Rewriting the record books

There have been some history-making eventing wins this year, including Hazel Shannon and WillingaPark Clifford’s outstanding Adelaide result, writes AMANDA MAC.

So far, it’s been the year for eventing record books to be rewritten, and at quite a fast clip. In April, Germany’s Michael Jung secured an astonishing fifth win at Kentucky with FischerChipmunk FRH, when the pair took out the CCI5*-L Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, helped along by a record-breaking dressage score of 18.6.

Then Britain’s Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo became the first combination ever to regain a Badminton title in non-consecutive years, first winning in 2023 and then again last month. Also in May, Australia’s own Hazel Shannon and 19-year-old off the track WillingaPark Clifford chalked up a historic result at the Adelaide Equestrian Festival, becoming the only combination ever to win the Adelaide 5* four times – in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2025 – a record that will no doubt stand for some years to come.

‘Meant to be’ springs to mind when contemplating Hazel and WillingaPark Clifford’s partnership. Retired racehorse Clifford (Sidespin) was bred in Tasmania by Sue Devereux and after a brief, lacklustre track career, Sue came to the conclusion that although the horse had an excellent temperament, he simply wasn’t interested in going fast. So she gave him to her sister Wendy Ward, who lived in Heatherbrae, NSW with her partner Allen Jennings, on a property next door to equestrian stars Heath and Rozzie Ryan.

Meanwhile, born into a family of horse lovers, Hazel grew up in Mutchilba, a tiny inland town north of Cairns in Far North Queensland. “My mum is English and was interested in English riding, but my dad and brother were into camp drafting and Stock Horses,” Hazel says, which goes a long way to explaining why her early riding career was eclectic. There was a local Pony Club, but due to the remoteness of the area, interest in state championships and the like was virtually non-existent. “It was more just the local kids socialising and having fun,” she recalls. “It was really nice.”

But the love of horses goes well beyond Hazel’s immediate family and it was Lynn, one of her aunts, who told her about the availability of working pupil positions at yards around the country. Deciding this option appealed more than leaving school and going straight on to university, Hazel took a gap year and, synchronistically, was lucky enough to become a working pupil at the Ryan’s Newcastle Equestrian Centre.

Hazel’s ‘gap’ morphed into 11 years, during which she settled on eventing as her sport of choice, and started working with Clifford, who at the time was essentially a riding school horse. “We got on really well, and Heath, Rozzie and Wendy were happy to leave me as his jockey,” she says.

And that was the start of what is now their 15-year partnership – but it wasn’t without its twists and what turned out to be a few fairy tale turns.

Initially, Clifford wasn’t a natural, although his heart and reliability have turned this otherwise unremarkable 16hh chestnut Thoroughbred into a history-making eventing superstar. “He’s faster than he was and very motivated by jumping and eventing, but I think that took a little bit to come out in him,” Hazel says.

In 2015, Clifford and Hazel represented Australia at the Oceania Championships, and in 2016, won the CIC3* in Goulburn, Tamworth and at Camden Equestriad, topping off the year by winning the Australian International 3DE Adelaide CCI4* for the first time [Editor’s Note: In 2019, the event was upgraded to CCI5*, a status which was applied retrospectively]. Clifford was also named Eventing NSW Horse of the Year and Australian Domestic Horse of the Year.

However, in the background of their 2016 success was a tragedy. Wendy and her partner Allen, who co-owned Clifford, were very invested in the horse’s career. “They were happy to go on that journey, and for Clifford to remain with me. And so he was very much my special horse,” Hazel recalls. But just before the Adelaide International, Allen suddenly and unexpectedly passed away, making Clifford and Hazel’s win a bitter sweet victory for both Wendy, Hazel and their families.

Following Allen’s passing, Wendy could no longer afford to keep Clifford. The horse was put up for sale, potentially signalling the end of a long-standing partnership between horse and rider. However, Heath Ryan orchestrated a meeting between Terry Snow, the founder and then owner of Willinga Park, and Hazel. “Terry was quick to agree to help me out and buy Clifford so I could keep riding him. It was a very Terry thing to do. He was really supportive of Australian sport, and very generous with causes he believed in. He was a lovely man.”

Now under the ownership of Terry and Ginette Snow, Clifford became WillingaPark Clifford, and Hazel and her heart horse went on to achieve international success, competing in seven CCI5*-L events, including the Kentucky Three-Day Event and Pau CCI5*, and in 2022 they competed at the World Championship in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy.

And while they were on home soil, the pair certainly weren’t resting on their laurels. They won at Adelaide in 2018 and 2019, making Clifford the only horse in history to have won that particular 5* three times, earning him a place among an elite group of horse from around the world who have each won the same 5* event three times.

Very sadly, in August 2024, Terry Snow passed away, and typical of the Snow family’s generosity, Hazel was gifted Clifford. “For the first time in 15 years, I own him,” Hazel says. It was so kind of the family, and winning Adelaide again is like the cherry on the cake of this whole journey. With so many people who have been instrumental in our partnership, it feels kind of poetic.”

Clifford does of course, have quirks. He’s not a fan of the spotlight, and would rather just get on with the job. “He’s a real athlete,” Hazel remarks, “but it’s easy not to take him seriously because of his quiet, laid back nature. That was especially so in the beginning, but his hotness and drive came out as his training progressed, and he understood what he was doing. He’s a quiet achiever and he’s super obliging and consistent with everything he does.”

When it comes to future plans, Hazel will work those out with Clifford. “I guess I’m waiting for him to be ready to retire. I think it’d be almost cruel to retire him early, because he loves doing what he’s doing and he absolutely hates sitting in the paddock. So he’s not going to want to be a retiree anytime soon, and I’m just going to let Clifford take the lead with that.”

And that sounds like the perfect choice for this outstanding partnership.