The Elite Equine

Words / Glen Latham

There is something mesmerising about watching an elite equine athlete responding to the commands of its rider in competition. Whether it is on the racecourse, the polo field or the sport horse arena, such unity in motion is a joy to behold and for the second year spectators will be treated to the best Showjumping can offer at the 2023 Pacific Fair Magic Millions Polo & Showjumping. Magic Millions’ own Showjumping aficionado James Hetherington offered his thoughts on the leap forward the concept has taken since the inaugural event last January, and what spectators can expect for 2023.

While selling Thoroughbreds is the bedrock for Magic Millions as a business, the team at Bundall, driven by Katie Page-Harvey, have an agenda to grow the Carnival as a horse event, whether it be sales, Racing, Polo or Showjumping. On the back of the well-entrenched annual Magic Millions Polo match, the 2022 Carnival featured the inaugural Showjumping event, the acorn from which shoots of growth can already be seen less than a year down the track. What was originally proposed as a ‘taster’ to test audience appeal will blossom in 2023 into a contest with 48 world class riders, a slotholder concept that has pushed prizemoney to over $1 million and a junior competition to showcase the homegrown talent who will grace our arenas in the coming decades.

James Hetherington, part of the Magic Millions Bloodstock team and a more than handy man with a gavel, has a passion for jumping and provided an insight into what we can expect at Main Beach on the day. “Last year was a testing ground to see how successful the idea might be. The Polo had been successful for so long and here we were bringing a new sport in alongside of it, and that could have been tricky. But we were delighted to have a sold out event followed by very positive feedback, something which has been further borne out with ticket sales for 2023. Many of the spectators were watching jumping for the first time - it was different, but it’s like any good sport, if you are bringing the best of the best it makes for good watching.”

“The event has grown probably a lot quicker than anyone expected,” James explained. “In 2023 the prizemoney on offer will be over $1 million and with that sort of money, and the interest we’ve had from top level riders, the upcoming contest can only be better than the inaugural competition, and that bodes well for the spectators.”

With Coolmore Australia again on board and Peachester Lodge also joining for 2023 as major sponsors, prizemoney available has taken a massive leap thanks to the involvement of a dozen slotholders. James explained how the prizemoney hike has had a positive effect on what we can expect to see on the day. “It won’t be Olympic level, but we’ve had World Cups here in Australia and this will be up there as far as prizemoney and the standard of competitors is concerned. This year we’ve had to reduce 82 entries back to a field of 48 riders of which about eight are Olympians, along with a number of local riders looking to compete overseas in the near future. The best Showjumping competitors in Australia competed on the Gold Coast this year and will be back this coming January. There are also a couple of Kiwi entries and a gentleman from South Korea who will ride a local horse, so there is international participation coming together.”

Dropping a few names James said “Amongst the competitors will be Shane Rose, the Silver Medallist at the London Olympics and Peter McMahon of Killora Lodge, who rode in the Beijing Olympics, and will compete along with his children. Then there is Vicki Roycroft who has represented Australia at the Olympics at both Eventing and Showjumping and Chris Chugg who rode at the last World Equestrian Games, to name a few. Even if spectators only have a passing interest in the sport those are names they will recognise.”

As most of us travel to the Gold Coast each January for the Thoroughbreds, I wondered what sort of crossover there was between racing and jumping, both human and equine, or was the 2022 event primarily for the jumping fraternity. James responded by saying “We had a good cross section of spectators both from the jumping and racing worlds. Gai Waterhouse was there, her grandchildren are just starting out jumping, while Amber Tait from Twin Hills Stud was there as her and husband Olly’s children ride. And while James Harron was inspecting horses his wife was at the Showjumping. She must have been impressed, James will be a slotholder this year! There’s always the cross section of people with an interest in both sports.”

But what about in the arena? “This year the competition was won by Team Godolphin and Jessica Pateman, Champion jump jockey Steven Pateman’s wife.”

As for the horseflesh James explained “It is the intention that as the event grows the impact on Thoroughbreds as Showjumpers will increase. It is significant that of the junior section with twenty competitors we expect seven or eight will have Thoroughbred mounts.” It follows such an event offers a further opportunity for Thoroughbreds off the track, and that can only be a good thing.

So, if watching the mastery of the rider and the bravery of the horse matching flawless execution at each obstacle with speed against the clock appeals, then Doug Jennings Park Main Beach on Sunday January 8th is the place to be.