Flemington

24 Put a girl from Far North Queensland, a thoroughbred fromTasmania and an Australian billionaire together and what do you get? A fairy tale and some record-breaking wins. As a racehorseWillingapark Clifford wasn’t much to write home about. He didn’t even make it to a race day, having failed at his first barrier trial in Tasmania. But he’s excelled as an eventer under the guidance of 28-year-old Hazel Shannon. In 2019, Hazel pulled off a world-class performance on board Willingapark Clifford with a win in the CCI5* at the Australian International 3 Day Event (Aus3DE). It was a record-breaking victory, their thirdwin together at theAus3DE, the only CCI5* eventing competition in the Southern Hemisphere, making it three wins in four years – 2016, 2018 and 2019. As a result the pair added their names to the elite few who have achieved the feat of winning the same 5* event three times on the same horse: Great Ovation ridden by Captain Mark Phillips at Badminton (1971, ’72, ’74), Winsome Adante ridden by Kim Severson at Kentucky (2002, ’04, ’05), Andrew Nicholson riding Avebury at Burghley (2012, ’13, ’14) and fischerRocana FST ridden by Michael Jung at Kentucky (2015, ’16, ’17). FAILED RACEHORSE REWRITES THE RECORD BOOKS IN EVENTING BY DEBB I E H I GGS EQUINE WELFARE Cross country day on the way to winning in 2019 (Image credit: Libby Law Photography)