 are not necessarily so far off a place as it may seem.

I had predicted a bit more juggling of rankings to have gone on. In actual fact things have stayed pretty settled for the moment. There are a lot of competitions coming up and so our final Dressage ranking column next month just could have a major challenge launched at the top leaderboard combinations. Maybe, maybe not… we will see.

Cheers,

Heath EQ

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO READ BY HEATH RYAN:

High Drama in our Leaderboards – Equestrian Life, March 2024

Olympic Qualifications, Leaderboards… & A Mankini – Equestrian Life, March 2024

This Year is All About Paris – Equestrian Life, January/February 2024

Paris Peloton Moves Go Crazy – Equestrian Life, December 2023

Peloton Builds on Road to Paris – Equestrian Life, November 2023

Pressure Builds in Olympic Stakes – Equestrian Life, October 2023

Tracking Our Paris Contenders – Equestrian Life, September 2023

Let the Qualifying Games Begin – Equestrian Life, August 2023

Live Wire Sparks Coaching Debate – Equestrian Life, July 2023