The Board of the Australian International 3-Day Event announced on Aug. 6 that the 2021 five-star, held in Adelaide, Australia, has been canceled for the second year in a row. The event was set to take place Nov. 18-23.
The decision was made by the board after considering all options and follows the impact COVID-19 lockdowns have had on other equestrian events across Australia.
Board Chair Greg Rolton said COVID lockdowns in other Australian states led to equestrian events being canceled and riders unable to qualify for the Adelaide event in November.
“Our primary focus is to deliver a safe and successful event at the world-class benchmark we have created,” he said. “Unfortunately, with continued lockdowns across the country in 2021, this has impacted the ability for riders to compete and qualify for the Aus3DE.
“We are disappointed this has led to the decision to cancel the 2021 Aus3DE, particularly after the success of our Olympic silver medal-winning equestrian eventing team at the Tokyo Olympics, but we have our sights set on the delivery of a fantastic event in 2022 post this pandemic.”
The cancellation leaves Pau CCI5*-L (France), the Maryland Five-Star and a one-off five-star at Bicton (England), replacing the canceled Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, still scheduled to run this year.
