Sitting in second place after the dressage and show jumping phase, Shannon moved up to the top of the leaderboard with a fast cross country round, while time penalties saw dressage leaders Emma Bishop and CP Issey Miyake slip to second.

In his first attempt at the CIC3* level, Pakistani Olympic hopeful Usman Khan thrilled the crowd with the fastest cross country round in the class, and was delighted with his horse Al-Buraq’s outstanding performance on course as they placed fourth behind Sam Lyle and BF Valour. Grace Kay and Celerity Park Faberge led the Tamworth Landrover CIC2* class from start to finish, while Andrew Barnett and Bradgate Park Galileo emerged victorious in the Inland Technology CIC1* class.

The cold and windy conditions were no deterrent for an enthusiastic crowd who gathered to cheer on the over 330 riders who competed over the three days.

“Conditions were very trying, however eventers are known for their tenacity and everyone had a great time,” Tamworth International Eventing president Carolyn Campbell said.

“Over 100 volunteers are involved in running an event of this scale, and they braved sub zero temperatures in the morning and fierce winds in the afternoon with admirable dedication”.

In 2019, Tamworth International Eventing will be jumping to new heights with the construction of several new feature fences including a water jump which is expected to be the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.

“Competitors cannot speak highly enough of the world class facilities here at the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre,” Campbell commented.

“We are excited about what the future holds for equestrian sport in this region and look forward to running two events again in 2019.”