Page 2238 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 3 August 2021
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Bill agreed to in principle.
Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.
Bill agreed to.
Adjournment
Motion (by Mr Gentleman) proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Olympic Games 2021—Australian equestrian team
MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong—Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Families and Community Services and Minister for Health) (4.20): I rise with great joy this afternoon to celebrate the performance of Australia’s equestrian eventing team at the Tokyo Olympics. I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the incredible performance of the team, bringing themselves up from sixth place after the dressage in the teams event to the silver medal position, and Andrew Hoy, of course—an absolute legend of the sport—winning the individual bronze.
I want to start by acknowledging Stuart Tinney, who was the reserve rider and was out of the team at the very last minute. Stuart, of course, will be known to people as one of the 2000 Olympics gold medallists. If the rules had been the same as they have been in previous Olympics, he would have been the individual medallist as well.
Stuart Tinney is an absolute backbone of the sport here in Australia. He is a real professional. He and his family work incredibly hard to support the sport here. It was sad for him that he missed out on a spot to actually ride, but I have no doubt that he was standing behind the others giving all the advice and support that he could as they rode through to their medal-winning performance.
Kevin McNab, the least well-known of the three riders who did compete, is a Queenslander. His name is Kevin; he is here to help! And help he did with the equestrian team. His horse, Don Quidam, had an outstanding performance, both cross-country and in the show jumping.
Shane Rose, the next rider, rode a horse called Virgil, well-known for overjumping everything. He gave us a couple of heart-stopping moments on the cross-country, but he brought it home clear within the time and then had one rail down in the show jumping. Shane is also one of the absolute backbones of the sport in New South Wales. He is a driving force for Eventing New South Wales and can often be found both organising events and riding five horses in the one day, if not more, if you will let him. He is an incredible force to be reckoned with, Shane Rose. He has had multiple injuries, yet he keeps coming back to compete with different horses at the top level of the sport.
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