WAIS equestrian athlete Sonja Johnson has continued to stake her claim for a berth in the Australian Olympic Equestrian Team by claiming victory at the Bates Sydney International Three Day Event over the weekend.
Johnson and her horse Ringwould Jaguar finished the dressage phase of the Horseland CCI*** Event in third place. After the cross-country phase on the second day, Johnson moved up to second place behind Shane Rose. However, Rose’s horse All Luck failed to pass the vet check on the morning of the third day, allowing Johnson to take the lead on a score of 45.6 penalties.
At the end of the final day, Johnson and Ringwould Jaguar were announced as victors of the CCI*** class with a score of 49.6 penalties. Second and third places were claimed by Megan Jones and Wendy Schaeffer respectively.
This three-day event was a part of The Return of the Horse series which is a month-long series of equestrian events. This series was created to celebrate the return of equestrian competition after the eradication of Equine Influenza and has so far been a great success.
To avoid travel disruptions, Johnson will be remaining in Victoria with Ringwould Jaguar until the Olympic Equestrian Team is announced on July 4.
