RECORD CROWDS SEE OLYMPIAN ROSE, LOWINGS & BARRETT TRIUMPH ACROSS 3 ELITE LEVELS OF COMPETITION AT ADELAIDE EQUESTRIAN FESTIVAL FINALE

Adelaide, Australia - The Adelaide Equestrian Festival is elated to announce the results of the 3-day Adelaide Equestrian Festival competition, held in front of a record crowd celebrates Olympian Shane Rose winning the Adelaide International 5-star competition, Shenae Lowings taking out the RM Williams 4-star competition, and Oliver Barrett winning the Racing SA 3 Star competition.

Shane Rose (Centre) winning the Adelaide International 5-star competition, Shenae Lowings (left) taking out the RM Williams 4-star competition, and Oliver Barrett (right) winning the Racing SA 3 Star competition. Photo credit to Michelle Terlato Photography.

RESULTS OF THE ATCO Show Jumping Day Competitions today (23/04/2023):

RESULTS OF THE ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL CCI5*-L:

1. Shane Rose on Virgil with a score of 28.5
2. Sam Lyle on BF Valour with a score of 38.0
3. Sophia Hill on Humble Glory with a score of 40.9

RESULTS OF THE RM WILLIAMS CCI4*-S:

1. Shenae Lowings on Bold Venture with a score of 34.7 
2. Andrew Cooper on Sha valley Thunder with a score of 42.5
3. Cathryn Herbert on Easy Turn with a score of 43.2

RESULTS OF THE RACING SA CCI3*-S:

1. Oliver Barrett and Sandhills Special on 28.1
2. Erin Callahan and Danson Lincoln on 29.6
3. Jess Somerfield and Finch Farm Carpentaria on 32.5

Adelaide Equestrian Festival Chairman Greg Rolton said:  “Today’s final day of competition, the ATCO Show Jumping Day was a thrilling end to our four-day festival. 

“Having competitors, record crowds and our team back in our city after a three-year hiatus was just sensational.”

“I thank  all involved from our passionate board, event director, stewards and officials, sponsors, contractors and hard-working volunteers for putting on this world class event that been so enjoyable and memorable for all.”

South Australian Minister for Tourism Zoe Bettison said the return of the Adelaide Equestrian Festival has been a “huge success” with the response from eventgoers a clear indicator of that."

“What a fantastic four days it’s been in our city’s parklands, with record crowds flocking to the festival to enjoy the elite equestrian action – including an all-time high of 20,000 through the gates on Saturday’s Cross Country Day alone. 

“As the only event of this type worldwide held in the heart of a city and the new expanded program offerings, it’s no wonder there’s been such a terrific response from locals and visitors alike for this world-class festival now back on our state’s annual events calendar.” 

Shane Rose and horse Virgil, the overall winners in the 2023 5 Star competition across the 3-day competition is exhilarated to win in Adelaide at the highest level in Equestrian.

Rose said when accepting the trophies for himself and his horse said “The plan was always to bring Virgil here to Adelaide to qualify for Paris 2024 and we will see what unfolds there. 

It means everything to come back to compete in Adelaide after covid it’s amazing and I realise that there’s nowhere like this in the world to gallop through a city and the crowd and the weather are just second to none. 

“I think you can tell by the record crowd from here, around Australia and New Zealand – it’s the best event supported by the best crowd and sponsors in the Southern Hemisphere.“

“It’s a bonus gift ahead of my 50th birthday tomorrow!”

Rose, in the second time only since the events inception in 1997, is a 3-time competition winner (He has won the 3 disciplines across 3 events in 2004, 2015 and 2023).

This popular event attracted a record 37,000 patrons this week in Adelaide and is thought to have contributed well over $5.2 million in new economic expenditure for the state this year.

The Adelaide Equestrian Festival is supported by the South Australian Government through the South Australian Tourism Commission. 

About Adelaide Equestrian Festival (AEF):

The Adelaide International Horse Trials was born in 1997 to replace the Gawler Horse Trials that had been staged at Gawler, north of Adelaide, since 1954. The new event debuted in Adelaide’s East Parklands with a three-star rating but was subsequently upgraded to a four-star rating in 2002 to become the only event of this calibre in the Southern Hemisphere. The competition was relaunched and renamed the Australian International 3 Day Event (Aus3de) in 2007 to celebrate the event’s tenth anniversary and better reflect the international focus of the competition.  In 2019, the Aus3de was upgraded to five-star status, along with the other five international greats, in line with the updated FEI category designations. Due to COVID the event was not able to happen in 2020-22 but is back in 2023 under its new name the Adelaide Equestrian Festival (AEF which showcases the entire experience that this 4-day event encompasses). The AEF is owned, managed, and marketed by the Not-for-Profit Board of Adelaide Horse Trials Management Inc. comprising equestrian greats, professional business directors, and media advisers working with Chairman Greg Rolton. The event attracts over 25,000 annually and contributes $5.2 million in new economic expenditure for the state  each time it’s run.  For more information about the event, or to purchase tickets visit: https://www.adelaideequestrianfestival.com

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